Tooth Extractions in Glendale

What is a Tooth Extraction?

Also known as getting a tooth pulled, a tooth extraction is the removal of one or more teeth from your mouth.

When is it Necessary to Have a Tooth Extracted?

Your dentist might recommend a tooth extraction in Glendale if you have severe gum disease around a tooth or excessive tooth decay. You may also need a tooth extracted if it is already loose. Most reasons for having a tooth pulled involve either disease or damage from injury. However, another reason a tooth may need to be pulled is to make room for other teeth to grow in or straighten if your teeth are crooked or overcrowded.

Sometimes having a tooth extracted is unavoidable, such as when the damage or decay affecting a tooth is so severe that the tooth cannot be restored. In cases of severe toothache pain, an extraction can relieve the pain almost instantly.

What Are the Benefits of Having One or More Teeth Extracted?

Having a tooth extracted can eliminate pain related to decay or disease, allow the gums to heal, and prevent the spread of any disease-causing bacteria. It can also restore your ability to eat normally and comfortably.

What Kind of Doctor Performs Teeth Extractions?

Your general family dentist in Glendale can typically perform most simple extractions. These include the extraction of a single tooth without any potential for complications. If the tooth is too far back in the mouth to comfortably reach or there is excessive disease and decay or if more than one tooth needs removal, your dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to perform what’s called a surgical extraction.

What is a Surgical Extraction?

Surgical extractions are typically necessary when a tooth has failed to fully erupt from the gums. In such cases, an oral surgeon may need to cut into the gum in order to grip the tooth with forceps and pull it out. When a tooth can't be easily reached to pull out intact or is already cracked or broken, the oral surgeon must break the tooth into pieces while it's still in the mouth and pull it out carefully one piece at a time.

What is the Cost to Have a Tooth Extracted?

The cost of a tooth extraction in Glendale depends primarily on whether it is a simple extraction or a surgical extraction being performed. The cost also depends on how many teeth are to be extracted and how difficult they are to reach. Extracting teeth far back in the mouth, like molars, can cost more than extracting front teeth, which are easier to reach. If there is excessive decay in or around affected teeth, this will need to be removed and the area completely cleaned before an extraction can be safely performed, in which case the cost to have the tooth pulled may increase.

Your cost to have a tooth removed could go down considerably if you have a dental insurance plan that offers coverage for simple or surgical extractions. If you have dental insurance and need a tooth extracted, speak with your insurance provider to find out if teeth extraction procedures are covered and speak with our office to discuss how this can lower your cost for the procedure.

We can also discuss with you the possibility of setting up a financing agreement with our office that breaks up your total cost for the extraction into several, smaller payments.

What to Expect When Having a Tooth Extracted

The process of tooth removal starts with a full oral examination and evaluation by your dentist. If your dentist finds that a damaged or diseased tooth cannot be saved, extraction may be the only option to protect the health of the gums and to preserve the surrounding teeth. Once the dentist has made their determination that an extraction is necessary, the dentist will show you an x-ray or digital image of the tooth needing extraction and explain to you why it needs to be extracted. The dentist will then set up an appointment with you to conduct the procedure.

Most simple tooth extractions take place in a single dentist's visit lasting about an hour in the chair. Usually only local anesthesia is used, and the patient is free to drive themselves home afterward. A surgical extraction may take one or more visits to the oral surgeon, depending on how much cleaning and preparation the area needs before the extraction can occur.

What to Expect During Recovery from Having a Tooth Extracted

Tooth extraction healing generally occurs within a few days for simple extractions and one or two weeks for surgical ones. To aid in proper healing from having teeth removed, avoid excessively hot or cold foods or drinks during the first 24 hours and only eat soft foods. Keep the area clean, changing gauze pads as necessary, and most importantly, avoid doing anything like smoking or sucking through a straw that could break the blood clot that forms over the extraction site to promote healing.