Tooth Extraction in Royal Palm Beach, FL

At Dental Center of Wellington, Dr. Steven Bussell and our entire team are dedicated to saving teeth whenever possible. Sometimes, however, an extraction is necessary in order to protect your oral health and relieve pain.

If this is the case for you, you'll be happy to know we can take care of your needs from start to finish at our West Palm Beach dental office. This means you'll always be able to work with the team you know and trust. 

Why Tooth Extraction in West Palm Beach Becomes Necessary 

Some of the conditions that might require an extraction include:

• A tooth that has broken off at the gumline
• An infected tooth
• Bone loss
• Painful or problematic wisdom teeth
• Advanced decay
• Preparing for dentures
• Orthodontic treatment

The only way to know for sure if you need a dental extraction is to contact our Royal Palm Beach dental office. Dr. Steven Bussell will review all of your treatment options so you can make the best choice for your smile. 

We typically recommend that wisdom teeth be extracted because most people don't have enough room in their mouths to successfully support them. If you don't have enough room for them, your wisdom teeth, also called third molars, may crowd your healthy teeth. This can lead to tooth shifting and, ultimately, bite misalignment. 

There are also several other reasons that it's wise to remove wisdom teeth, such as:

• Impaction: Some wisdom teeth remain stuck beneath the gumline, which can result in an infection. Impacted wisdom teeth need to be removed. 
• Cleanliness: Sometimes, it's hard to reach wisdom teeth all the way behind your second molars for proper brushing and flossing. If you can't keep them clean, it increases your risk of developing problems like tooth decay and gum disease. 
• Crowding: If there's no room for them, wisdom teeth may begin to crowd previously aligned teeth. This can cause overlap and shifting, ruining your investment in orthodontic treatment if you've had your teeth straightened. 
• Eruption: Some wisdom teeth erupt or come in at odd angles that can negatively impact your neighboring second molars. 

Dr. Bussell can determine if we need to remove your wisdom teeth with x-rays and a thorough examination of your smile. 

Tooth extractions don't have to be stressful when you work with a team you trust! If Dr. Bussell recommends a dental extraction, you don't have to worry about the procedure. He is experienced in removing teeth comfortably and will follow up to ensure you heal properly.

We complete most dental extractions here in the comfort of our dental office in Royal Palm Beach.

Post-Extraction Dental Care in the West Palm Beach Area

If you have a dental extraction, taking care of the area is essential to comfortable and proper healing. You should avoid drinking through a straw or smoking for at least 72 hours after surgery because it could dislodge the healing tissue and result in a painful condition called a dry socket.

Sticking to soft foods for the first few days after your extraction is helpful to keep from irritating your extraction site. Eat your foods cold or at room temperature to avoid hurting your soft tissues. Some ideas for soft foods are:

• Yogurt
• Soup
• Bananas
• Oatmeal
• Applesauce
• Smoothies

Keeping the area clean is also essential. You should avoid brushing the extraction site directly until it has a chance to close up. You can rinse with warm water to flush stray food particles from the site, but don't use a high-pressure device like a WaterPik.

If appropriate, we will also arrange a follow-up exam to monitor healing and discuss tooth-replacement options.

Tooth extraction in West Palm Beach does not mean the end of a healthy, beautiful smile. Dr. Steven Bussell offers modern tooth-replacement options to restore your smile and oral health. He will be happy to discuss the benefits of each so that you can make an informed choice.

• Dental implants – replace the entire tooth, including the root 
• Bridges – fill the gap in your smile with an artificial tooth using tooth crowns as anchors
• Partial dentures – clasps onto remaining natural teeth and fills in the gaps left by missing teeth
• Complete dentures – replaces upper, lower, or both arches
• Implant bridges – replace multiple missing teeth with a bridge securely held in place by an implant on each side
• Implant dentures – secures dentures in place with two to four dental implants

If we're not removing wisdom teeth, it's crucial to think about tooth replacement as soon as you can. When you don't replace a missing tooth, neighboring teeth may move and shift into the open space, causing bite misalignment. 

A missing root impacts your bone because it no longer has anything to stimulate it for regrowth. Over time, the bone will deteriorate, resulting in less support for neighboring teeth and even changing the appearance of your face. The bad news is that tooth loss generally results in more tooth loss if you don't take action to restore your smile. 

Immediate Implant Placement 

If a tooth requires extraction, sometimes we can place the dental implant simultaneously. This eliminates multiple surgeries and reduces the number of appointments. We are proud to offer the convenience of having a dentist who does numerous facets of dentistry in one office.

Want Answers? Give Us a Call at Our Royal Palm Beach, FL, Office Today!

We love helping patients feel confident about their health and smiles. So if you want answers and you're wondering if you might need a dental extraction, call us to arrange a dental exam with Dr. Steven Bussell. We welcome new patients of all ages.