Get Relief with Gentle Dental Extractions

There are times when patients might need dental extractions. These include the extraction of baby teeth and permanent adult teeth. Our Gentle Dentistry of Columbus team offers several extraction services for new and current patients.

What types of dental extractions are performed by our team at Gentle Dentistry of Columbus?

Drs. Devon Paris and Laura Watterson of Gentle Dentistry of Columbus in Columbus, Georgia, encourage patients to consider the following types of tooth removal that may be offered. These include:

  • Same-day tooth extraction. A tooth may require removal when significantly damaged or highly infected. We offer emergency dentistry solutions, including same-day tooth extractions.

What precautions should I take PRIOR to having a tooth taken out?

  • Take your normally prescribed medications as you have been instructed by your physician (see two types of exceptions below).
  • Make sure to eat something so you will not have an empty stomach after the tooth is pulled.
  • Go ahead and take either 800 mg Ibuprofen (Advil) or 1000 mg Acetaminophen (Tylenol) within one hour prior to the tooth removal appointment, so you already have pain medication in the system once numbing wears off.

I know you said to take your normally prescribed medications as you have been instructed by your physician, but what about blood thinners or osteoporosis drugs?

  • Blood thinners are a type of prescribed medication that has to be stopped PRIOR to having a tooth removed.  Stopping the blood thinner ensures that a clot can form in the tooth socket.  If a clot does not form or gets dislodged after forming, you can develop a dry socket.
  • BEFORE stopping the blood thinner, you will need to contact the Physician (MD) who prescribed you the medication to discuss the appropriate amount of days that you will need to stop taking the drug before the extraction.  He/She may require you to be off the drug after the extraction for a couple of day(s) too–this is all up to the Physician (MD) who initially prescribed the medication.
  • Osteoporosis drugs or injections are the other type of medication that is a concern when considering an extraction or removal of a tooth.  If this drug is not stopped far enough in advance, osteoradionecrosis can develop.  As such, this is a crucial drug/medication/injection to contact your Physician (MD) to determine for how long you need to stop prior to having a tooth extracted.
  • If you take or have been prescribed either of these two types of medications, please inform the front desk team and Drs. Devon Paris and Laura Watterson in person once in the office.  They may ask that you fill out an updated medical history form so that we have the correct information in your personal health information.

Replacement of missing or extracted teeth

In addition to offering extraction services, we also provide tooth replacement options that may be performed at the same time. These include the following solutions available:

  • Hybrid Dentures or Implant-supported Dentures/Partials.  Similar to a common denture in looks, but these replacement options are much more sturdy and allow patients to eat things like steak that with a traditional denture would be much more difficult.  This is where four to six implants are placed along the top or bottom jaw and then the denture is fixed to the implants with either screw or snap in appliances.  This fully stabilizes the denture or partial to allow for better function and to keep them from popping out of someone’s mouth.
  • Dentures. Partial dentures, full dentures, and implant-retained dentures are all ways for our patients to achieve a restored smile. This improves function and appearance as well. Partial dentures are removable and replace one or more teeth, full dentures are removable and replace all the teeth in the dental arch.
  • Dental bridges. Bridges are porcelain restorations that include false teeth connected to dental crowns to create a restoration that replaces just one or several teeth in a row. The crowns on each side are used to hold the bridge in place, utilizing the adjacent teeth.
  • Dental implants. The best solution for many of our patients is dental implants, which are titanium posts that replace the natural tooth root and can be covered with a crown, bridge, partial, or denture.

Call Gentle Dentistry of Columbus today!

Call (706) 321-4330 to request time to speak to Drs. Devon Paris and Laura Watterson about your need for dental extractions and tooth replacement. We are located at 1846 Warm Springs Road and serve patients in Phenix City, LaGrange, Fortson, Manchester, Smiths Station, and Hamilton.