Dental extractions
Pediatric Dentist Royal Palm Beach
What is a tooth extraction?
A tooth extraction, commonly referred to as getting a tooth pulled, is the removal of one or more of your child’s teeth. Extractions are a common procedure performed by pediatric dentists and are performed to improve your child’s oral health and prevent future dental problems. We offer extractions right here in the office, ensuring that your child feels comfortable throughout the procedure.
Why would a tooth extraction be needed?
Extractions are often needed if a tooth is posing a problem to your oral health. In some cases, a tooth may need to be removed because it is causing your child pain, severely decayed, loose because of gum disease, or for orthodontic reasons. The most common extraction is performed on wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth will often need to be removed if they are unable to come up through your child’s gums on their own. Additionally, it’s not uncommon for stubborn baby teeth to need removal to improve the development and growth of permanent teeth.
Who is a candidate for a tooth extraction?
We will examine your child’s mouth and teeth to determine if they might need one or more extractions. X-rays allow us to see underlying problems or impacted teeth that could become an issue to your child’s oral health over time. If they need an extraction, it’s best to have the procedure done sooner rather than later, with full confidence knowing that extractions can be performed safely and comfortably at our practice.
What happens during the procedure for a tooth extraction?
We begin by administering either general or local anesthetic. We then use specialized instruments to fully remove the tooth. Sutures may be needed to close the gums and promote even healing. We will provide your child with a piece of gauze to bite down on to stop any bleeding. We will provide aftercare instructions and go over these instructions with you and your child to ensure that the surgical site heals correctly.
Some of these aftercare instructions include:
- Stick to a soft diet as the numbness wears off and avoid acidic food
- Avoid drinking from a straw for the first 48 hours after extraction
- Careful brushing of the tooth extraction area
- Rinse with a warm salt-water solution 24 hours after the extraction
- Administer the instructed doses of either Tylenol or Motrin to your child if they’re experiencing discomfort
If your child has any problems with the area where the extraction was done, like bleeding or pain, we advise you to come into our office right away so that we can help with any post-operative care that they may need.
If you think your child might need a tooth extraction, call our office today and we will be more than happy to help you schedule an appointment!
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