Extractions

At Roam Dental, saving a damaged tooth and maintaining its natural function is always our top priority. However, there are times a tooth is damaged beyond repair, leaving extraction as our only viable solution. Our gentle techniques and sedation dentistry options will ensure your time with us is comfortable and free of stress. You can always count on us for the highest level of care and service!

The following are the most common reasons Dr. Barbu may recommend a tooth extraction:

• Severe Damage: if we can't repair a tooth damaged by injury, trauma, or extensive tooth decay, extraction may be our only option.
• Periodontal (Gum) Disease: Untreated gum disease can advance and destroy the bone and tissue supporting a tooth, necessitating its extraction.
• Orthodontic Treatment: We may need to selectively extract one or more of your teeth to eliminate crowding and make room for the remaining teeth to shift into alignment.
• Tooth Fracture: We may need to remove a tooth with a fracture near the gum line and not much visible structure remaining to attach a restoration.
• Baby Teeth Extraction: Baby teeth sometimes do not fall out when they should, blocking the permanent teeth from coming in, so we may recommend having them removed.

There are two types of extractions, simple and surgical. Before your extraction process, we'll numb the area using a local anesthetic for your comfort. You may also opt for nitrous oxide sedation to stay relaxed and stress-free during treatment. Most patients report minimal pain or discomfort during and after the procedure.

A simple extraction is needed to remove a tooth readily visible and accessible. The average recovery after this procedure is no longer than 48 hours.

A surgical extraction, on the other hand, is more involved and may require more recovery time. It is required to remove a tooth that's weak, not readily accessible, impacted, has not fully erupted, or has a fracture under the gum line. During the procedure, we will make a small incision in the gum tissue to access and extract the tooth. In some cases, we may need to break the tooth into multiple pieces to facilitate its removal.

You'll need to follow our post-extraction care instructions to promote healing and take the pain medication we prescribe if needed. Use an ice pack to help prevent swelling after the procedure and don't brush or floss until the next day.

It's important to avoid drinking from a straw, spitting forcefully, rinsing vigorously, or smoking for at least 24 hours after you have a tooth pulled out. Otherwise, you may dislodge the blood clot forming in the tooth's socket, leading to a painful complication called dry socket.

If you develop increased pain or bleeding at the extraction site or if you have any concerns, please call our office right away.