Tooth Extractions – Metairie, LA
Protect Your Smile from Badly Damaged Teeth
Here at Nelson Dental Care, everything we do is to help our patients maintain healthy natural smiles for the rest of their lives. But while it’s generally better to keep your natural teeth when possible, there are times when it’s simply not the best choice for your health. If Dr. Nelson finds a severely decayed, broken, or infected tooth, he can have quickly and comfortably removed before it leads to any permanent harm to the rest of your smile. Call today if you think you might need tooth extractions in Metairie.
Reasons Why Tooth Extractions Are Necessary
We never make the decision to remove a tooth lightly. We have many options for saving a damaged, decayed, or infected tooth, and we’ll make sure that your fully aware of each and every one of them if there’s any chance that they can be used to save your teeth. Nevertheless, there are still situations where an extraction may be the only real choice for protecting your health and wellbeing long-term. Some of the most common reasons for tooth extraction are:
- Decay or damage that is too extensive to be repaired
- An advanced infection that’s threatening to spread to the other teeth
- Gum disease or jawbone loss that has already caused the tooth to come loose
- Wisdom teeth that are either impacted or are causing some kind of complications
The Process of Removing a Tooth
When removing a tooth, we’ll select one of two methods. For teeth that are fully emerged above the gum line, we can perform a simple extraction. This involves gently loosening the tooth with a special pair of forceps and an instrument called an elevator until it’s detached from the mouth. In the event that a tooth isn’t fully above the gum line, a surgical extraction is likely needed instead. We’ll open the gums to access the tooth structure, and in some cases, we’ll take the tooth out in sections instead of all at once. Your mouth will be numbed for both kinds of tooth extraction, and you can be sedated if you’re nervous or need help staying still for a long period of time.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
After your extraction is finished, we’ll give you some post-op instructions to help with the healing process. In general, you should
- Take any prescribed pain medication as instructed
- Brush and floss carefully around the surgical site to keep it clean
- Drink plenty of water and rest for a few days to help your body heal faster
- Use an ice pack or cold compress to relieve any pain or swelling
- Eat soft foods for several days and stay away from anything hard, crunchy, sticky, or spicy
Be mindful of your symptoms while you’re recovering. Swelling, discomfort, and light bleeding are nothing unusual immediately following the surgery, but they should get better after a few days. Call us immediately if your symptoms remain the same or even grow worse; we’ll need to examine your mouth to see if any complications have occurred.
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
We want every step of the tooth extraction process to go as smoothly for our patients as possible. As such, when it comes to the question of how much you will need to pay for the procedure, we’ll go out of our way to ensure that you have all of the information that you need. When you visit our office, we can examine your mouth in order to gather the information necessary for creating an estimate that you can trust.
Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost
Not all tooth extractions are exactly the same, and consequently, each patient will need to pay a different cost. Some of the factors that play a role in determining the final price include:
- The Location of the Tooth Being Extracted: Removing a tooth near the back of your mouth is a more complex procedure that typically comes at a higher fee.
- The Type of Extraction: You can either have a simple extraction or a surgical extraction performed depending on the state of the tooth in question. As you can likely guess, surgical extractions tend to be more costly.
- The Number of Teeth: Having multiple teeth removed carries a higher cost than simply having a single tooth extracted.
- The Chosen Method of Tooth Replacement: Are you planning on getting a bridge, a denture, or dental implants to replace the tooth or teeth that were removed? If so, you will need to fit the cost of the prosthesis in question into your budget.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?
Having a tooth removed is often necessary for protecting your oral health, so many dental insurance plans are willing to at least partially cover it. Every policy is different, so you should double-check your benefits before committing to any treatments. That said, since tooth extraction is a major procedure, insurance companies will often pay around 50% of the cost.
Factors like your deductible and your annual maximum may affect the amount that needs to be paid out of your own pocket. Furthermore, if you recently bought a new insurance plan, there may be a waiting period to take into account. Talk to our team if you need any help figuring out the details of your insurance policy.
How to Make Tooth Extractions Affordable
When the question of “How can you make dental care more affordable?” comes up, the answer that immediately leaps to the minds of most people is dental insurance. But if you currently don’t have an insurance plan, you may be wondering if there’s an alternative available. Luckily, there is: financing.
Our practice works with CareCredit and Lending Point, both of which offer flexible financing plans. Why stress out about paying the full cost of your care in a single lump sum when you can make a series of low monthly payments instead? Reach out to us if you would like more information about how financing works.
Tooth Extraction FAQs
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
When we begin the process of extracting your tooth, we will apply a local anesthetic to your mouth. This is to help minimize the discomfort you experience. After your procedure, there may be some minor soreness in your mouth, which you should be able to manage if you follow the aftercare instructions that you receive from our team. If the pain grows worse over time, that’s not normal; please call us immediately to let us know about your symptoms so that we can take the appropriate measures to deal with them.
What’s the Difference Between Tooth Extractions and Wisdom Tooth Extractions?
Naturally, wisdom tooth extractions share some similarities with regular tooth extractions. However, while a tooth extraction can involve any tooth in your mouth, wisdom tooth extraction is specifically meant to remove your third molars, which often cause problems due to not having the space they need to erupt. Furthermore, since the wisdom teeth are commonly trapped beneath the gums, a wisdom tooth extraction often requires a surgical approach.
What are My Options for Replacing a Missing Tooth?
This is a question that you’ll likely be asking yourself after a regular tooth extraction. Depending on the situation, you may be able to get:
- A dental bridge to fill the gap left by a single extracted tooth.
- Partial dentures to replace teeth that had to be removed from different parts of the arch.
- Dental implants, which can replace any number of teeth from the roots up. (Note that a local specialist will need to place the implant posts in your jaw.)
Our team can give you a recommendation regarding which tooth replacement option you should pursue after we have had the chance to learn more about your situation.
How Should I Prepare for My Tooth Extraction?
We may give you some instructions to follow prior to your tooth extraction, such as only drinking water on the morning of the procedure. Take careful note of any directions that you are given and follow them as closely as you can. Please voice any questions that are on your mind; we don’t want you to have any uncertainties about your treatment. If oral conscious sedation will be utilized during the extraction process, you should plan on having a friend or family member drive you home.
Can I Smoke After Getting a Tooth Extracted?
Using tobacco products of any kind following your tooth extraction is inadvisable. Tobacco can narrow your blood vessels and slow down the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the extraction site, causing the healing process to take longer than it normally would. To ensure that your recovery stays on schedule, you should refrain from smoking for at least five days following your procedure; that said, for the best results, it’s recommended that you stay away from cigarettes for around two weeks.