Tooth Extractions Gorham

When Is Tooth Extraction Recommended?

Rest assured that your Gorham emergency dentist doesn’t suggest tooth extractions lightly. It’s only recommended when absolutely essential for your health and there are no other viable treatments that can save your tooth. Commonly, this includes situations like:

• When a tooth is so badly damaged it cannot be repaired.
• When a tooth is so severely decayed or infected it cannot be rescued.
• When gum disease has irreparably weakened the bone structure that supports the tooth.
• When more room is required in your mouth for a new denture or orthodontic treatment.
• When a baby tooth is preventing a permanent tooth from coming in.
• When a third molar (wisdom tooth) is trapped beneath the gumline.

Understanding the Tooth Extraction Procedure

First and foremost, your Gorham dentist will thoroughly inspect your mouth and look for alternative solutions. If none are found and you both agree that extraction is the best way to move forward, the procedure can begin. We’ll apply a local anesthetic to completely numb the area and ease any discomfort you may be in. If you’re feeling particularly anxious or overwhelmed, we may offer calming sedation dentistry options so you can sit back and relax while we care for your smile.

There are two methods of extracting teeth: simple and surgical. A simple extraction can be used for teeth that have erupted from the gum tissue and can be removed in one piece. We’ll gently rock the tooth back and forth until it detaches from its supportive structures and slips out of the socket. If your tooth is trapped beneath the gumline or has been broken into several pieces, a surgical extraction will be needed. We’ll open up the gum tissue, remove the tooth, and stitch up the extraction site with dissolvable stitches.

Healing After Tooth Extraction

We’ll give you specific instructions on how to care for your unique smile after your tooth extraction. To ensure a fast and comfortable recovery period, we will typically suggest that you:

• Relax and avoid physical activities for the following 24 hours.
• Take prescribed medication and over-the-counter pain relievers as instructed.
• Reduce swelling by applying an ice pack or cold compress for 10-15 minutes at a time.
• Rinse with warm saltwater several times a day to protect the extraction site from infection.
• Stick to a diet of soft, nutritious foods for at least 48 hours.
• Don’t smoke, don’t drink with a straw, and don’t forget to brush the extraction site gently.

At Morgan-Hill Dental Care, we’ll do everything we can to help prevent the need for a tooth extraction. However, should you need to have a problematic tooth removed for the good of your oral and overall health, we have the experienced and state-of-the-art equipment needed to help. If you still have questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right away.

Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions are not always so cut and dry. Depending on a few key factors regarding your specific circumstance, your costs may be higher or lower on the day of your treatment. For that reason, it’s important to think about what these factors are so you can be as prepared as possible ahead of your procedure. Some of the most notable points to keep in mind include the number of teeth being removed and where they are located.

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Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost

Before we can determine how much your extraction will cost, we will need to perform a detailed examination of your tooth to learn more about its current condition. During this exam, we can confirm the following ahead of your procedure:

• Whether or not an extraction is the best option for your tooth (we always want to salvage natural teeth whenever possible)
• The number of teeth in need of examination
• The location of the tooth that is experiencing issues and the level of damage it has sustained
• How difficult it will be to remove the tooth (it’s easier to remove a tooth that is fully exposed vs. a tooth that is trapped underneath gum tissue)

Additionally, our office wants to remain as proactive as possible when it comes to your oral health. That means we’ll also confirm which treatment would be most appropriate to replace your tooth after it has been extracted.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?

Dental insurance will typically cover the cost of tooth extractions up to 50% once you’ve paid off your deductible. Keep in mind that this is typically the case for wisdom tooth removal as well; however, there can be limits on how many teeth you can have removed. There also may be a waiting period you’ll need to fulfill before your coverage applies. Dental insurance plans can widely vary in terms of their stipulations and coverage, so make sure you speak with your insurance company beforehand as well as our team for additional clarification.

Other Options for Making Tooth Extractions Affordable

If you do not have a dental insurance plan at this time, you will need to consider alternative solutions to pay for your tooth extraction. For example, enrolling in a third-party financing option like CareCredit allows you to pay for dental services over a longer period every month. These payments often come with little-to-no-interest attached, making them easier to fit into a budget.

We also provide prepayment discounts on services over $250 that are paid in full and when making your appointment two weeks before your scheduled procedure. The DenVantage plan can also help you save additional money on dental care, allowing you to allocate more funds toward your tooth removal.

Got a question about paying for your tooth extraction? Please give us a call and our team will help however we can!

Tooth Extractions FAQs

Have you been told that you need a tooth extraction in Gorham? You may still have some unanswered questions about the procedure, so we’re here to help! Here are the answers to some of the most common queries we receive about tooth extractions. If you don’t see the information that you’re looking for below, give us a call. Our friendly team is eager to answer your questions to help you feel more prepared about your upcoming treatment.