Keeping You Comfortable During Extraction
We understand that wisdom tooth extractions and dental surgery can be a source of anxiety for many patients. That’s why our Moore County dental office offers a variety of methods to keep you relaxed and at ease throughout your visit.
Comfort Options We Provide:
- Oral Sedation: Helps reduce anxiety while keeping you conscious and responsive.
- NuCalm™: A drug-free relaxation method that uses neuroscience to calm your mind and body, creating a meditative-like state.
- IV Sedation: This is for patients needing a deeper level of relaxation. It is administered by Dr. Kuhn, and vital signs are monitored throughout the procedure.
- Oral Sedation: Helps reduce anxiety while keeping you conscious and responsive.
- IV Sedation: This is for patients needing a deeper level of relaxation. It is administered by Dr. Kuhn, and vital signs are monitored throughout the procedure.
- NuCalm™: A drug-free relaxation method that uses neuroscience to calm your mind and body, creating a meditative-like state.
To enhance your comfort further, we also provide warm blankets, noise-canceling headphones, and lavender-scented towels. Your well-being is our top priority at every step of your care.
Understanding Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the final set of molars that typically emerge in your late teens or early twenties. While they once served as replacement teeth for our ancestors, who experienced significant wear and loss of teeth, they are often unnecessary today.
Potential Issues Caused by Wisdom Teeth:
- Crowding: Limited space in the jaw can cause wisdom teeth to push against neighboring teeth.
- Decay: Their hard-to-reach position makes cleaning difficult, increasing the risk of cavities.
- Infection: Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to painful infections in the surrounding gums.
- Tooth Loss: Neglected issues with wisdom teeth can jeopardize the health of adjacent teeth.
- Crowding: Limited space in the jaw can cause wisdom teeth to push against neighboring teeth.
- Decay: Their hard-to-reach position makes cleaning difficult, increasing the risk of cavities.
- Infection: Impacted wisdom teeth can lead to painful infections in the surrounding gums.
- Tooth Loss: Neglected issues with wisdom teeth can jeopardize the health of adjacent teeth.
Not everyone needs their wisdom teeth removed, but a thorough assessment of your teeth and jaw can help determine if extraction is the best course of action.
Preserving Sockets with Bone Grafts
When a tooth is extracted, an empty socket is left in the jawbone. This can lead to bone loss, which affects oral health and complicates future dental restorations.
Socket Preservation Explained
To address this, we perform a socket preservation procedure during extraction. The empty socket is filled with a bone grafting material, known as Allograft, which helps:
- Minimize bone loss.
- Reduce bleeding.
- Accelerate the healing process.
- Minimize bone loss.
- Reduce bleeding.
- Accelerate the healing process.
This procedure is also beneficial for patients planning to replace the extracted tooth with a dental implant, as it creates a solid foundation for the implant to bond with the jawbone.
Preparing for Dental Implants
Dental implants are an excellent solution for replacing missing teeth, offering stability and a natural appearance. If you’re considering an implant after tooth extraction, socket preservation plays a crucial role in the process.
Immediate Implant Placement
In many cases, our dental implant specialist can place your restorations immediately after the tooth extraction. The bone graft material stimulates bone regeneration, providing the support needed for the implant post. This seamless approach reduces treatment time and ensures optimal results.
Alveoplasty: Smoothing the Jawbone for Dentures
When teeth are lost due to injury or extraction, the jawbone often develops high and low points, creating an uneven surface. This can make wearing dentures uncomfortable, as the high points may rub against the gums.
How Alveoplasty Helps
Alveoplasty is a surgical procedure designed to smooth the jawbone, creating a flat, even surface for dentures to fit comfortably. Additional benefits of alveoplasty include:
- Controlling bleeding.
- Accelerating healing by suturing the gums post-procedure.
- Preventing future irritation caused by uneven bone ridges.
- Controlling bleeding.
- Accelerating healing by suturing the gums post-procedure.
- Preventing future irritation caused by uneven bone ridges.
To further aid healing and reduce the risk of infection, we may use Arestin®, a time-released antibiotic therapy.
$99 New Patient Special
If you suspect you might need a dental extraction, we encourage you to schedule a consultation. Our new patient special, for just $99, includes a comprehensive exam, X-rays, and a personalized consultation.
What’s Included in the $99 Offer:
- Oral cancer screening.
- Periodontal exam.
- Restorative exam to check existing crowns, fillings, and bridges.
- Bite alignment and TMJ evaluation.
- A detailed discussion to answer all your questions.
- Comprehensive oral exam.
- 3D dental CT scan.
- Full-mouth digital X-rays.
- A complete series of digital photos.
- CT scan of the head and airway.
- Extraoral head and neck exam.
- Comprehensive oral exam.
- 3D dental CT scan.
- Full-mouth digital X-rays.
- A complete series of digital photos.
- CT scan of the head and airway.
- Extraoral head and neck exam.
- Oral cancer screening.
- Periodontal exam.
- Restorative exam to check existing crowns, fillings, and bridges.
- Bite alignment and TMJ evaluation.
- A detailed discussion to answer all your questions.
This thorough examination ensures we can recommend the best treatment options for your needs.
When to Consider Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Wisdom tooth extraction is often recommended in cases where the teeth are impacted, causing discomfort, or posing risks to your oral health. Some common signs that extraction may be necessary include:
- Persistent pain or swelling in the back of your mouth.
- Difficulty opening your jaw or chewing.
- Red or inflamed gums around the wisdom teeth.
- Crowding of other teeth.
- Persistent pain or swelling in the back of your mouth.
- Red or inflamed gums around the wisdom teeth.
- Difficulty opening your jaw or chewing.
- Crowding of other teeth.
Early evaluation and treatment can prevent these issues from escalating, helping you maintain a healthier smile.
Schedule Your Wisdom Tooth Consultation Today
If you’re experiencing discomfort or believe you may need a wisdom tooth extraction, our team is here to help. With a minimally invasive approach and a focus on your comfort, we’ll ensure a smooth and stress-free experience.
Call us at (910) 692-4450 to let us help you protect your oral health and enjoy a pain-free smile.
