Will an Emergency Dentist Near Me Pull My Tooth?

Some people hesitate to see a nearby emergency dentist because they assume our first solution will be to pull your tooth. In reality, our work is focused on saving your natural teeth, with tooth extraction being one of our last resorts. That said, the following are some of the scenarios in which the team at Old Greenwich Dental Center may need to pull your tooth. 

What Is a Dental Emergency?

Any situation where you’re experiencing pain, swelling, or bleeding in your mouth could be a reason to see an emergency dentist. Some specific reasons are cracked teeth, loose fillings, crowns, or implants, abscesses, and loss of a tooth. 

When Will an Emergency Dentist Pull a Tooth?

An emergency dentist will only pull your tooth when all other options have been exhausted and it is deemed necessary for your overall health. Below are some of those situations.

Severe Tooth Decay

If we discover that the tooth that’s bothering you is decayed, we’ll first consider a dental filling or root canal. However, if you’re in enough pain to see an emergency dentist, it’s possible the decay is too significant. To prevent the decay from spreading, we’ll remove the tooth. 

Infection and Abscesses

Cavities and cracks can allow bacteria to get into your tooth, causing infection. Signs include pain, swelling, and redness around the tooth. Tooth infections can put your overall health in jeopardy, so we may extract the infected tooth to prevent complications. 

Similarly, some infections cause abscesses, which are pockets of pus. If you have an abscessed tooth, we can relieve your pain with an extraction. 

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

If you put off getting your wisdom teeth removed, and they are impacted—unable to emerge correctly into your mouth—we may need to do an emergency extraction. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause inflammation and, eventually, infection. They can even crack nearby teeth. Our Greenwich, CT, dentists can remove them to prevent further complications.

Trauma or Injury

One of the most common reasons to see an emergency dentist near you is if you severely damaged or knocked out a tooth due to an accident or injury, such as from sports. In these cases, we will only pull a tooth if it’s too damaged to save, like if it’s cracked into several pieces or if part of the tooth is gone. 

What Are the Steps for an Emergency Tooth Extraction?

We’ll first administer a local anesthetic to numb the area and prevent any pain or discomfort during the procedure. Once the area is numb, we carefully remove the tooth. You may feel some pressure but should not feel any pain.

After the extraction, we’ll provide you with aftercare instructions to promote healing, prevent any complications, and help you feel comfortable. We’ll let you know what foods and activities to avoid, how often to take pain medication, and ways to keep the extraction site clean.

We Protect Your Oral Health, Whatever It Takes

At Old Greenwich Dental Center, we work hard to preserve your smile as is. However, if a problem with a tooth poses a danger to your other teeth or your overall health, we are prepared to pull it. As top-rated emergency dentists near you, you can trust our professional judgment on your dental health and well-being. Contact us immediately if you’re experiencing an emergency.