Baby Tooth Removal
When Extraction is Necessary
There may be times when it is in your child’s best interest to have a tooth extracted (removed). While it’s rumored to be a painful procedure, a standard tooth extraction should leave you with nothing more than minor pain. Saving your natural teeth has many advantages, like not needing artificial teeth, more efficient chewing, jaw issue prevention, and shielding other teeth from excessive wear and strain.
Reasons to Extract a Tooth
Only when there is no hope of saving the tooth, will we opt for extraction. Our team of dental experts will recognize dental infections and problems early, so you can avoid dental disease, further complications and destructive outcomes in the affected area. Various dental conditions warrant the removal of the tooth, including:
- Tooth decay that has progressed to the furcation areas of molar teeth
- Tooth decay that has progressed so far that reconstruction isn’t possible
- Mobility of the teeth caused by bone loss across the tooth
- Deciduous teeth that got retained and prevented extraction of permanent teeth
- Eruption of a healthy tooth to make space for an orthodontic treatment
- Teeth which are overcrowded
- Malpositioned teeth causing trauma and beyond orthodontic treatment
The Tooth Extraction Process
Routine tooth removal procedure can take anywhere from 5 -30 minutes. Although extraction poses a few risks, our dental specialists execute this procedure without damaging adjacent teeth or structures. The process for tooth extraction is:
- Radiographic Examination (X-Ray): This initial phase evaluates the position of tooth roots and the condition of the surrounding bone.
- Local Anesthesia: This is administered in the oral cavity in the problem area in order to desensitize the tooth. A desensitized tooth does not pain upon removal.
- Elevator Tool: We use this instrument to sever the ligament fibers that attach the tooth to the socket. It has a blunt tip.
- Forceps: After we severed the fibers, we selected the appropriate forceps to precisely remove the tooth, ensuring the tooth and root are removed entirely.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
The extraction site usually heals in a few days, and there may be some minor pain and swelling. Over time, the place where we extracted the tooth from the socket will heal and fill with new tissue and bone. Follow these aftercare instructions for optimum healing:
- Try not to rinse your mouth for 24 hours
- After 24 hours, flush your mouth with saline water
- East soft foods and stay away from hard/hot foods
- Use cold packs and pain reliever as needed
- Take your medications as prescribed
- Rest as much as possible and don’t strain yourself
About Florida Children’s Dentistry
We understand that going to the dentist can be overwhelming and scary. That’s why we strive to make the experience pleasant, easy, and fun for your child. We aim to create lifelong, healthy dental habits through education and positive experiences in the dentist’s chair.
Convenient South Florida Locations
Getting to the dentist has never been easier. We’ve got many convenient locations in South Florida, and many more coming soon! Take a tour of our offices, so you’ll know what to expect when you get here!