Tooth Extractions in Kingwood, TX

Deciding to have a tooth or teeth extracted can be a big decision to make for yourself or for a loved one faced with an impacted, severely decayed, or broken tooth that is beyond repair. At Made Ya Smile Dental in Kingwood, TX, we will do what is necessary to preserve a tooth, but we will recommend removal if keeping the tooth is detrimental to other teeth. Our dental team may suggest tooth extraction when:

• There is no viable path to saving the tooth (it is dead)
• Baby teeth fail to fall out on their own
• A tooth is impacted or decayed beyond repair
• Teeth have to be removed to facilitate and make more room for orthodontic treatments

Removing a tooth from a young child or several teeth for an aging adult requires the same compassionate, gentle care from our team. We have two types of sedation techniques we offer in our office — nitrous oxide gas and oral-conscious sedation. If you would like to learn more about our extraction process, please contact one of our wonderful patient care coordinators who will take the time to talk through your concerns. Feel free to ask questions in order to make the right selection in the type of extraction and who you want to perform it. Made Ya Smile Dental is here to listen. Call us today if you would like an appointment at our Kingwood, TX office.

Whether you need a wisdom teeth removal or your dentist is pulling a tooth to preserve your oral health, we understand that a tooth extraction can be daunting. While many patients may wish to postpone or avoid having a tooth extraction, having your extraction as soon as possible after receiving a diagnosis can promote the following oral health benefits:

• Prevents damage and decay from spreading to healthy adjacent teeth
• Multiple implant options to replace the appearance and function of the extracted tooth
• Relatively quick procedure that happens in our office
• Offers numbing and local anesthetic to keep you as comfortable as possible

Some teeth are not meant to be saved. Wisdom teeth or baby teeth that refuse to come out are extractable teeth that usually will not cause problems from their absence. We do our best to save the teeth that are not replaceable with dental restorations. However, if the tooth dies, it will require extraction so that infection that comes with a rotten tooth does not spread to other teeth, the gums, or surrounding areas within the face or bloodstream.

• Candidates for traditional extraction
  If a tooth is fully erupted and can be pulled from the jaw with forceps without cutting into the gums, then this is called a traditional extraction.
• Candidates for surgical extraction
  The more the tooth is under the gumline (unerupted or impacted), the chances of having a surgical extraction for removal are higher. These are impacted teeth that are a challenge to remove the traditional way and can cause more harm than good trying to pull them out with forceps. Incisions have to be made in the gumline to remove these teeth.

With x-rays and a dental examination, we can determine if a traditional or surgical extraction is the best course of treatment for your oral health needs.

In treatment planning your extraction(s), we will discuss the technique, the sedation method, and the type of anesthesia to be used during the extraction. It is possible to have more than one type of extraction if multiple teeth are being removed surgically and nonsurgically. 

For extraction with forceps, we offer nitrous oxide and oral-conscious sedation services to improve your comfort or help relax you if you are anxious about your visit. When your mouth is fully numb, we will begin your extraction process. Our team takes a conservative approach whenever possible to preserve the integrity of surrounding teeth and tissues. Using forceps, your dentist will remove the tooth from the bone socket manually.

If your tooth or teeth require removal surgically, we will do our best to provide the services you need without referring you out to an oral surgeon. With surgical extraction, an incision is made within the gums to expose the tooth so that it can be cut from the gums. Once the tooth is out, the gum will be sutured closed. Sometimes, we have to take the tooth out in pieces if it is intertwined in the roots or positioned in a way that is complex to remove. If we feel that you would benefit from working with an oral surgeon to get the best results, we will refer you to a local oral surgeon within the Kingwood, TX area. 

Your recovery is crucial to the healing process. How you care for your gums post-extraction can make recovery easy and fast, or it can linger with infection if you are not careful. We will give you specific instructions on how to care for yourself, give you prescriptions for antibiotic medications for existing infections if needed, and strategies to alleviate pain while you recover. Most patients can take over-the-counter pain medication for pain and apply cold compresses to bring down facial swelling. We also ask that you avoid drinking from a straw, smoking, or sucking items during recovery. The clot over the extraction site can become dislodged, which is a painful condition known as "dry socket." If this happens, please call for assistance immediately. In a week after your extraction, we may ask you to return to our office for a follow-up examination. If you are in need of restorations after your extraction sites have healed, then we will plan and prepare for those treatments next.

Customarily, a tooth that has to come out will qualify for some type of coverage in your dental insurance plan. How the tooth comes out may be what changes the coverage amount. Your out-of-pocket costs may be more for anesthesia and sedation techniques for surgical extraction. Our billing coordinator will contact your provider to find out your plan allowance for extraction. Even if you do not have insurance, we want to make getting the treatment you need convenient and affordable. Made Ya Smile Dental in Kingwood proudly accepts several payment options and can provide information on low-interest dental financing through CareCredit®.

Do tooth extractions hurt?
When we perform tooth removal at our Kingwood, TX office, it's our goal to ensure you're as comfortable as possible. We offer a variety of sedation options to help alleviate discomfort and utilize state-of-the-art technologies and tools to perform in the least invasive way we can.

How long will it take to recover from dental removal?
The length of your healing process will depend on your particular situation. For example, having a tooth pulled could take about two weeks to heal, but wisdom tooth extractions could take upwards of a month to completely heal.

What steps can I take to ensure my gums heal correctly?
We will send you home with a list of care instructions, so it's important to follow these directions in order to optimize your oral health. Additionally, we suggest ice packs to help reduce swelling, a soft- or liquid-food diet to reduce chewing, and saline rinses to ruse the gums.

Our extraction process preserves your overall oral health. Sometimes a tooth has to come out for the sake of your other teeth and gums. Made Ya Smile Dental in Kingwood, TX offers both traditional and surgical tooth extractions on decayed, damaged, or impacted teeth. Not to worry, we offer comprehensive tooth replacement options that will keep you smiling!