Having a Tooth Removed:

Going to the dentist is never fun, but maintaining good oral hygiene is actually great for your overall health. Your teeth and gums should be in excellent condition during your lifetime if at all possible. The one area that gets a bit iffy is when people have a tooth removed. Sometimes it's for overcrowding, or perhaps for cosmetic reasons, and often a tooth is pulled because it's decayed so far or rotted that it will start effecting the rest of your mouth. My wife had a tooth pulled recently because the crown that was on the tooth had failed and allowed the stump of a tooth underneath to decay further. Our daughter needed to have a tooth removed when she was about 7 years old after the filling on one her teeth had leaked a bit and the tooth eventually rotted out. Both tooth extractions were necessary and somewhat easy procedures for them to go through.

Procedure - I have had my wisdom teeth pulled out and that required me to be put under. Most other tooth extractions go with local anesthetic and the toothe is popped out in literally minutes. In my daughters case, the small incisor was out in about 5 seconds and there were no roots to keep it in her jaw. My wife, on the other hand, had a molar removed and it did have some roots. Still, the process was novacaine, and a few minutes of extracting the tooth and roots. There are some circumstances where more than 1 tooth needs to be removed, although that is rare. Whatever pain there is, is over and done with within seconds and having a tooth pulled is much simpler than having a filling done or getting something like a dental crown. The recovery may be a bit more troublesome as now you have a hole in your jaw that needs to fill in over time. It can be tender and require soft foods for a while in that area of your mouth until you feel comfortable with harder foods again. Recovery time is different for everyone - my daughter was good to go the next day and my wife took about 3 days after her molar was pulled to fully recover with her normal eating habits.

How Much Does a Tooth Extraction Cost?:

We paid $180 for my daughters tooth extraction and my wifes tooth removal was closer to $350. The reason why my wife's procedure was so much is because she had to have an X-ray with it. When kids teeth are pulled the process is quick and simple since there is not much to their teeth and as long as it's a baby tooth, then another tooth is coming in soon anyways so there is less concern of open spaces in the mouth. With adult tooth extraction, the dentist or oral surgeon needs to consider long term shifting of teeth once the tooth is pulled or removed. There can be consultations that cost money where you discuss the options of how to proceed once the tooth is pulled. Do you need a dental bridge, an implant, etc. Expect to spend at $100 to get a tooth removed and upwards of $300 for molars and teeth that require more exact surgery.

Is It Necessary to Have Teeth Pulled?:

That is the question I asked our dentist before my daughter's tooth was removed. I figured her tooth was due to fall out anyways, since it was a baby tooth. The dentist mentioned that decayed or rotted teeth can effect the mouth in general and certainly other teeth that are near the problem tooth. Dentist will try to keep your teeth intact as much as possible, but there are times when removing them is the best solution. With younger kids, it's not such a big deal since they can still have adult teeth grow in and replace the younger teeth. When it comes to adults, you are talking about permanent gaps in the mouth which can lead to teeth shifting over time. The most common situation is when a youngster has overcrowding of teeth in their mouth and a tooth (or more than one) are pulled to make room for the adult teeth as they grow in. These extractions are the simplest, but are also not necessary at the time. Many orthodontists are the ones calling for tooth extractions amongst the younger kids as they are looking to make room in the jaw for the adult teeth as they come in and sometimes to avoid braces altogether. As a parent, don't just jump into letting your child have teeth removed. Talk with both your dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon whenever possible. Get all points of view. There are times when having a tooth removed is totally necessary for your oral hygiene and that is ok. Most dentists will try to save your adult teeth for as long as possible since once a tooth is gone when you are an adult there is no "new" tooth that will come in. Dental bridges or dental implants are 2 options for you if you have a tooth removed as an adult. Tooth spacing is important, but when there is a huge gap in your jaw, then all your teeth can potentially get effected and shift.

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