If you have a damaged or decayed tooth that can’t be saved with a treatment like a root canal, or your wisdom teeth are not erupting properly, you may need an extraction. At North Park Dental, Dr. Munoz offers gentle, judgment-free extractions in McAllen. If you think you may need a tooth removed for any reason, contact us at 956-997-4044 now for a consultation.
The most common reason for tooth extractions is to remove wisdom teeth that are not erupting properly and could damage your surrounding teeth. Extractions may also be required to remove teeth that have been damaged by an oral injury or issues like decay and periodontal disease if it’s not possible to save your tooth using alternative treatments.
Tooth extractions may also sometimes be necessary to prepare for another treatment, such as the placement of dentures or a dental implant, or for orthodontic purposes if you have a small mouth and very crowded teeth.
First, Dr. Munoz will numb your mouth and clean the treatment area. You can also be sedated to ensure you stay comfortable throughout the process. Once your mouth is fully numb, Dr. Munoz will use specialized dental tools to loosen your tooth in its socket, then prepare it for extraction. Once the tooth has been loosened sufficiently, he will use a pair of dental forceps to gently grab it by the root and pull it out. After this, the area will be disinfected and cleaned, then sutured shut. The entire process typically only takes about 5 minutes per tooth once your mouth is numb.
You may experience minor bruising, swelling, and bleeding for a few days after your procedure. To ensure that your mouth heals properly, it’s important to avoid dislodging the blood clot that forms where your tooth used to be. You will also need to eat a soft diet for about a week, in most cases, and avoid brushing the extraction site. Dr. Munoz will give you a comprehensive set of instructions to ensure you recover quickly. If you have any questions as you heal, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team!
Our wisdom teeth are our third set of molars, and they are a natural part of our mouths. Unfortunately, most of us do not have enough room for them in our mouths by the time they grow in. This is particularly true of patients who have had orthodontic treatment. For this reason, wisdom teeth often do not grow into a patient’s mouth properly. This may cause damage to the other teeth and quite a bit of discomfort. To prevent this, most patients opt to have their wisdom teeth extracted when they begin to emerge. This usually happens around the age of 17-25.
No. You will not have to worry about any pain or discomfort during the extraction process. Dr. Munoz will numb your mouth before the procedure begins, and we also offer sedation dentistry in McAllen to keep you feeling safe and comfortable throughout the extraction process.
While you will experience some pain and discomfort while you heal and recover, the extraction process itself will not hurt a bit. You can trust the team at North Park Dental to take great care of you throughout the entire extraction process.
Not always. At North Park Dental, Dr. Munoz practices conservative dentistry. What this means is that we will not recommend any dental procedure, especially an invasive one like tooth extraction, unless you really need it.
The wisdom teeth are often extracted because patients don’t have enough room for them in their mouths, and this can cause a lot of serious oral health complications like a higher risk of tooth infections.
However, this is not always the case. If you have enough room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth and they come out properly, and are not causing you any pain or other issues, you can likely keep them with no ill effects.
On the other hand, if your wisdom teeth are coming out and you feel pain and discomfort in the rear of your mouth, your jaw is stiff, you notice gum inflammation near the teeth, or your gums are tender or bleed easily, your wisdom teeth may need to come out.
The best way to find out if your wisdom teeth should be extracted is to contact North Park Dental for a consultation with Dr. Munoz. He can examine your mouth, take x-rays, and determine the best path forward for your own unique situation.
Yes. If you’ve had a tooth extracted (excluding wisdom teeth), you should replace it as soon as you can. There are a lot of reasons for this. The most obvious reason is that a missing tooth negatively affects your appearance, and can also make it harder to speak clearly and eat your favorite foods, particularly if you lose a front tooth.
In addition, losing a tooth can cause the nearby teeth to shift toward the empty socket in an attempt to close the gap in your smile. This can negatively affect the alignment of your bite and your teeth.
For these reasons, you should replace your missing tooth with a partial denture, a dental bridge, or a dental implant as soon as possible. Dr. Munoz can help you learn more about your options after extraction.
Of those three teeth replacement options, however, we always recommend dental implants if you have the budget for them. Implants, unlike bridges or dentures, are surgically placed directly into the jaw bone. This means they stimulate the jaw and prevent bone loss.
"I love being able to make a positive impact on my patients’ mood and self image."
– Dr. Muñoz