Tooth Extractions in Wauwatosa

Tooth Extractions

A tooth extraction in Wauwatosa may seem intimidating, but at McCue Dental Health, Wauwatosa dentist Dr. Shaun McCue provides gentle, pain-free extractions in a comfortable environment. At our office, we will always do everything we can to save your tooth before we recommend an extraction. However, sometimes extractions are medically necessary, and are the best way to safeguard your health. Learn more below, or contact us online for a consultation in Wauwatosa. 

Wauwatosa teeth extractions

Why Do I Need A Tooth Extraction?

There are a few common reasons why you may need one or more of your teeth to be extracted. The most common is because of improper wisdom tooth eruption. The wisdom teeth come out much later than the rest of the teeth, usually between 17-25.

Because of this, many people don’t have enough room in their mouths to accommodate them, and they grow improperly, causing pain and discomfort and a higher risk of issues like tooth infections. Extractions may be recommended, in this case.

Tooth extractions may also be required if serious damage has been done to your teeth and gums due to an oral injury, tooth decay, or chronic gum disease. Extracting the damaged and diseased teeth may be the best way to restore your oral health.

Finally, extractions are sometimes needed to prepare for another dental procedure. Full dentures, for example, require the removal of all remaining teeth before they can be fitted and placed.

To find out if a tooth extraction is right for you, contact McCue Dental Health. Dr. McCue will always discuss all of your options and try to save your tooth before recommending an extraction.

Does Getting A Tooth Pulled Hurt?

During the process of tooth extraction, your mouth will be numbed to prevent any discomfort, and you can also be sedated for your comfort. You will not feel any pain during the procedure, so you can get the treatment you need in comfort at McCue Dental Health.

However, your extraction site will cause you some pain and discomfort as these medications begin to wear off after your surgery. Pain usually peaks within 24-72 hours, and begins to decrease significantly after this time.

Dr. Shaun McCue will provide you with a set of recovery instructions that will help you reduce your discomfort and ensure the proper healing of your extraction site. Make sure to follow them closely to reduce your pain and discomfort as you heal.

tooth extractions in Wauwatosa

Will I Need A Replacement For My Tooth?

The answer is “yes,” unless you’ve had your wisdom teeth pulled. Wisdom teeth do not need to be replaced after extraction, but all of your other teeth should be replaced after removal to restore your smile and your bite.

There are many different options which could be right for you, depending on your needs. Partial dentures, bridges, and dental implants are all great options for restoring your smile, and each treatment has its own advantages and drawbacks. You can schedule a consultation with Dr. McCue after your extraction to discuss which option may be the best for you.

What Is The Extraction Process Like?

There are two types of tooth extractions: simple and surgical. A simple extraction is more straightforward, quicker, and involves less recovery time because no surgery is involved. We numb your mouth with local anesthesia and rock the tooth back and forth with a dental elevator. 

This is to loosen the tooth in the socket before removing it with forceps. When we rock your tooth, it severs the ligament so the tooth is already separated by the time we remove it from the socket. This type of extraction is performed on teeth that are visible in the mouth and are not trapped behind the gums.

A surgical extraction is performed on teeth that are impacted or have broken off at the gum line. We need to make an incision into your gums so we can access the tooth beneath. From there, the extraction process is very similar to a simple extraction except that Dr. Shaun McCue may need to trim additional bone and soft tissue as well as section the tooth into fragments for easier access to, and removal of, the tooth.

After the tooth has been removed, Dr. Shaun McCue will clean and compress the socket and round off any sharp edges. The socket may or may not be stitched up. Gauze will then be placed at the site of the extraction to stop the bleeding.

Wauwatosa tooth extractions

Are There Alternatives To A Tooth Extraction?

If you have diseased or infected dental pulp, your only alternative will be to get a root canal. Tooth infections are different from other infections in the body because they can not be cured with oral antibiotics. 

When antibiotics are prescribed for an infected tooth, it’s mostly to prevent the infection from spreading and to reduce the symptoms of the infection. Ultimately, however, the physical source of the infection needs to be removed. 

A root canal restores the health of your tooth, removes the infection, and relieves your pain by scraping out the damaged dental pulp, cleaning and shaping the tooth’s canals, and refilling the tooth with a material called gutta-percha. Root canals have a 95% success rate.

However, sometimes root canals fail, the tooth becomes infected again, or the patient is unable to get a root canal. Another possibility is to get a minor surgical treatment known as an apicoectomy which removes the infected root tip as well as surrounding bone. The end of the root tip is filled and sutured shut and the bone can regenerate within months.

We recommend doing everything in your power to save your tooth whenever possible. Tooth extractions are serious, last-resort procedures that come with many consequences, such as irreversible bone loss, unless you replace the tooth with a dental implant. You will experience changes to your bite and facial structure that can make you look older than you are and you will be more likely to lose additional teeth.

Do I Need To Have My Wisdom Teeth Extracted?

Patients do not inherently need to have their wisdom teeth removed if they are not causing problems and are erupting properly. Most patients need to have their wisdom teeth removed because they are not erupting properly, are impacted, causing severe pain, or have the potential to cause problems in the future. 

If you are not experiencing any problems with your wisdom teeth and x-rays show they are unlikely to cause problems in the future, there is no need to have them removed. Dr. Shaun McCue can discuss the pros and cons of having your wisdom teeth removed and whether or not it is necessary for you. This is ultimately your decision.

Schedule Your Consultation Today

If you think that you may need a tooth pulled, don’t wait until the issue becomes more severe. The sooner you get treatment, the sooner you’ll get relief from pain and discomfort, and the better the outcome will be for your dental health. To get started, contact the team at McCue Dental Health at (414) 456-1091 and let us know that you’re coming in. We always have emergency appointments available, so you can also walk into our office at 10625 West North Avenue, Suite 300, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, and we’ll do our best to treat you as soon as possible.

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