Tooth Extraction Procedure in Texas

North Texas Facial & Oral Surgery wants you and your family to enjoy the best possible dental health. Sometimes, that means removing a problematic tooth that’s injured, infected, or painful so you can smile with ease. Our dentists make you feel comfortable and confident about the entire process, empowered with the knowledge that extracting a tooth or a few teeth can lead to a healthier mouth with less pain or dental issues in the future. Call our dental office nearest you in Grapevine, Irving, or Keller for a short drive and convenient scheduling!

Why you might need a tooth extraction

Losing a tooth is nothing to fear; in fact, it’s often completely natural. Baby teeth and wisdom teeth (the molars at the back of your gums that develop in young adulthood) need to come out when they’re loose, or to make room for the rest of your teeth. If this process isn’t happening fast enough or causes pain, our dentists can aid healthy development and speedy recovery by extracting the tooth in our office. If you’re an adult who’s already lost your baby teeth, there are still a few reasons a tooth extraction could be the healthy and safe choice for your dental care. First, specific trauma to a tooth or teeth from an accident or sports incident can permanently damage the tooth enough to require removal. Even if the trauma doesn’t knock the tooth out and it looks fine from the outside, you should always make a dental appointment after an impact or collision to check for damage to the root and nerve inside the tooth. Second, pathogenic bacteria can infect teeth and gums to cause a slow decay inside the tooth. In this case, you won’t immediately see a problem, but if the tooth becomes too weak it will need to be extracted.

What to expect in our dental office

In our office, we start with an X-ray image of your mouth so we can determine and explain a plan for your dental health. For a simple extraction of a visible, fully grown tooth, we offer a numbing agent to minimize your discomfort before loosening and removing the tooth. For a surgical extraction of a tooth below the gum line (such as wisdom teeth), we may use full anesthesia before making a small incision in the gum to access the problematic tooth. After an extraction, you may feel a bit sore. We recommend using an ice pack on your cheek for 15 minutes at a time to calm any swelling and eating soft, room-temperature foods for a day or two while your gums heal. Please follow specific instructions from our dental hygienists after a surgical extraction, as this procedure may require more detailed care to avoid an infection.

Pediatric tooth extractions

North Texas Facial & Oral Surgery is proud to welcome patients of all ages to our offices, including children who are growing and developing healthy teeth and gums. We use a safe X-ray to watch for tooth crowding as well as injury or disease, just like with our adult patients. If an extraction is needed, we make the process as relaxing and painless as possible. Baby teeth, which naturally loosen and fall out, are usually easier and faster to remove than permanent teeth, making tooth extractions a positive and straightforward experience for the whole family.

Call today to learn more about tooth extractions!