Tooth Extractions – Homer Glen, IL
Removing Severely Damaged Teeth & Restoring Your Smile’s Health
While Dr. Alan DeAngelo does everything he can to save teeth, there are certain situations in which it may be best for your oral health to extract a tooth that has been severely damaged or is causing pain. Fortunately, even if you require this treatment, we offer lifelike dental implants that can replace one or more teeth, all while maintaining the natural function and appearance of your smile. To learn more about tooth extractions in Homer Glen, call our office today!
Why Choose DeAngelo Dental of Homer Glen for Tooth Extractions?
- Free Dental Implant Consultations
- Advanced Diagnostic Dental Technology
- Dentist Recognized as Top Doc Chicago
Why are Tooth Extractions Necessary?
While tooth extractions are generally our last recommendation when it comes to ensuring the health of your smile, we often recommend them when:
- A tooth is severely infected beyond what could be treated with root canal therapy.
- A tooth is cracked or damaged and can’t be repaired.
- The supportive bone and gum tissue around a tooth has been severely deteriorated as a result of gum disease.
- A tooth needs to be removed to make enough room in your mouth to undergo orthodontic treatment and correct crowding.
- A cavity has damaged a tooth beyond what could be repaired with a filling.
The Process of Removing a Tooth
Dr. DeAngelo provides comfortable, streamlined simple tooth extractions on teeth that are located above the gumline. He’ll use an instrument called an elevator to gently lift the affected tooth out of the socket and grasp it with a pair of dental forceps. He’ll carefully wiggle the forceps to help the tooth disconnect from any tissues so it can easily slip out of the socket. Before we conduct this treatment, if necessary, we’ll inject a local anesthetic into the area to completely numb it so you don’t feel any pain.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
We’ll provide you a detailed outline of aftercare instructions before your treatment to ensure that you make a speedy and complication-free recovery. Some of these guidelines include:
- Avoid spitting, drinking through a straw, and using tobacco products for at least the first 48 hours. These could lead to dry socket by dislodging the blood clot, causing pain.
- Maintain a soft diet, eating foods like soup, mashed potatoes, Jello, and yogurt.
- Take any prescribed or recommended over-the-counter medications to control your discomfort following your treatment.
- Keep your head elevated while you sleep to minimize swelling.
Understanding the Cost of Tooth Extractions
At DeAngelo Dental of Homer Glen, we recognize the financial investment that is required for extensive dental treatment. When it comes to the cost of tooth extractions in Homer Glen, the price might be out of your range if you were to pay up front and out of pocket. However, we will review your dental insurance plan and identify ways to get the most out of your benefits so that your out-of-pocket costs remain lower. In the meantime, here are a few additional insights to help you understand why the treatment estimate looks the way it does.
Factors That Can Affect Tooth Extraction Cost
When configuring the cost of your tooth extraction, Dr. DeAngelo and our team will need to consider the following factors:
- How well do you maintain your oral health
- If you require additional services to improve the state of your oral health (i.e., gum disease treatment, bone grafting, etc.)
- The type of tooth being removed and its location
- Whether you require a simple or surgical procedure
Once we have the answers we need, our team can build a treatment plan and cost estimate for you to review. This will give you a clear idea of what we must do and how much you can prepare to budget for your upcoming procedure.
Does Dental Insurance Cover Tooth Extractions?
You will need to review your dental insurance plan or have a member of our team assist you in determining how much your dental insurance company will pay. In most cases, insurance companies will agree to pay around 50%; however, some will cover up to 80% depending on the complexity of the tooth removal.
You can count on our team to be here to work on your behalf, if necessary, to ensure you access the maximum benefits of your plan.
How to Make Tooth Extractions Affordable
If you need help covering the out-of-pocket expenses associated with your tooth extraction, do not worry. Dr. DeAngelo is here to offer an affordable way for you to pay off your bill over time, rather than all at once. With flexible financing through CareCredit, you can choose a plan that aligns with your budget and payback timeframe. It works similarly to a credit card, allowing you to make affordable payments over time.
There are no prepayment penalties or surprise fees so that you can worry less about the financial aspects of your treatment.
Tooth Extractions FAQs
How Soon Can I Eat After My Tooth Extraction?
It’s important that you wait at least an hour. However, you may need to wait longer if the numbing agent doesn’t wear off by then. After all, the last thing you want is to accidentally bite down hard on your tongue, your lips, or the insides of your cheeks, resulting in a serious soft tissue injury.
Important reminder: Even after you do get the green light to eat something, you need to stick to a liquid diet (without using a straw). After 24 hours, you can progress to extremely soft foods, like plain yogurt, applesauce, and pudding. Around the 5-day mark, you should be able to eat more substantial foods, but you should progress only as you feel comfortable.
What Can I Do to Speed Up the Healing Time?
Following your tooth extraction in Homer Glen, you might be tempted to get back to your usual routine right away. However, doing so can lead to several issues, including delayed healing. So, it’s extremely important that you follow the aftercare instructions that we provide you with to a tee, from using a cold compress for 10 minutes at a time to keeping your head elevated while you sleep.
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
If you need to have a tooth extracted, but you’re worried that the procedure will hurt, you’ll be happy to hear that the first step of the entire process is to numb your mouth. That way, you don’t feel any pain as we work to remove the tooth or teeth in question. We will also provide you with a detailed list of aftercare instructions to ensure you are as comfortable as possible during the healing period, like taking OTC pain medication as directed.
What Are My Options for Replacing a Missing Tooth?
Good news: we offer three durable and lifelike tooth-replacement solutions at our office: dental bridges, dentures, and dental implants. The one that’s best for you will depend on several factors, including how many teeth you are missing. Rest assured, we will discuss the pros of each during your consultation. Not only that, but we will share our recommendations and provide you with an estimate of the cost to help you decide which one is best for you.
How Should I Prepare for My Tooth Extraction?
There are a few ways you can prepare for the procedure, including:
- Arranging for an adult that you know and trust to drive you to and from our office
- Picking up anything you need for the recovery period ahead of time, including soft foods
- Not smoking or drinking alcohol
- Getting a good night’s sleep the night before
- Choosing something comfortable to wear
- Fasting the morning of (unless instructed otherwise)
As always, if you have any questions for us, including what you should and shouldn’t do in the weeks leading up to your appointment, don’t hesitate to give us a call.