Extractions
When a Problematic Tooth Has to Go
Our primary goal with every patient is to help them preserve and maintain their natural teeth for life, but sometimes, a tooth may become so damaged or decayed that the only viable solution is to remove it. While this isn’t ideal, our dentists at Mark Gray, DDS Cosmetic and Family Dentistry have the experience necessary to make tooth extractions in Houston, TX as comfortable and stress-free as possible. If needed, we can help a patient quickly replace their tooth to minimize any time spent with an incomplete smile. Contact us today to learn more!
Why Choose Mark Gray, DDS Cosmetic and Family Dentistry for Tooth Extractions?
Reasons Why Tooth Extractions Are Necessary
Your dentist in Houston may recommend that a tooth be removed if:
- The tooth has significant decay or infection that is starting to threaten the nearby teeth.
- The enamel is so broken that it cannot be trusted to support a filling or crown.
- Advanced gum disease has thoroughly weakened the bone holding the tooth in place.
- More room is needed in the mouth for a new denture or upcoming orthodontic treatment.
- The wisdom teeth have become impacted (stuck underneath the gumline, either fully or partially), painful, or infected.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
Following your tooth extraction, our team will guide you on what to expect and how to care for your smile as you recover. As long as you stick to our post-op instructions, you should be fully healed within a few days. Some of the basics to remember include:
- Change out your gauze pads as directed in order to stem bleeding and encourage blood clots to form over the extraction sites.
- Only consume liquids for the first day. Then, stick to a soft-food diet for the next few days that includes items like yogurt, mashed potatoes, pudding, and ice cream.
- Don’t smoke or drink through a straw for at least three days.
- To minimize swelling and pain, hold a cold compress to the outside of your cheek for 10 minutes on and then 10 minutes off for up to an hour.
- Take any pain medications we have prescribed (or over-the-counter pain relievers we have recommended) as instructed.
- Carefully clean the extraction sites as directed. When brushing and flossing, be extremely gentle near the area.
Any pain and discomfort should start to subside after two or three days. If you experience worsening pain, bleeding, swelling, or fever, please call us immediately.
The Process of Removing a Tooth
If the tooth that needs to be extracted has fully emerged past the gumline, we can simply pull it. After numbing your mouth, we grasp the tooth with a pair of dental forceps and then carefully shift it back and forth until it can be pulled free from the connective tissues. However, if the tooth is impacted – as is common with the wisdom teeth – we might need to take extra steps before pulling it. For example, we may have to make small incisions in the gums to access more of the tooth, or break the tooth into smaller pieces and remove them individually.
Whatever the case may be, your comfort is always our top priority. Before beginning your tooth extraction, we’ll provide you with enough local anesthetic and sedation to ensure that you don’t feel any pain during the procedure.
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
Finding out that you need a tooth pulled can be scary, and the last thing you want to worry about on top of that is whether you’re going to be able to afford the treatment. At Mark Gray, DDS Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we don’t want worries about price to keep you from accessing the care your smile needs in order to thrive. Our team will thoroughly explain your tooth extraction costs in detail and help you find ways to make the treatment affordable.
Because of the wide number of variables that come into play, there isn’t a set cost of a tooth extraction in Houston. Until Dr. Gray or Dr. Newman has had the chance to evaluate the specific tooth or teeth that need to be removed, we can’t give you a reliable cost estimate. We can start going over your financial options after we have reviewed the factors that impact the cost, which include:
- Number of teeth – Obviously, removing several teeth will cost more than removing a single tooth. However, if you need multiple teeth extracted, taking care of them all at once may be more cost-effective than having each of them extracted at different times.
- Condition of the tooth – If the tooth in question has erupted past the gumline, then extracting it will be simple. If the tooth is impacted (trapped beneath the gums), then removing it requires additional steps that will increase the cost.
- Anesthesia – The more anesthesia or sedation you need, the higher your total costs will be. If, for example, you’re having a simple tooth extraction with only local anesthesia and no sedation, you’ll end up paying less than you would if you required multiple surgical extractions and oral conscious sedation.
- Next steps – You’ll also have to consider what comes after your tooth extraction. Unless the teeth being removed are wisdom teeth, you’ll eventually need to replace them with a dental implant , bridge, or denture.
After your deductible has been met for the year, it’s fairly common for dental insurance to cover about half of the cost of tooth extractions, including wisdom tooth extractions. Of course, each plan has its own specific stipulations; some plans will only cover the cost of removing a certain number of teeth, for example. Our team can help you navigate the murky waters of your insurance plan and even file your claims for you to make sure you’re getting the most out of your benefits. We’re an in-network provider for Delta Dental insurance, and we accept nearly all PPO dental plans.
If you don’t have insurance or your plan lacks sufficient coverage, don’t worry! Your emergency dentist in Houston has another option for making tooth extractions affordable: third-party financing through a reliable company known as CareCredit. By signing up for one of CareCredit’s extended payment plans, you can pay for your tooth extraction over the course of several months to a few years instead of all at once. In addition, these plans tend to carry extremely low or no interest rates, making them ideal for patients who need to stay within a certain budget. Our team will gladly help you with the CareCredit application process.