Extraction in Massapequa

What is a tooth extraction?

Getting a tooth extraction, or pulling a tooth, is a tough emotional decision. Losing a tooth is never easy and we know what a stressful time it can be to have to go through that. That’s why at Complete Dental Care of Long Island, we try to make the process as seamless and easy on you as possible. We will always try to save your teeth first and foremost, but sometimes a tooth is too far gone to be saved and needs to be removed to restore you back to proper health and function.

Common Reasons for Tooth Extraction

  • Severe tooth decay/breakdown
  • A badly fractured or cracked tooth
  • Bad tooth infection that’s causing swelling, discharge and pain
  • Excessive tooth crowing or for orthodontic treatment
  • Baby teeth that have not fallen out at the appropriate time
  • Extra teeth
  • Loose teeth from gum problems or trauma
  • Wisdom teeth that have potential to cause issues
  • Root tips remaining lodged in the gums

Tooth Extraction Procedure

A tooth extraction is a relatively straightforward procedure but requires a catered plan for each individual patient. Prior to initiating the procedure, we will thoroughly review your medical history and ask for any appropriate medical clearances with your primary care doctors to reduce the chances of any complications happening during or after the procedure. If you have an infection, sometimes we may advise you to take medicine to resolve it then return to us to make the procedure more stress-free. Once we are sure it is okay to safely proceed, we start by taking your blood pressure and obtaining your informed consent. The area around the affected tooth is numbed with local anesthesia as painlessly as possible. After we are sure you won’t feel a thing, we slightly push the gums back around the tooth and remove the tooth using a variety of dental tools. Sometimes the tooth or root tips cannot be so easily removed. In cases like that we sometimes may have to drill away some of the bone or cut the tooth in half, to get the bits out individually. The site is then cleaned extensively, and we will monitor you after to ensure you’re okay after the procedure. Stitches may or may not be required as we will do what is necessary to quell any severe bleeding before you leave. You can also expect a follow-up call to check up on you a day or two after your extraction.

Bone Graft

Before your tooth is even pulled, a plan needs to be in place to restore the space. A missing tooth can cause numerous problems such as teeth shifting, bone loss or faster wearing down of the teeth just to name a few. The best option to replace a single tooth is a dental implant. But after the extraction, all the space where your tooth and its roots used to be will shrivel up, making the ability to place an implant much harder. Preserving this space is much easier to do while the hole or socket is open already after the removal of the tooth than cutting it open again after it heals. We strongly suggest placing a bone graft, which is basically biocompatible bone substitute to help the bone in the socket regrow and reduce shrinkage, even if you are unsure you will want an implant in the future. We believe it’s better to be prepared from the get go, than have to work backwards, which will also be quite more expensive.

Tooth Extraction Cost

All dentists and insurance companies define extractions as either “simple” or “surgical.” Simple extractions are just as we anticipate, the tooth is just taken out, while surgical extractions are extractions in which the tooth is cut into pieces or the bone around the tooth is drilled out. The prices for each also vary as the cost of a surgical extraction can be several hundred dollars more than a simple extraction. The unfortunate part is that when an extraction is started, you may be quoted for the simple price but then due to unforeseen circumstances, be told it will now be surgical and be billed for that mid procedure. This is quite unfair and stressful to you as you now are getting stiffed with a larger bill than you expected, while you are numb, bleeding and in a vulnerable position. We strongly disagree with this practice which is why we charge a flat fee of $399 for any extraction, simple or surgical, to eliminate any uncertainty about costs. it is always suggested to maintain the bone level after a tooth is removed, whether you will be receiving an implant or not. That is why to encourage this practice, if bone grafting and membrane are done at the time of extraction the charge for both will only cost $500 more versus our normal fee of $800. We can also have a clip on replacement tooth, or flipper, available to you so you are not living day to day with a noticeable space for $299 extra. Bone grafting is available as well but needs to be discussed with our dentist prior to treatment to determine its need for your unique situation.

Why Choose Complete Dental Care of Long Island For Your Tooth Extraction

With us, we carefully plan your extraction from start to finish, ensuring a fully restored healthy outcome. We always will try our absolute best to save your natural teeth, which is our first priority. We also will never perform an extraction if it adversely will affect your overall health nor will we pull teeth without having a plan in place to restore it. You also have the confidence knowing our dentist has tremendous experience and knowledge to mitigate any pain during and after your treatment. We treat every patient as an individual and take our time, knowing what a hard choice it is to let a natural tooth go. It is also hard to beat our fair pricing model, so there is absolutely no surprises in the middle of the procedure. Allow us to guide you through a very difficult process in the most easy, straightforward way possible.