Dental Extractions on UWS of NYC

Upper West Side Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery provides services for dental extractions on the Upper West Side in New York, NY. Call 212-466-6984 to learn more and schedule your appointment.

Dental damage and crowding are two of the most common reasons patients need tooth extractions. When a tooth is so damaged that restorative dentistry cannot be used to save it, it must be extracted in order to restore oral health and function. If you have crowding, you may need to have one or more teeth extracted to make room to accommodate movement during orthodontic treatment. No matter the reason for your tooth extraction, the method and recovery is the same.

Dental extraction is a simple procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis at our clinic. During the extraction, we may use a combination of local anesthesia with nitrous oxide sedation or IV sedation, depending on the complexity of your case and your comfort level. Even if you choose to remain awake during your procedure, you will not feel any pain while Dr. Park works, although you may feel sensations of movement and pulling.

We use a tool called an elevator to loosen the affected tooth, then Dr. Park extracts it with forceps. He will suture your gums to seal the socket, if necessary. If a tooth is impacted, Dr. Park will need to extract it surgically by making an incision in your gums and possibly removing a small piece of bone to provide access to the tooth. Surgical extractions are usually performed under IV sedation.

In the days and weeks following your dental extraction, our goals are to prevent dry socket and infection, and to keep you comfortable as you heal. You can minimize the risk of complications by following our aftercare instructions.

A blood clot forms in the socket where your tooth was extracted, which protects the jawbone and prevents bleeding. If this clot either does not form or becomes dislodged, the jawbone will be exposed. This is known as dry socket. Dr. Park will place gauze on the surgical site to prevent dry socket and ask you to bite down on it to promote clot formation. Do not use straws or smoke for a full day following your operation, as this can dislodge the blood clot.

Call us immediately if you have symptoms of an infection, such as fever or chills, a foul odor or drainage coming from the extraction site, and unusual bleeding or swelling.

During your tooth extraction procedure, the tooth and tissue surrounding it will be numbed with local anesthesia, so you will not experience any pain. After the local anesthesia wears off in the hours after your surgery, you will experience some tenderness and swelling at the site.

If you opt to use nitrous oxide sedation, or no sedation at all, you will be able to drive yourself home after your tooth extraction.

Not all tooth extractions require stitches. If the opening left behind is large, Dr. Park may choose to close it with sutures.

Antibiotics aren’t usually needed after a tooth extraction. If you have a medical condition that increases your infection risk, you may be prescribed a course of antibiotics after your dental extraction as a preventive measure.

We don’t advise getting a tooth extracted without anesthesia; doing so would mean that you’d feel your tooth being removed, which would be painful.

Call 212-466-6984 to schedule a tooth extraction on the Upper West Side.