At Moudy Dental, our patients' care and well-being are our top priorities. Every member of our experienced team strives to ensure patient comfort and a stress-free dental experience. While we do everything we can to preserve the integrity of your natural smile, it's sometimes necessary to extract a tooth to protect your oral health and overall well-being.
If you are experiencing any dental pain or discomfort, our office accepts same day appointments for dental emergencies.
When the tooth is clearly visible in the mouth, Dr Moudy will remove the damaged tooth with a simple extraction procedure. Once the tooth and the surrounding tissue is numbed with a local anesthetic, he will loosen any attached periodontal tissues and apply forceps to remove the tooth. As with all dental procedures, we do all we can to help ensure your comfort and relaxation throughout every step in care.
For teeth that are severely decayed and broken down or impacted, a surgical extraction is often necessary. During a surgical extraction, a small incision in the soft tissue and localized, precise removal of overlying bone provides greater access to remove the tooth. As with all tooth extractions, patients are given a local anesthetic to numb the involved tooth and the surrounding tissue. If your condition requires a referral to an oral surgeon, we have an oral surgeon next door that can most likely perform your treatment immediately.
Post-Op Care Following An Extraction
If sutures (stitches) were placed, or if a complex extraction, an infection, or other issues requires a visit to monitor your healing and progress, you will be given an appointment for follow-up care. It's essential that you keep this appointment as provided.
If you experience continued bleeding, ongoing pain, more swelling, have a bad taste in your mouth, or other unusual symptoms, contact our office.
The most common reasons for tooth loss include advanced periodontal disease, extensive tooth decay, and facial trauma. According to statistics, gum disease is responsible for close to 70% of tooth loss in adults. Although less frequent than the preceding three reasons, it should also be noted that specific diseases, drugs, smoking, and poor nutrition contribute to the risk of tooth loss.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in the United States, an average of 12 teeth (including the wisdom teeth) are lost by the age of 50. Also, 26% of adults between 65 and 74 years of age have lost all their teeth.
Every patient and every situation is different. However, when a tooth and the surrounding tissues are numbed with a local anesthetic, you should only expect to feel a bit of pressure, but no pain as the tooth is being loosened from the surrounding tissues and extracted. For patients who are apprehensive and for some surgical extractions, our office will discuss our options in dental sedation to provide further relaxation and reduce any sense of discomfort.
While it's normal to feel some tenderness and swelling following an extraction, the degree of these sensations can vary. It mostly depends on the complexity of the extraction and the body's response to the procedure. We'll recommend or prescribe the appropriate pain medication to help ensure your comfort and give you specific instructions for maximum effectiveness and safety.
Typically, the recovery period following a simple extraction is shorter than a surgical extraction. However, a patient's overall health, habits, the size and location of the tooth, and other variables can influence recovery and healing. To speed up the recovery and avoid any complications, patients must follow the given at-home instructions diligently. We'll carefully review what to expect following your procedure and go over your post-op instructions.
Smoking interferes with blood clot formation, which is an essential first step in the healing process. Blood clot formation not only provides a protective layer to cover the underlying exposed bone and nerve endings, but it also supports the growth of new tissue. Cigarette smoke also contains chemical toxins that can disrupt the healing process and lead to problems such as continued inflammation, infection, or dry socket.
In a very small percentage of cases, a condition known as dry socket can develop in the aftermath of a dental extraction. This painful condition can arise when the blood clot in the extraction site doesn't form properly or gets dislodged. With dry socket, you may experience throbbing pain and symptoms such as bad breath and an unpleasant taste in your mouth. As skilled providers of care, our office will provide immediate treatment to alleviate your discomfort and promote healing.
The last teeth in your mouth to develop, wisdom teeth often do not have enough room to fully erupt or may be positioned in the wrong direction. These issues can affect your dental health as well as overall wellbeing. While some individuals never develop all their wisdom teeth, and a few have sufficient space for them, there are many people with partially or fully impacted third molars. Our office will monitor the development, position, and health of your wisdom teeth and will advise you if and when extractions are indicated.
After a tooth is removed, bone-grafting material is sometimes placed in the socket to promote healing and encourage new bone development. This procedure is often performed to support the eventual and successful placement of a dental implant.
At the office of Moudy Dental, we strive to make dental care affordable and accessible. Depending on the type or complexity of the extraction and other variables, the cost of the procedure can vary. Based on our diagnostic findings, our office will inform you of the healthiest choices in care, explain the fees, discuss insurance coverage, and explain your payment options.
Many dental plans offer some level of coverage for tooth extractions. We'll advise you if your plan covers the full cost of the procedure and if there is any out-of-pocket expense. Our business office will work with you to maximize your insurance benefits as much as possible while helping you minimize any out-of-pocket expenses.