Tooth Extractions – Springfield, NJ
Relieve Dental Pain and Protect Your Oral Health
While no one wants to lose a tooth, an extraction is sometimes the best course of action to protect your oral health. Neglecting a badly decayed, damaged or infected tooth can lead to even more pain and bigger problems later down the road. To save your smile from painful, problematic teeth, Dr. Aliana Henkin can perform a quick and comfortable tooth extraction in Springfield. Read on or contact our office today to learn how this common dental treatment can alleviate your dental pain and boost your oral health.
Why Choose Skyline Dental for Tooth Extractions?
- State-of-the-Art Facility
- Weekend Appointments Available
- All Dental Insurance Welcome
Reasons Why Tooth Extractions Are Necessary
At Skyline Dental, we only recommend tooth extractions when they are absolutely necessary. Dr. Henkin will first evaluate your tooth to determine if it can be saved through root canal therapy, a dental crown, or other restorative treatment. However, a tooth extraction may be the best course of action if you have:
- Extensive tooth decay or damage
- Advanced gum disease or jawbone deterioration
- Severe dental infection that could spread to adjacent teeth
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- An overcrowded smile that prevents orthodontic treatment
The Process of Removing a Tooth
There are two main methods for tooth extractions in Springfield: simple and surgical. If your tooth has fully emerged from the gums, Dr. Henkin will use forceps to gently rock the tooth back and forth until it naturally separates from the gum tissue. Your mouth will be numbed before the extraction begins to ensure your comfort. Surgical extractions are typically performed on an impacted wisdom tooth or other tooth that has not erupted. In this case, Dr. Henkin will make a small incision in the gums to reveal more of the tooth. Next, they will pull the entire tooth out or cut it into smaller pieces and remove them one by one.
The only way to determine which tooth extraction method is right for you is to schedule a consultation at our office. Dr. Henkin will carefully evaluate your damaged or decaying tooth and create a custom extraction plan based on your unique needs.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
After your tooth is removed, it’s important that you return home and rest. Dr. Henkin will provide you with personalized aftercare instructions to ensure a successful recovery. Common aftercare tips include:
- Take over-the-counter or prescription pain medication as directed by your dentist in Springfield.
- After 24 hours, mix warm water with half a teaspoon of salt and rinse your mouth gently.
- Keep your mouth clean by brushing and flossing carefully and rinsing with mouthwash gently. Don’t use mouthwash with alcohol.
- Avoid eating hard, crunchy, sticky, sour, and spicy foods for around one week.
- Avoid drinking through a straw, as the suction could dislodge the protective blood clot that forms over the extraction site.
- Do not smoke, chew, or vape tobacco.
You may experience swelling or light bleeding immediately after your tooth extraction. This is completely normal and no cause for alarm. You can manage any mild discomfort by taking pain medication as directed or applying an ice pack to your cheek. If your pain doesn’t go away after a couple days or gets worse, contact our office right away.
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
When you are in need of a tooth extraction, there’s probably a lot on your mind. The last thing you want is to have to stress about your dental payment on top of everything else. That’s why we do everything we can to make paying for your dental care as easy as it can possibly be.
We’ll give you a complete estimate of what your dental care is going to cost when we meet you in person, but here’s what you should know about the price of tooth extractions before then.
Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost
It can be pretty difficult to determine what a person’s tooth extraction is going to cost before we know the particulars of your situation. This is because there are several factors that can influence the price of your dental treatment.
The type of tooth that’s being removed, its location in the mouth, and how many you need to have taken out will all be variables to consider when evaluating the cost of your dentistry. In the case of especially complex tooth extractions you might also need to deal with an external surgical specialist, and these professionals will usually have their own rates for the services they provide.
You’ll also have to consider the method of tooth replacement you want to use, whether it be a dental implant, bridge, or denture. These oral appliances will each incur their own cost.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?
Dental insurance will usually cover around 50% of a tooth extraction, though the details here can vary depending on the particulars of your dental plan. This will also usually depend on whether you’ve met your deductible, or if you’ve yet to exceed your annual maximum. We’ll help you work with your dental plan to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your benefits.
Other Options for Making Tooth Extractions Affordable
We also know that many patients don’t have dental insurance, which is why we try and offer options to make our dental care affordable even without it. We frequently work with CareCredit, which is a financing firm that can allow you to split up the cost of your dental care across several months.
If you qualify based on a credit check, you can often apply for a plan with low-to-no additional interest. If you want to learn more about this or any other financial option available to you, make an appointment for a consultation with us today!
Tooth Extractions FAQs
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
Patients are often concerned about discomfort associated with their dental treatment, particularly in the case of a tooth extraction. You should know that we work incredibly hard to ensure that removing your problematic tooth will be completely painless.
Before beginning the procedure, we will numb your mouth completely to ensure that you won’t feel anything in the course of your tooth extraction. We can therefore guarantee that you’ll be completely comfortable for the entire time you’re in our dental chair.
Most patients are sore for a few days after their treatment, which can be mitigated by proper use of either OTC pain medicine or medicine that we’ve prescribed you.
Is There an Alternative to a Tooth Extraction?
We don’t recommend tooth extractions carelessly; we are interested in helping you to keep as many of your natural teeth as possible, just like you are. The fact is that for most patients who are recommended a tooth extraction, there aren’t really any alternatives to the procedure.
If you detect the issue early, root canals and gum disease therapy could be enough to fully handle your infection, or a dental crown could repair a damaged tooth. However, if these conditions are allowed to progress and worsen, extracting the problem tooth could be the only option available to you. We’ll be able to tell you more about your available options when we meet.
Can I Leave the Space Empty After a Tooth Extraction?
Sometimes, patients who have lost a tooth at the back of their mouth feel that it’s not strictly necessary to replace it, given that no one is going to see the gap in their smile anyway. However, the fact is that missing teeth can cause serious problems. The surrounding teeth might rush to fill the gap, causing serious misalignment and broader issues with your oral health. This is in addition to the impaired capacity to eat what you’d like and talk with ease.
For these reasons, it’s strongly recommended that patients replace the teeth that they’ve had extracted with a dental crown, dental bridge, or dental implant.
What Risks Are Involved with Tooth Extractions?
Tooth extractions may sound scary, but the fact is that they are routine procedures that are considered to be incredibly safe. Complications aren’t unheard of, but so long as you adhere diligently to aftercare guidelines, you can dramatically reduce the risks of dealing with them.
The primary risk after tooth extractions is infection, which can be mitigated with solid oral hygiene after your procedure is completed. There’s also dry socket, which occurs due to suction in the mouth pulling out the clot surrounding the surgical wound; you can avoid this by refraining from using straws, spitting excessively, or smoking in the days after your tooth has been removed.