Tooth Extractions – Virginia Beach, VA
Stop Oral Pain and Protect Your Oral Health
At the end of the day, the dentists at Smile by Design of Virginia Beach do not make tooth extractions their first treatment of consideration when helping patients get out of pain. However, there are instances where it is the best option moving forward, especially if your oral and overall health are at stake. If you have tooth pain and you’re not sure if an extraction is in your future, give our office a call directly and we’ll get you scheduled for an appointment with Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck.
Signs You Need a Tooth Extraction
While the signs that you need restorative dental care like a root canal or tooth extraction are not always so obvious, you should always get in touch with our office as soon as possible if you notice any of the following symptoms.
- Severe tooth discomfort
- Jaw pain or stiffness
- Pain that gets worse over time, when chewing, or when applying pressure
- Swollen gums around the tooth
- Dark discolorations of the tooth (typically black or dark brown/yellow in color)
The Tooth Extraction Process
When you arrive, we’ll perform a detailed examination of your mouth, then confirm if an extraction is the best treatment option moving forward. If we believe it is, then we’ll administer a small amount of local anesthetic in order to completely numb the tooth and surrounding gum tissue. This will make your extraction process all the more comfortable. We also offer oral conscious sedation should you need additional help getting comfortable prior to treatment.
Depending on the location of the tooth, we will either create a small incision in your gum tissue in order to access it (which is the case when a tooth is impacted), or skip this step if the tooth is clearly visible. To extract the tooth, we use a dental elevator to gently remove it from the periodontal ligament holding it in place. Afterwards, we’ll ask you to bite down onto a gauze pad so that a blood clot can successfully form in the socket.
Aftercare Following a Tooth Extraction
After your tooth is extracted, it’s very important that you make sure the blood clot does not become removed for any reason. This can cause a condition known as “dry socket” and it can result in a large amount of discomfort. To avoid this as well as maintain positive oral health following your extraction, make sure to:
- Replace the bandage if it becomes soaked with blood
- Avoid using straws for the next 24 hours
- Get plenty of rest
- Drink lots of fluids (avoid hot beverages or foods)
- Stick to a soft diet of foods that do not require a lot of chewing
- Avoid exercise as directed by our dentists
- Avoid rinsing your mouth out for at least 24 hours
- Apply ice to any swollen areas
- Call our office right away if pain or swelling does not improve following your extraction
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
You only get one chance to take good care of your natural adult teeth, so it’s important to do your best to ensure they last a lifetime. Unfortunately, there are instances when even if you’ve been diligent in your oral hygiene efforts, you may eventually be told you need a tooth removed. If your emergency dentist in Virginia Beach informs you that a tooth should be pulled, it’s natural if you would be quick to consider the cost of the procedure. The circumstances of your oral health situation are unique to you, but you can still gain a better understanding of the financial factors. Simply keep reading or contact our office to learn more!
Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost
It’s virtually impossible to provide you with an accurate cost estimate prior to you receiving an examination since no two dental cases are exactly the same. At your initial appointment, our team at
Smile by Design of Virginia Beach will evaluate your situation to pinpoint what’s necessary for your tooth extraction. Multiple factors can influence the overall price of your procedure including:
- Location – The location of the tooth that’s being pulled can influence the total cost of your extraction.
- Complexity – The type of procedure you’ll need can also affect the overall price. For example, an impacted tooth extraction will cost more than a simple extraction because the treatment is more invasive.
- Anesthesia – Some patients will feel comfortable with just local anesthetic, while others may request dental sedation.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?
The good news is most dental insurance plans will partially cover the cost of tooth extraction in Virginia Beach after the deductible has been met. It’s important to note there might be certain limits in place. For example, only a particular number of teeth may be covered, or perhaps there’s a waiting period before coverage kicks in. Before committing to treatment, it’s a good idea to contact your insurance provider and confirm the details of your plan. Our staff will be happy to help with this step if needed.
Another Option for Making Tooth Extractions Affordable
If you don’t have dental insurance, it’s okay! We offer an additional financing option to help make your dental bills easier to manage. With CareCredit Financing, you can split up the total cost of your treatment into smaller monthly payments with little-to-no interest.
If your dentist in Virginia Beach recommended a tooth extraction, don’t worry! We are going to make sure you understand the procedure and develop a plan that makes sense for your budget.
Tooth Extractions FAQ
When do you recommend tooth extractions?
