A Comfortable Extraction and Restoration
At the dentist office, we don’t always get to do the things we love. Sometimes we have to make tough decisions with our patients for the good of their entire smile. In the worst case scenarios, that means removing a permanent tooth.
When you were a kid, you lost your baby teeth one at a time. You know that the pain isn’t terrible, even without something to numb your gums. The pain comes more from embarrassment or frustration over what to do next.
Luckily we are here to help you through the ENTIRE process. From the moment we realize that you tooth is no longer viable to the moment you walk out our door with a fully restored smile in place. You can have the most comfortable extraction and restoration process ever right here in Longmeadow, MA.
When a Tooth Must Come Out
As we mentioned, there are some teeth that are beyond saving. Routine appointments limit this risk by a lot because we can take care of problems before they get out of hand, but sometimes teeth just aren’t viable any longer.
When that happens, we need to remove the tooth so that the decay or infection can’t spread throughout your mouth. We also don’t want you to be in discomfort from a painful or embarrassing tooth.
We are talking about things like severe gum disease, an infected tooth pulp, extensive decay, or an injured tooth that has died.
The Extraction Procedure
Taking a tooth from your mouth is very quick and can be completely painless. When you come into the office, we will help you relax in a chair. Your mouth will be numbed using our DentalVibe pain-free injection tool. We then remove your tooth in one fluid motion.
There’s really nothing to it, and you won’t feel a thing because you’ll be numb! Our patients are surprised that the procedure is over so quickly! We will help you care for your gums and then begin talking about a restoration for the gap in your smile.
Planning for a Restoration
Every smile needs to restore a missing tooth (with the exception of wisdom teeth) because every tooth is important to the way you speak and chew food. We have a couple of options for patients seeking restorations. Let’s take a quick look at both restorations so that you can see the hope that comes after an extraction is complete.
Bridge
Your first option is a dental bridge. This restoration is the least expensive of the two, but there are reasons for that. A bridge uses two crowns to attach to your healthy adjacent teeth. The crowns have a false tooth in the middle that serves to restore your missing tooth.
This restoration will last for about 15 years before needing to be replaced. For the most part, it is sturdy and will get the job done, but many of our patients tell us that they just never feel completely comfortable using their bridge for a lot of tough chewing.
Implant
The second option is a dental implant. This restoration is more expensive because it is truly permanent. Once the implant is in place, it will not be coming out. In fact, implants have a 96% success rate across the country! The implant itself replaces the tooth root below the gumline, but we will also place a crown on top of the implant to complete the restoration of the missing tooth.
Implants are very solid and sturdy. Patients often forget that they have a restoration in their mouth because it looks and feels so much like a natural tooth. For a little bit more money, these restoration patients know that they are set for life!
A Whole New Smile
After an extraction procedure, we want you to know that you have a whole new smile in front of you! There’s no reason to lose hope! With a quick restoration procedure, you will feel like yourself again.
Contact us today to learn more about extractions and restorations. Both can be a great benefit to you and your smile. We can’t wait to hear from you very soon!