Tooth Extraction – Naperville, IL
Helping Kids Develop & Maintain the Healthiest Smiles
At Tic Tac Tooth Pediatric Dentistry, we’re always here to help young patients develop their healthiest smiles – and keep them for a lifetime! In most cases, this means we’ll be partnering with our patients and their parents to prevent oral health concerns and repair dental damage as necessary. However, in some cases, the best thing for a child’s developing smile is for us to remove one or more teeth. If you want to learn more about childhood tooth extraction, keep reading or give our dental office in Naperville a call today. One of our friendly team members will be happy to answer your questions or schedule an appointment for you and your little one to visit our dental office.
When Would Teeth Need to be Extracted?
The most common reason we recommend tooth removal for young people is when primary teeth fail to fall out on their own. This can block adult teeth from erupting and lead to a need for orthodontic intervention. Wisdom teeth, third molars, are also commonly removed. These teeth emerge in the late teens and early twenties, but most teens do not have the jaw space to accommodate them. This leads to impaction, crowding, misalignment, and other oral health issues. We may also remove a tooth due to decay or damage or prior to beginning an orthodontic treatment plan when crowding is a significant concern for your child.
How are Teeth Removed?
For kids, we can almost always simply pull teeth. This process involves gently shifting the tooth until it can break free from supportive structures. Surgical extraction may be necessary for impacted teeth, wisdom teeth, and a tooth that simply cannot be removed through pulling alone. We will do our best to plan for all eventualities and help you and your child feel confident throughout the process. In many cases, it’s best to perform these services with the help of anesthesiologists in our community to provide sedation. If this is the case, we will perform your child’s tooth removal in a hospital setting.
What Happens After Tooth Extraction?
Following tooth extraction, your first priority should be ensuring your child is getting plenty of rest. This enables the body to repair damaged cells and heal more quickly. Make sure your child takes any over the counter or prescription medications as directed to maintain comfort and limit risk for infection. For the first days after treatment, stick to a liquid-only diet. However, do not allow your child to use a straw as this can dislodge their blood clot and lengthen healing time. To help with swelling and inflammation, you can give your child an ice pack to use for 20 minutes at a time. Keep the extraction site clean by removing and exchanging gauze regularly to absorb blood. Your child should still be brushing and flossing their remaining teeth, but make sure they take special care to avoid irritating the surgical site. If you have questions or your child is still in severe pain after the first few days, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’re here to help!
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
Now that you know your child must have a tooth removed, you may be wondering about the cost of tooth extractions. The procedure is often covered by dental insurance but before any claim is filed, a complete estimate must be drafted by our team. This is based on various factors that will be determined during an initial examination. After compiling our data and creating a plan, we’ll go over the financial component of treatment so that you can determine how best to budget for your child’s upcoming procedure.
Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost
You, your child, and a member of our dental team will discuss the following factors after completing a thorough examination:
- The status of your child’s oral health and if they need additional care in the form of gum disease treatment
- The severity of your child’s affected tooth, as this will determine if it should be removed simply or surgically
- The kind of tooth that must be removed, as this can often be an indicator of which type of removal process must occur
- How or if we plan to replace the tooth so that misalignment does not occur
It is natural to inquire about the details of each component, especially how the tooth will be replaced. Depending on whether it is a primary or permanent tooth, we will make the appropriate recommendations to ensure that your child’s smile continues to grow healthily and without complication.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?
Your plan is likely to be different than someone else’s, so you’ll need to review your policy to find out if it covers tooth extractions. Most companies do offer up to 50% coverage for this type of treatment, but this is dependent on whether you’ve met your deductible and how much of your annual maximum remains. You can count on our team, though, to review your policy and file any claims to help maximize your benefits. We want you to be able to save any time your child needs restorative care, so we’ll do our best to keep your out-of-pocket expenses to a minimum.
Other Options for Making Tooth Extractions Affordable
If you do not have a private dental insurance plan or need help to pay the remaining balance on your child’s procedure, we at Tic Tac Tooth can help you apply for flexible financing through CareCredit. If you are eligible, you can apply for a low-interest or no-interest payment plan, so that your monthly payments remain minimal, helping you to stay within your budget.
Tooth Extractions FAQs
How Should I Prepare for My Child’s Tooth Extraction?
Above, we covered aftercare instructions. But is there anything you need to do before your child’s tooth extraction? The short answer is “yes!” We recommend going to the store for anything you need prior to their appointment, like gauze pads, cold compresses, soft foods, and over-the-counter pain medication for children. It’s also a good idea to talk to your child a bit about what to expect the day of and to save a special movie or TV show for the recovery period.
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
If your child is worried that having their tooth extracted will hurt, you can reassure them that they have nothing to worry about. After all, the very first step of the entire treatment process is numbing their mouth with a local anesthetic. Plus, nitrous oxide can be added to their treatment plan to help alleviate stress, nerves, and anxiety during the procedure. In short, we want your child to have a completely pain-free experience, and we will do everything we can to ensure that’s the case.
What Can I Do to Speed Up the Healing Time?
If your child is starting to get a bit restless, you might be wondering what you can do to speed up the healing time. However, doing too much too soon will only cause delays. That’s why it’s so important to stick to the aftercare instructions provided – from getting plenty of rest to sticking to soft foods.
What’s the Difference Between Tooth Extractions and Wisdom Tooth Surgery?
As you may have guessed, one of the biggest differences is that wisdom tooth surgery is reserved for the third set of molars (which usually make an appearance between the ages of 16 and 25), and regular tooth extractions can be used for any teeth that need to be removed because they are decayed or causing problems, like overcrowding. The cost and the procedure can vary as well, so if you are interested in learning more about the differences, don’t hesitate to let us know. We’d be happy to provide further insight and answer any questions you have!
My Child Had a Tooth Extraction. Can The Space Be Left Empty?
Whether or not the space can be left empty following an extraction depends largely on one thing: why was the tooth removed? If it was removed due to overcrowding, then the space can be left empty. If it was removed because the tooth was badly decayed, on the other hand, then it will need to be replaced so the look, health, and function of your child’s smile aren’t compromised for long. Don’t worry – we will share our recommendations and review the treatment options at our office so you can make a decision on the best way to move forward with confidence.