Pediatric Tooth Extractions – Coppell, TX
Keeping Your Child’s Smile Safe from Trouble Teeth
Is your little one complaining about serious pain in one or some of their teeth? Has their orthodontist mentioned removing any of their pearly whites before getting braces? These are only some of the situations where your child might require tooth extractions as a viable solution for preserving their smile. Our dentist in Coppell, Dr. Linda A. Steele is more than happy to offer this service so your little one can be on the right track to comfortable and healthy teeth. Keep reading to learn more about this treatment or reach out to our office today to set up an appointment!
Why Choose Linda A. Steele, DDS for Pediatric Tooth Extractions?
- Offers Sedation Dentistry for Safe & Comfortable Treatment
- Fun, Friendly, & Dedicated Dental Team
- Pediatric Dentist with Decades of Experience
Why Your Child Might Require Tooth Extractions
There are several different reasons why your child may need to get one or multiple teeth extracted. While preserving their natural teeth is generally our main focus, this isn’t always a viable option, especially if they have a tooth that is beyond repair or may spread an infection to the rest of their mouth or body. For this reason, our team will reserve this procedure only as a last resort for protecting their oral health.
What the Process Is Like
The first step of the tooth extraction process involves your child’s dentist taking X-rays of their entire mouth to get a clearer look at their jawbone and tooth roots. Once they’ve developed a detailed plan on how to approach the situation, they’ll move forward by administering a local anesthetic to completely numb your little one’s mouth. This way your child will remain safe and pain-free throughout the procedure. We can even offer sedation dentistry to keep them as relaxed as possible during their visit. After verifying that your child is comfortable, our dentist will use specialized tools and techniques to wiggle the affected tooth carefully and accurately until it breaks free.
Supernumerary (Extra) Tooth Extractions
In many cases, children can have extra pearly whites known as supernumerary teeth as they develop. While this is normal, they can end up causing complications later on, such as normal teeth growing in unusual angles or becoming impacted (or stuck under the gums). To avoid orthodontic issues like overcrowded teeth and a misaligned bite, our team can simply remove these extra ones from causing trouble.
The process for this kind of tooth extraction is very similar to a typical tooth removal treatment. That said, if any supernumerary teeth are impacted or aren’t fully erupted from the gum line, then our dentist will need to perform extra steps in the procedure. They may have to make a small incision in the tissue or bone, or even divide the tooth into several parts to remove them one piece at a time. If this isn’t necessary, then they’ll simply wiggle the tooth until it comes out.
Aftercare Tips
After our team has extracted your little one’s tooth, you’ll want to help them practice certain precautions for a smooth and quick recovery, including:
- Have them gently bite down continuously on a clean gauze pad to help form a blood clot, which is essential for healing.
- Avoid rinsing their mouth until at least 24 hours after their treatment to not disturb the blood clot. Make sure they don’t spit or drink anything through a straw. After a day, they can gently rinse with saltwater.
- Get your child to take their prescribed or over-the-counter pain reliever to alleviate discomfort and use a cold compress to reduce any swelling.
- Have them stick to eating soft foods for several days following their treatment.
- Make sure they stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.