Tooth Extractions in Scottsdale AZ

Does Your Child Need a Tooth Extraction Right Now?

If you are reading this because your child needs emergency dental attention in Scottsdale or Phoenix that may require tooth repair or tooth extraction, call us now at (480) 422-4544. We will set up an appointment as soon as possible for you.

If your child is having persistent mouth pain issues like toothaches, or is experiencing other signs of dental discomfort that do not go away, this could be an indication of a serious pediatric dental problem. In a worst-case scenario, the underlying issue could be serious enough that a tooth will need to come out.

Schedule an appointment with us at our Scottsdale office by calling us or by going online if your child has been in an accident involving a mouth injury, or has a loose permanent tooth, is experiencing bleeding gums, or is suffering from any other mouth pain issue.

Sometimes we can save a tooth if we can act soon enough, so call us at (480) 422-4544 as soon as possible.

How Do I Know My Child Needs a Tooth Extraction?

Your child might need a tooth removed for one of several reasons. One of the most common causes for a child’s tooth removal is a cavity or abscess problem that has gone too far and for too long for us to fix with a dental filling or even root canal surgery.

About half of all childrens’ tooth extractions become necessary because of advanced tooth decay.

Other reasons why your child could need to have a tooth extracted include:

Teeth Overcrowding

This can happen for a number of reasons, including genetic causes, baby teeth that are slow to come out on their own, and problems with wisdom teeth emergence.

Teeth overcrowding in a child’s mouth can lead to more serious complications, especially if baby teeth are preventing permanent teeth from emerging properly.

Broken or Fractured Teeth

Like with tooth decay that has become too advanced to treat normally, sometimes a broken tooth can suffer damage from physical trauma that makes repair or even a cosmetic remedy like a tooth cap impractical.

In these situations removal by a dentist may be the best choice.

Preparing for Orthodontic Treatment

Sometimes one or more of your child’s teeth, possibly including permanent teeth, may need extraction before we can apply child orthodontics.

What is the Procedure for a Child Tooth Extraction?

Our dentists do child tooth extractions in our Scottsdale office in one of two ways.

In most cases a simple extraction is all that is necessary.

This is for teeth that have already erupted, and involves applying a local anesthetic at the extraction site before loosening and then gently removing the tooth.

In more complicated types of extractions, such as removing a permanent tooth that has not erupted through the gums yet, we may need to perform a surgical extraction.

In such cases your child’s dentist may use advanced anesthetics, including general anesthesia or sedation.

What Happens After a Child Tooth Extraction?

Normal Healing Procedures

After a tooth extraction, we will apply gauze padding at the extraction site.

In addition to absorbing bleeding, this gauze also promotes the necessary blood clotting needed for healing to begin.

The numbness from the local anesthetic will wear off after a couple of hours, and any pain or discomfort your child feels should die down after a day or two.

Applying a cold compress to the outside cheek area of the extraction in the hours after the extraction appointment can also help reduce pain and swelling.

Your child’s dentist  will also prescribe pain medication for your child to take after the extraction.

During this time of tooth extraction healing, we recommend that your child eat soft foods, ideally ones that are not hot or cold to minimize discomfort.

We also suggest that your child avoid activities that can slow the healing process, like engaging in strenuous activities, drinking beverages from a straw, swishing fluids in the mouth, touching the extraction site with the fingers, and spitting.

After a day has passed, it is ordinarily permissible and advisable to let your child resume gentle brushing and flossing in the extraction area and to gargle with a warm salt water solution.

In the longer term, to help your child’s teeth development to progress normally after a tooth extraction, we might apply a spacer to keep the teeth around the extraction site from shifting and if necessary to leave room for dental implants once he or she is old enough, usually in the teenage years after age 16.

Less Common Healing Issues

In some cases, when a permanent tooth is removed the blood clot that will naturally form at the extraction site will not form properly or can become dislodged.

This can lead to a painful condition known as “dry socket,” in which the nerve endings in the gums and even the underlying bone can become exposed.

One way to tell if a dry socket problem exists is when the post-extraction pain your child experiences pain that either begins more than a day after the tooth removal or the pain lasts for more than three days after extraction.

Another symptom is pain that extends to the cheek and jaw.

A condition like dry socket is one that you cannot treat by using over-the-counter painkillers.

If you experience tooth socket pain, we can recommend prescription medications that can help with the pain and take any follow-up procedures that might be needed.

Where Can I Find A Child Tooth Extraction Dentist Near Me in Scottsdale?

At Ironwood Pediatric Dentistry we serve all your childrens’ dental needs, from routine check-ups through tooth extractions and orthodontics.

If you live in Scottsdale, Arizona, then our office is close by for regular appointments.

If your child requires an emergency tooth extraction in Scottsdale, we have emergency dentists who provide emergency dental services 24 hours a day.

We accept health insurance and dental insurance plans that cover the cost of teeth extractions or, if need be, we can work with you to help you find an affordable monthly payment option if you do not have insurance.

In Scottsdale, call us today at (480) 422-4544 to arrange for a consultation with one of our friendly pediatric dentists, or if you have any questions about tooth extractions or any other child dentistry matter that concerns you.

Or you can ask your question on our website and we’ll reply to you by email or phone.