Dentistry is essential to everyone’s health, and Ledbetter Family Dental Care is here to keep your smile strong and healthy for a lifetime. Professional treatment for dental problems can improve the quality of your life by relieving pain and restoring damaged teeth to their full function. Through routine check-ups, cleanings, tooth extractions, and our other services in Ardmore, Oklahoma, Dr. Les Ledbetter strives to prevent problems before they start. Our friendly team provides comprehensive care with a gentle touch that keeps you relaxed and comfortable throughout the process. We believe in creating lasting relationships with our patients, so they feel confident entrusting their oral health with us at every step.
At Ledbetter Family Dental Care, we understand that having your tooth extracted can be scary. To make the process easier, we want to inform you what to expect before, during, and after the procedure. This way, you know exactly what’s happening and how to care for yourself.
When Is a Tooth Extraction Necessary?
We carefully review every patient’s circumstances and consider all viable alternatives before recommending a tooth extraction. For example, when you have a cavity or another issue with your tooth, sometimes a filling can preserve and restore it without extracting it. And sometimes, crowns are excellent options for sheltering and strengthening natural teeth rather than removing them; preserving teeth is always the ideal outcome for any dental issue.
With state-of-the-art technology, modern insights into dental health, and years of experience at our disposal, your oral health is in the best possible hands here. Rest assured that if we decide an extraction is the best course of action, then it is because we have exhausted all other options.
There are several reasons why tooth extraction may be necessary. A few common scenarios include if a baby tooth is preventing an adult tooth from erupting correctly, if there is not enough room in the mouth for all of the teeth, or if a tooth has been severely damaged by decay or trauma and cannot be saved with traditional dental treatments. In each case, removing the problem tooth is often the best option for restoring oral health.
What Happens During an Extraction?
The first step in any extraction procedure is for our Ledbetter Family Dental Care team to ensure your comfort and safety. We will administer local anesthesia to numb the area, so you don’t feel any pain during the procedure. Then we will use specialized tools to loosen and remove the affected tooth. Depending on how difficult it is for us to access it, this may involve making one or more incisions in your gum tissue. Once removed, we will suture closed any incisions made and place gauze in your mouth to help control bleeding until it stops completely.
Aftercare Instructions
After your extraction procedure is complete, there are certain measures you must take to promote healing and prevent infection:
- Avoid smoking or drinking through straws.
- Stick with soft foods.
- Rest as much as possible.
- Don’t touch or rinse near the extraction site.
- Avoid vigorous activity.
- Take painkillers as prescribed by our team at Ledbetter Family Dental Care if necessary.
If you follow these instructions precisely, you should have no problem fully recovering after your extraction!
Ardmore Tooth Extractions
At Ledbetter Family Dental Care, we understand that having a tooth extracted can sound intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be! By providing excellent care before, during, and after each extraction procedure we perform here at our office, we can ensure that our patients are comfortable throughout every step of their treatment plan. So don’t hesitate to call us today so that we can start helping you restore oral health!