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Most dental needs children have can be addressed with preventive dentistry or common procedures, such as cavity fillings. Sometimes, though, your child might need a tooth extraction to treat their dental problem.
Getting the news that your child needs an extraction can be intimidating, but pediatric dentists Staci Brunell, DMD, and Priyanka Patel, DMD, from Yorktown Pediatric Dentistry in Yorktown Heights, New York, are here to assure you that tooth extraction is a safe and effective treatment for many pediatric dental issues. Understand why your child could need a tooth extraction and what to expect from the process.
Sometimes, the best course of action for your child’s dental health is to remove a tooth. The process of pulling a tooth is called an extraction.
There are two types of tooth extractions: simple and surgical. Simple extractions are straightforward, quick procedures where our team gently loosens your child’s tooth and pulls it out with forceps.
Your child may require a surgical tooth extraction if their tooth issue is more complex. This procedure involves the dentist making small incisions in the gum surrounding your child’s tooth and pulling it out in small pieces.
Both types of extractions are performed as outpatient procedures at our office under local anesthesia.
There are several reasons our team recommends tooth extractions. The most common include:
Most cavities can be treated with fillings or root canals; however, sometimes the damage to the tooth is so severe that extraction is the only option. Extraction can be a particularly good option for a badly decayed baby tooth.
Some accidents can cause your child’s tooth to be cracked or chipped beyond repair or leave dangerous fragments in their mouth. If we determine the tooth can’t be saved after trauma, we recommend extraction.
Some but not all tooth infections can be treated with antibiotics, a cavity filling, or a root canal. Extraction can be the only option to keep your child’s mouth safe when the infection is extensive.
Some children can’t attain their perfect smile unless the teeth overcrowding in their mouth is fixed. Our orthodontist, Gina Gill, DMD, sometimes recommends removing extra permanent teeth or stubborn baby teeth that haven’t fallen out yet before starting orthodontic treatment.
Wisdom teeth are extra teeth in the back of your child’s mouth that can start growing during the teen years. These teeth serve no practical purpose and can lead to overcrowding, misalignment, and an increased risk of cavities, so our team often recommends their extraction.
Our team begins your child’s extraction procedure by ensuring they’re fully numb and not experiencing pain. When your child is ready, we carefully remove the tooth using either forceps or surgical incisions.
After the procedure, your child’s mouth remains numb for a few hours when they won’t be able to eat. You can expect your child to experience tenderness, sensitivity, and a bit of swelling near the extraction site.
During the initial recovery, your child can relieve discomfort by:
One week after the extraction, your child attends a follow-up appointment with our team to ensure it’s healing properly.
If you think your child may need a tooth extraction or would like other pediatric dental care advice, please contact our team to schedule an appointment.
