If you suspect that one of your teeth needs to be extracted, the best way to find out is by scheduling a consultation at Downey Park Family Dental. An experienced Modesto dentist like Dr. Corey Acree can examine your mouth and determine if extraction is the best option for you.
Extraction is typically a last resort option. For example, if you have a severely infected tooth, but Dr. Acree believes it can be saved, he may recommend that you have it treated with a root canal and a dental crown.
To begin the process, Dr. Corey Acree will clean your mouth and numb the treatment area thoroughly, ensuring you don’t feel any pain. You can also be sedated at our Modesto office during this process.
Once your mouth is numb, Dr. Acree will use dental tools to loosen your tooth in its socket and extract the tooth. After extraction, the socket will be cleaned and sutured shut to heal. It typically takes about 5 minutes to extract a tooth, so this process will be repeated for each tooth that requires extraction.
You will be sent home with a comprehensive set of recovery instructions from Dr. Acree. It will take between 1-2 weeks to fully heal from your extraction, so make sure you follow the provided instructions to ensure your mouth heals quickly.
Improper growth and eruption of the wisdom teeth is the most common reason for tooth extraction. The wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that grow into our mouths, and they emerge between the ages of 17 and 25, which is much later than our other teeth.
In most cases, there is just not enough room in the mouths for this last set of molars, particularly in patients who have had orthodontic treatment. This can lead to issues like teeth growing in sideways, or becoming “impacted” and not emerging from the gums properly. These conditions can cause further dental complications like tooth infections or damage to the surrounding molars.
For that reason, most patients choose to have their wisdom teeth pulled when they come in to our Modesto office. If are experiencing pain or discomfort due to the eruption of wisdom teeth and you think you may need to have your wisdom teeth removed, Dr. Acree is here to help.
Tooth extractions may also be recommended for teeth that have been severely damaged or destroyed by an oral injury, or extensive oral disease like tooth decay or gum disease. If your teeth can’t be saved, they may need to be pulled and replaced with dentures or dental implants.
Finally, tooth extractions may also be recommended to prepare for other dental procedures. If you are getting braces and have a very narrow palate, for example, one or more teeth may be extracted to make sure that your teeth can fit together properly after treatment.
You will not feel any pain or discomfort during the tooth extraction process, because Dr. Acree will fully numb the treatment site to keep you comfortable. In addition, we offer sedation dentistry in Modesto. You can be sedated with laughing gas or with a pill-based form of sedation to keep you comfortable.
However, after your tooth has been pulled and your numbing and sedation wear off, you will experience some pain and discomfort. This will usually peak after a day or two. Dr. Acree will provide you with instructions on how to care for your mouth as you recover. Make sure you follow these closely to minimize your pain and speed up the healing process.
Yes. You should replace your missing tooth as soon as possible. There are some obvious reasons for this, of course. First, a missing tooth can negatively affect your appearance and also impair proper speech, particularly if it’s a front tooth.
Missing teeth also make it harder to eat. If you’re missing one or more front teeth, you’ll have a hard time cutting into foods like meat. If you’re missing one or more rear teeth, you may have difficulties grinding and chewing fibrous vegetables and other tough or crunchy foods.
Another major concern is teeth shifting. When you lose a tooth, the nearby teeth will usually shift toward the now-empty socket slightly to try to fill up the space. This can cause problems with your jaw and teeth alignment.
To avoid these oral health issues, you need to replace your missing tooth as soon as possible. Dr. Acree in Modesto offers many different tooth replacement options at Downey Park Family Dental, including partial dentures, dental bridges, and dental implants.
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If you think that you need a tooth to be extracted just because your tooth is severely damaged or decayed, this may not be the case. At Downey Park Family Dentistry, Dr. Corey Acree only extracts teeth as a last resort if there is no way to save your tooth.
If you have a seriously decayed or infected tooth, for example, a root canal may be enough to remove the infection, restore your tooth, and preserve it for years to come, without requiring you to have an extraction.
Similarly, if you have gum disease and your tooth is loose, it may be possible to get your condition under control, restore your gum health, and preserve your tooth. With proper periodontal care, you may be able to save the tooth.
If your tooth has been severely damaged by oral trauma, such as a car accident, a slip and fall, or an accidental injury while playing sports or some other activity, it may be possible to repair it with a dental crown and a root canal.
However, the most important thing you can do to preserve your tooth is to get help from our Modesto dental office immediately. The longer you wait, the fewer options you will have, and the more likely it is that Dr. Acree will have to remove your tooth.