When Tooth Removal Is the Best Option
If you have a damaged or infected tooth, your dentist will do everything possible to save the tooth and only perform a tooth extraction as a last resort. However, sometimes a tooth is so compromised and the damage so severe that the only way to preserve your oral health and keep the rest of your teeth and gums from suffering is to remove the tooth. At Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale, Dr. Charmaine Johnson addresses dental care head-on and makes the most appropriate decisions for your oral health.
Reasons for a Tooth Extraction
When a tooth cannot be successfully treated with a typical dental restoration like root canal therapy, a porcelain crown, or a tooth-colored filling, tooth extraction will be necessary to protect the rest of your oral health. You cannot leave a decayed, diseased, or damaged tooth in your mouth without suffering painful consequences – and why would you want to when there is such an easy repair.
When tooth extraction is the right solution, it can deliver immediate relief for problems like:
- Tooth infection
- Serious tooth decay
- Advanced gum disease
- Broken tooth root
- Bone fracture
- Abscess
- Jaw trauma
How Teeth Are Extracted
Tooth extraction is a routine procedure, but it isn’t speedy. Every tooth in an adult’s mouth has a fully established root system and this must be removed along with the crown of the tooth. Even if a tooth is damaged, most of the tooth may still be lodged in the socket.
Extraction is a meticulous procedure and carefully done to ensure the tooth is fully removed without a bit left behind. To make this treatment as easy as possible, a numbing agent and oral sedation are typically administered to ensure that only some pressure is felt. Here is how tooth extraction generally works:
To get the tooth out of its socket, it must be moved around in the socket until it fully separates from the ligament.
How to Fix Your Smile After Tooth Extraction
It’s important to understand that any extracted tooth needs to be replaced. After all, every tooth plays a role in your mouth, not only physically but functionally. You want your smile to be complete and look good and you want your mouth to work properly so other teeth aren’t compromised by a tooth’s absence.
Once the extraction site has fully healed, your Fort Lauderdale dentist will monitor your progress and you can discuss all possible dental restorations for your smile, including:
- Dental implant
- Dental bridge
- Partial denture
The right restorative dentistry for your mouth will depend on the location of the missing tooth, your budget, and your preferences for comfort and longevity of the restoration.
Cost Factors for Tooth Extraction
Every tooth extraction is unique, and the cost factors affecting the tooth extraction will vary. Some teeth are more difficult to extract than others, which impacts the bottom line, as does a planned, routine extraction vs. an emergency extraction. Other cost factors include:
- How many teeth are extracted
- Location of the tooth
- Whether damaged nearby teeth need to be repaired
- Sedation dentistry
- Dental restorations after the extraction
- Location of the dental practice
- Experience of the dentist
Various financing options are available from your Fort Lauderdale dentist, including CareCredit and the Premier Smile Center Membership Club for patients without insurance.
Get a Tooth Extraction from Your Fort Lauderdale Dentist
Whether you have an obvious dental emergency or aren’t sure what treatment is needed for a problem tooth, schedule a consultation with Dr. Johnson at Premier Smile Center in Fort Lauderdale. Tooth extraction may not be your first choice, but let your dentist decide and guide you to a healthier smile.