Tooth Extraction

Being told you need a tooth extraction isn’t easy news to hear. It may trigger emotions about losing a tooth you thought you’d have a lifetime, and you may worry about how your smile will look afterward.

At 12 Dentistry in Puyallup, Dr. Heydari and his dental team understand and empathize with your feelings. Unfortunately, if you have a deep cavity or an infection, the only healthy option is to remove it.

Why We Recommend Tooth Extraction

There are several reasons why Dr. Heydari may recommend tooth extraction as the best course of treatment:

• A tooth is broken off or fractured below the gumline
• Advanced tooth decay left the tooth unsalvageable
• A tooth infection or dental abscess is too advanced for a root canal to save it
• Wisdom teeth crowd surrounding teeth and threaten your oral health

In most cases, we can plan for your procedure. If necessary, we also perform emergency tooth extractions if you are in pain, and we’ve agreed it’s the healthiest option.

Comfortable, Stress-Free Tooth Extractions 

Dr. Heydari and his dental team care about your comfort and well-being. We take time to get to know our patients individually, and they become like family to us. If you need a tooth extraction or any other major procedure, you can rest assured that we will do everything in our power to ensure your comfort.

• Leading-edge dental technology like digital x-rays and 3-D cone beam imaging gives us the details we need to plan an efficient, comfortable procedure.
• Our powerful local anesthetics ensure that your mouth is numb and you won’t feel any pain.
• Nitrous oxide or laughing gas works wonders by taking the edge off of your dental anxiety.

Before we begin, we’ll always check in with you to see if you need anything for your comfort. If at any time during your procedure you need a break, just raise a hand or let us know. 

Self-Care After Your Tooth Extraction

How you care for yourself in the hours after extraction can help ensure that you have a successful, event-free recovery. It's a good idea to plan to take the rest of the day off so your body can recover. Follow these instructions, and don’t hesitate to call us if you have a question or problem:

• Bite down on the provided gauze pad for an hour after your procedure, then replace it with a clean one as needed until bleeding stops
• Follow a soft diet for the first couple of days, sticking to foods like soups, yogurt, and pudding.
• Don’t drink from a straw or smoke because the sucking motion can dislodge the protective clot that’s forming.
• After bleeding stops, you can brush your teeth but avoid the extraction site.

Dr. Heydari cares about your comfort and well-being and will check in with you later in the day to see how you’re doing and if you have any questions. 

Do You Think You Need Tooth Extraction?

If you are in pain and think you may need an emergency tooth extraction, call us at (253) 848-7281. We will do everything possible to save the tooth, but if we need to remove it, count on receiving the highest level of comfortable dental care.