Tooth Extractions – Big Pine Key, FL
Doing What’s Best for Your Smile
At some point early in life, you lost your primary or baby teeth to make room for your growing smile. However, you only get one set of permanent teeth that are supposed to last and serve you for an entire lifetime. That’s why at Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry of the Keys, we do our best to preserve your natural adult teeth as much as possible. Unfortunately, there are situations when tooth extractions in Big Pine Key, FL are necessary.
Why Choose Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry of the Keys for Tooth Extractions?
- Honest, Highly Trained Dental Team
- Advanced Tooth Replacement Options Available
- Relaxing Dental Office Atmosphere
Reasons Why Tooth Extractions Are Necessary
With other dental offices, you may wonder whether the treatment they suggest is really necessary, but here at Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry, we value honesty and will always only recommend procedures that will benefit your smile. In fact, we may recommend extraction if you experience any of the following:
- Extreme tooth decay that could spread to other teeth or to the bone.
- Advanced gum disease.
- Extensive damage that doesn’t leave enough healthy tooth structure to support a dental crown.
- Overcrowded teeth that need orthodontic treatment.
If one of these scenarios happens to you, we will take the time to make sure you fully understand your situation so that you can make a confident decision about your treatment.
The Process of Removing a Tooth
“Tooth extraction” is the term patients are most familiar with, but there are actually two types: simple tooth extractions and surgical tooth extractions. As mentioned above, our knowledgeable team will explain each one in-depth so you feel confident making a decision on what’s best for your oral health. With that said, we’ve also provided a bit more information on each right here!
A simple tooth extraction is used when the tooth that needs to be removed has broken through the gumline. Usually, this is the case when we are conducting this procedure to address overcrowding, advanced gum disease, or severe decay. In this case, our Big Pine Key dentist will thoroughly numb your mouth before gently rocking your tooth loose and removing it from the socket.
A surgical extraction, on the other hand, is necessary when the tooth is still underneath the gumline. Most often, this is recommended for impacted wisdom teeth. With this procedure, we will completely numb the area around your tooth, create a small incision in your gums to access it, and then carefully remove it with special tools.
After you’ve healed, our in-house periodontist, Dr. Dan Mazor, can replace the gap in your smile (if the tooth wasn’t removed due to overcrowding, of course) with a dental implant. In addition to being highly skilled and meticulous, he completed a multi-year program on implant dentistry!
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
Remember, your healing period is as important as the procedure itself. To prevent a dry socket, infection, or any other complications, we encourage our patients to:
- Not smoke, drink through a straw, or spit.
- Refrain from physical activities, like running or weightlifting.
- Keep your mouth clean (we will provide you with oral hygiene instructions).
- Stick to soft foods, such as plain yogurt, soup, and scrambled eggs.
- Take OTC pain medication as instructed.
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
When you turn up to the dentist’s office for your tooth extraction, we know that the last thing you want to be thinking about is the cost of your dental treatment. And yet, we’re also aware that payment can be a sticky subject for many of our patients.
We endeavor to making paying for your dental care just as easy as every other part of the services you receive from us. This means no surprises; we’ll give you a complete estimate for the cost of care when we meet you in person. And until then, here’s what you should know about paying for a tooth extraction.
Tooth Extractions FAQs
What’s the Recovery for Tooth Extractions Like?
When we perform your tooth extraction, we will provide you with a variety of detailed aftercare instructions. This includes protecting the emerging clot in your mouth, keeping your mouth clean, and getting plenty of rest in the immediate aftermath of the procedure. You’ll also have to change the gauze as necessary.
It’s common to be fairly tender in the days immediately following your treatment. You can manage this by taking any medication you’ve been prescribed as directed. You should also avoid anything that may exacerbate the pain associated with your treatment, which can mean sticking to a soft food diet and avoiding smoking for the duration of your recovery.
What Are My Options for Replacing a Missing Tooth?
There are a variety of tooth replacement options available to you, each of which can produce incredible results. The one you should pick comes down the state of your oral health, how many teeth you’ve had removed, and personal preference.
Dental bridges involve sandwiching a false tooth in between two dental crowns, at which point they can be adhered to the teeth. They’re ideal for replacing a few teeth that were once right next to each other.
Dentures are a series of false teeth on an acrylic base, which can either adhere to the gums via suction on clip onto any remaining teeth. This flexibility makes them the ideal option for people missing most or all of their teeth.
Dental implants are often considered to be the ideal tooth replacement option, involving attaching a restoration to a metal post implanted into the jaw. They require you to have a fairly strong jaw, but can easily last for over 30 years when maintained well.
What Can I Do to Speed Up the Healing Time?
The most important thing you can do to speed up the healing process is to rest. Avoid strenuous activity for at least 24 hours after your extraction and keep your head elevated in order to prevent excess blood flow to the extraction wound.
You should also do what you can to avoid dry socket, a condition that occurs when the emerging clot is pulled out of place. This can happen when there is excess suction in the mouth, like when sucking through a straw, smoking, or spitting excessively. This can potentially slow down healing time, which means it’s important to avoid these habits while you recover.
How Should I Prepare for My Tooth Extraction?
Before your appointment with us, take the time to ask us any questions you have about treatment. We will be able to give you a better idea of what you should eat before treatment and what to bring to your appointment. If you need to abide by any specific instructions, like picking up medication beforehand, we’ll give you a sense of what you need beforehand.
If you have any questions about tooth extractions – whether it’s about the procedure itself or the healing process – don’t hesitate to contact us!