Tooth Extractions – Garland, TX

Reasons Why Tooth Extractions are Necessary

Our team strives to help patients build and maintain happy, healthy smiles to help them avoid potential emergencies, but there’s no guarantee that you’ll never develop an issue. We prefer to take a more conservative approach whenever possible, but we might recommend this service for the following reasons:

• Remove a painfully damaged or decayed tooth that’s too injured to be treated with a filling, root canal, or dental crown.
• Make room for orthodontics to be successful.
• Ensure that a restoration, such as a set of dentures, fits correctly.
• Alleviate an impacted or infected wisdom tooth.

This service allows our team to keep disease and decay from spreading to neighboring teeth or negatively affecting your gum health or jawbone to safeguard your smile.

The Process of Removing a Tooth

You’re not alone if you’re feeling nervous about your upcoming procedure, and understanding the step-by-step process might provide some much-needed peace of mind. It might vary slightly based on your unique circumstances, but typically, we begin by applying a local anesthetic to numb the area and/or providing sedation to help you feel calm and comfortable.

Then, we use a device known as an elevator to help lift your tooth from the socket so we can grasp it with forceps and wiggle it free. If you have an impacted wisdom tooth, you might require surgical extraction, which involves making a small incision to access it. Sometimes, it must then be broken into smaller pieces to be removed without harming your jawbone.

We can also discuss options for replacement teeth and recommend restoring your smile as soon as possible to avoid potential concerns, like dental drifting, that can harm your dental health.

Tooth Extraction Aftercare

After your procedure, your mouth must form a blood clot over the site to protect the recently exposed nerves and tissues to prevent a potentially painful complication known as dry socket. Following our post-operative instructions carefully can help protect it, allowing you to recover as quickly as possible while avoiding adverse effects. We typically ask patients to:

• Take any prescribed medications as directed.
• Rinse your mouth with salt water to naturally disinfect bacteria in the first 24 hours, then resume brushing and flossing when you feel ready.
• Don’t smoke cigarettes, vapes, or use tobacco products.
• Drink plenty of fluids from a glass, not a straw.
• Avoid strenuous physical activities that elevate your heart rate or blood pressure.
• Prop your head on pillows at night to prevent discomfort.

Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions

Even if you understand that tooth extraction is the best way to restore your comfort and preserve your oral health, it’s still perfectly reasonable to be interested in how much the procedure will cost. While we cannot provide you with a proper cost estimate before your consultation, this guide can help you understand what to expect when see you at our Garland office.

Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost 

Several factors will make up most of the cost of your tooth extraction. These can include:

• The type of tooth being extracted: Larger teeth have more complicated anatomy and are more difficult to extract.
• The location of the tooth being extracted: Teeth located farther back in the mouth are harder to reach and, therefore, more costly to remove.
• The need for a specialist: In especially complex cases, it may be necessary to refer you to an outside specialist who uses a different pricing structure.
• Replacement: It’s best to replace a lost tooth as soon as possible to prevent a variety of oral health problems. We’ll be happy to discuss your restoration options when we see you at our office.

Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?

Dental insurance policies frequently cover tooth extractions as major restorative procedures at a rate of about 50%. However, we’ll have to verify the exact amount your policy will pay since every plan is different. Your coverage may also be subject to limitations such as a waiting period before benefits kick in, a deductible that must be met before the plan starts paying for treatment, or an annual maximum that designates the greatest amount of money your policy will pay in a year. We’ll be happy to help you understand your insurance plan and what it will pay for when we see you at our Garland office.

How to Make Tooth Extractions Affordable

The team at North Garland Family Dental understands that some people who need tooth extractions may have trouble fitting them into their budgets, and we’re eager to make sure everyone in our community can receive the oral care they need to stay healthy. We offer several options that can help make tooth extractions more affordable such as:

• Financing: We partner with CareCredit, a trusted third-party financier that can set a qualifying patient up with a flexible payment plan that can break their dental bill into easy monthly installments with little to no interest.
• Dental membership plan: For a low annual fee, you can have your routine oral care covered and receive significant discounts on many of our other services.

We’ll be happy to help you navigate your payment and financing options when we see you at our Garland office.