Child Tooth Extraction in Chesapeake

A tooth extraction is something that makes even adults a little squeamish. For children, the thought of having a tooth pulled can be pretty scary. In some cases, the fear can lead to the child developing a dental phobia. However, having a tooth removed isn't as scary as adults or kids think. Let's take a few minutes to talk about tooth extraction. In the end, you'll know more about it, and hopefully, you and your child will feel more at ease about the procedure.

Is There Ever a Need for a Baby Tooth Extraction?

Since baby teeth aren't permanent, most parents don't think that you have to have them extracted. However, there are some situations in which getting a baby tooth pulled is a good idea.

One of the most common reasons occurs when a baby tooth is blocking one of your child's adult teeth from coming in properly. In such a situation, a dentist might have to pull the baby tooth to make room for the adult tooth.

Also, a badly decaying baby tooth, just like an adult tooth, might have to be pulled. It's possible for the infection in the decaying tooth to cause a blood infection, and pulling the tooth can prevent that.

Teeth That Are Overcrowded

Sometimes, the dentist has to remove a tooth from your child's mouth because of overcrowding. When teeth are overcrowded it can make them difficult to clean. Also, it can cause permanent teeth to grow in crooked, which can cause poor tooth alignment.

Overcrowded teeth can cause other problems when your child's adult teeth start coming in too, such as pain or a failure of the adult teeth to erupt from the gums. Fortunately, extraction services can remove extra teeth and eliminate all of these problems.

Could a Child Tooth Extraction Be the Only Option?

In most cases, dentists do everything they can to save natural teeth. However, there are some situations in which removing a child's tooth is the only option. Typically, this is only the case when the tooth has undergone heavy decay. Sometimes, gum disease or trauma to the tooth itself can also lead to the need for extraction.

Unfortunately, if you get to the point where a tooth needs to be extracted, it typically comes with agonizing pain. The good news is that once the tooth is removed, the pain usually stops completely.

The Difference Between Simple and Surgical Extractions

When it's time to get a child's tooth pulled, one of two types of extractions will be performed. Most extractions are what dentists call simple because they're straightforward and don't require extra procedures. The other type is a surgical extraction. It's more complex because it requires cutting into the gums to remove a tooth that hasn't fully erupted.

Surgical extractions are actually pretty common for children. For example, when children start getting their adult teeth, they may fail to grow in correctly or break the gums. This is seen most often in wisdom teeth. Since the dentist has to cut into the gums, the healing time on most surgical removals is longer than with simple removals.

After Getting a Tooth Removed, How Long Does It Take to Heal?

The time it takes for tooth extraction healing depends on the type of extraction your child had. For example, a simple extraction takes about a week to fully heal. Usually, the dentist will recommend that your child avoid any kind of moderate activities for about 24 hours.

That being said, a surgical extraction takes a bit longer to heal. Once again, this is because the dentist has to cut into the gums.

What Is the Cost of a Child Tooth Extraction?

Firstly, let's put your own mind at ease. Many parents worry about the cost of tooth removal. In some cases, the fear of a costly dental bill keeps parents from seeking the dental care that their children need.

Thankfully, the pediatric tooth extraction cost isn't as much as you might think. Many dental offices, like ours, attempt to keep the cost of extractions affordable.

What is the exact cost? That's a hard question to answer because the cost varies greatly depending on the individual child's needs. For instance, a simple extraction is much cheaper than a surgical extraction.