What are tooth extractions?

While most of your children’s primary teeth will fall out naturally, there are some scenarios where your child might need a tooth extracted by a dental professional. The idea of getting a tooth pulled can be scary for kids, but at Smile Wright Dental in Xenia, Ohio, we make the whole process as comfortable and painless as possible.

Why would my child need a tooth extraction?

While we strive to avoid performing a tooth extraction, sometimes pulling a tooth is the best decision for the oral health of your child. We might decide to pull a tooth if:

• There is a severe infection that has damaged a significant portion of the tooth and surrounding bone structure
• There is serious tooth decay that cannot be repaired by traditional restoration methods
• There is crowding caused by too many teeth in the mouth, preventing adult teeth from coming in properly

What does a tooth extraction procedure look like?

If it is determined that your child needs one of their teeth extracted, we will schedule the appointment for the procedure as soon as possible. During the procedure, the dentist will administer a local anesthetic to ensure that your child does not feel pain during the actual extraction. Oftentimes, the dentist will put a numbing solution on the gums before the anesthetic injection so that the patient doesn’t even feel the pinch of the needle! Once your child is comfortable, we will gently loosen the tooth and remove it. After the procedure, your child might experience some soreness or tenderness at the extraction site. As long as you follow all the post-procedure instructions given to you by your dentist, the mild pain should resolve quickly, and your child’s smile will heal beautifully!

It is common for children to have some fear and nervousness leading up to and during a tooth extraction procedure. At Smile Wright Dental, we want all of our patients and their families to be as relaxed as possible during the procedure. We offer nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, to help relax our patients during tooth extraction procedures.

If you think your child might need a tooth extracted, give us a call today to set up a consultation!