Smile by Design of Virginia Beach only sees tooth extractions as a last resort, meaning we will do everything possible to consider other treatment options that allow you to keep your natural tooth. However, if we believe that your oral health is at greater risk by keeping the tooth and cannot be salvaged with dental crowns or root canal therapy, we will recommend an extraction. This treatment is also quite common for wisdom teeth that are causing overcrowding of teeth or trapped underneath gum tissue, which can increase the risk for an oral infection.
How long does it take to feel normal after tooth extraction?
As the local anesthetic begins to wear off, it’s normal to experience some minor soreness over the next few days. However, in terms of feeling 100% again, you should experience a full recovery within one to two weeks. Sometimes patients can expect to feel fully recovered sooner than that depending on the steps they took during their aftercare. We’ll be prepared to discuss these steps with you in person ahead of your treatment so you can plan in advance.
When I can I brush my teeth with toothpaste after an extraction?
We do not recommend brushing immediately after your tooth extraction. Instead, brush the following day so the socket has some time to heal. Just make sure to be as gentle as possible around the wound and continue to do so for the next few days. After the socket has completely healed, you should be able to brush normally again.
Is it normal for surrounding teeth to hurt after an extraction?
Following an extraction, you may start to notice that some teeth are starting to ache as well. This is a temporary and normal side effect of tooth removal and is actually known as “sympathetic pain.” You may even start to notice some teeth feel a tiny bit loose after your extraction. This is usually because the gum tissue around the teeth have begun to swell. With cold compresses and plenty of rest, your swelling should go down over the next couple of days.
How do I know if I have dry socket?
The clearest indicator that you have dry socket is severe discomfort in the treatment site, particularly for multiple days after treatment, but it’s also important to look at the open socket and see if you notice bone tissue. Dry socket occurs when the blood clot that forms over the open socket comes loose and falls off, exposing the bone to open air and bacteria. Other common signs for dry socket include unpleasant taste in the mouth, slight fever, chronic bad breath, and throbbing pain that radiates from the socket and extend to other nearby areas (i.e. the ear, eye, temple, or neck).
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
Oftentimes, this is the first question patients ask when they find out that they need this emergency dental treatment. If you’ve been curious what the answer is as well, we have good news: it’s “no.” After all, the first step of the procedure is always to numb your mouth thoroughly so you don’t feel any pain while we work to remove the tooth. Plus, we will provide you with aftercare instructions to help keep sensitivity and soreness to a minimum once you start to regain sensation in your mouth.
How Should I Prepare for My Tooth Extraction?
There are a few steps we recommend taking to set yourself up for success, starting with asking someone you know and trust to drive you to and from our office. You should also steer clear of tobacco products, eat mostly healthy, well-balanced meals, and purchase everything you need for the recovery period, like cold compresses and OTC pain medication. As for the morning of, choose something comfortable to wear, wear glasses instead of contacts, and, unless instructed otherwise, fast.
What Are My Options for Replacing a Missing Tooth?
Although there are some cases when replacing the tooth isn’t necessary, like if we removed it in order to make room in your mouth prior to orthodontic treatment, we typically recommend it. After all, we don’t want there to be a large gap in your mouth moving forward that compromises everything from the strength of your bite to your self-esteem! Fortunately, our team at Smile by Design offers three options: dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants.
Dental implants have skyrocketed in popularity over the years, and they are largely considered the “gold standard” in tooth replacement. There are a few reasons for this, including the fact that they can replace any number of missing teeth. If you are interested in learning more about them, including if you’re a good candidate, then take the next step: schedule a consultation at our Virginia Beach dental office!
How Soon Can I Eat After My Tooth Extraction?
We recommend waiting at least an hour after your tooth extraction in Virginia Beach. There are a few reasons for this, including that the numbing agent needs time to fully wear off. That way, you don’t accidentally bite down on your lips, your tongue, or the inside of your cheeks, resulting in a serious soft tissue injury.
Remember, even after you get the green light to eat, you need to stick to a liquid diet for the first 24 hours (without using a straw). Then, you can begin to incorporate extremely soft foods into your diet, like applesauce, plain yogurt, and cottage cheese.
Can I Smoke After Getting a Tooth Extracted?
No. In fact, you need to avoid all tobacco products for at least five days following the procedure. If you’re worried that you won’t be able to refrain from cigars, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes during that time, then let us know! Remember, we aren’t here to judge. Instead, we want to know how we can help set you up for success.