Emergencies or severe tooth abscesses may lead to hospitalization if care is not accessed right away. Tooth extractions are done differently here. Instead of pulling teeth, Dr. Christine Wang prefers to call it “hugging” them. Children’s sedation options available.
At Redmond Ridge Pediatric Dentistry, we do not do tooth extractions — we “hug” them! At least, that’s what we call it when we talk to your child!
When Do Teeth Need To Be Pulled?
Some of the reasons why a tooth may need to be pulled include:
- Orthodontic reasons
- Severe tooth decay
- Dental abscesses or dental infection
- Dental pain
- Dental trauma
- Over-retained baby tooth that blocks adult tooth from coming in properly
Since It Is A Baby Tooth, Can We Just Pull It?
One of the most common things we hear from parents who have just learned that their child has a bad cavity is, “It will just fall out anyway. Why not just pull it?”
Although this is a common preconceived notion for many parents, it is not completely accurate. A baby tooth is not just a baby tooth! It is critical in maintaining chewing function and occlusion (the way upper teeth and lower teeth bite together). Most importantly, baby teeth play a vital role when it comes to the eruption patterns and location of their adult replacement teeth. Losing a baby tooth too early could cause the other teeth to drift out of place. This can cause the adult tooth underneath to become impacted or erupt at an undesirable angle.
When possible, our dentist will want to make every effort to preserve your child’s tooth with a filling, crown or pulp therapy until it is the natural time for the tooth to fall out.
Sleepy Juice to Help During Tooth Extractions
When we numb a tooth before “hugging” it, we tell your child that we are giving the tooth “sleepy juice.” Sleepy juice makes the tooth go to sleep while we remove it. Dr. Christine is also an expert at distracting children with storytelling to keep their mind off of what is going on!
It is important to place a spacer after a tooth is pulled. This ensures that there is enough room for the adult tooth to erupt properly.
If you think your child may need to have a tooth pulled or simply want a second opinion, call Redmond Ridge Pediatric Dentistry at 425-284-9884 to schedule a no-fuss and family-friendly exam!