White Plains Extractions For Kids

At Miles of Little Smiles, Dr. Mila Belgrade and Dr. Dee Chazbani will always do their best to preserve your child’s smile and protect their teeth. But in some cases, tooth extraction may be the only option for treating a damaged or decayed tooth to reduce their pain and discomfort, or may be required to preserve their overall oral health.

We specialize in pain-free, gentle extractions in Westchester and White Plains. Dr. Mila and Dr. Dee have years of experience treating kids of all ages, so you can trust us to take great care of your little one. Learn more below, or contact us now to get the care you need for your child.

Why Would My Child Need A Tooth Extraction?

The most common reason that kids need a tooth extraction is dental trauma due to an oral injury. If their tooth is severely broken or damaged, it may not be possible to repair it with pulpotomy and a dental crown, and it may need to be extracted to prevent further complications. Then, your child will need a space maintainer to keep their teeth in the proper position after losing their baby tooth. 

In some cases, tooth decay in a baby or adult tooth can be severe enough to require a tooth extraction. If a pulpotomy or a root canal fails, the tooth will need to be extracted to keep your child’s mouth healthy.

Occasionally, kids may also need tooth extractions due to orthodontic problems. If their teeth are very crowded and they have a narrow palate, for example, one or more baby or adult teeth may need to be extracted to prepare for further orthodontic treatment. 

The Extraction Process in White Plains

The process of extracting your child’s tooth is very straightforward and simple, and it only takes a few minutes per tooth. To begin, Dr. Belgrade will clean your child’s mouth and thoroughly numb the treatment area to ensure they do not feel any discomfort during the process.

Then, she will use a tool called a “dental elevator” to gently wiggle the tooth until it’s loosened in the socket. Once the tooth is loose and ready to be pulled, she will use dental forceps to grab it by the root and extract it from the socket. Then, the area will be cleaned and sutured to promote healing. This process will be repeated in our White Plains office for each tooth that needs to be pulled.

What If My Child Is Nervous About Their Procedure?

We completely understand that your child may feel nervous about their procedure. That’s why we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation for kids of every age. This method of sedation is gentle and is delivered through a nose mask, so there are no pills or needles involved.

Your child will simply breathe deeply when told to do so by Dr. Belgrade, and inhale a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen. This gas will make them feel more disconnected from what’s happening around them. They may even find the process to be funny and giggle, hence the term “laughing gas.”

Even if your child is very nervous about their procedure at our White Plains practice, sedation with laughing gas can help them feel comfortable, avoid pain and discomfort, and get through the process without feeling scared and anxious. We also offer deeper levels of sedation, including oral conscious sedation and IV sedation. Contact us now to schedule a consultation for your child, and get started.

How Long Does A Tooth Extraction Take To Heal?

How long it takes to heal from an extraction depends on a few factors, like the type of extraction, the location of the tooth, and whether or not the tooth is a molar. There are two main types of extractions. 

There’s a basic extraction, which means that a tooth that has fully erupted from the gums is removed nonsurgically. Then, there’s a surgical extraction, which is when an incision needs to be made to access a tooth that is impacted in the gums. 

Sometimes, additional bone tissue needs to be removed too. A basic extraction takes less time to heal so you can expect about 3 to 4 weeks of recovery time. Surgical extractions, because they involve healing not only from the removal of the tooth but also the incision into the gums, your recovery may take a little longer than a month.

You must rest for the first 24 hours, but preferably for the first 3 days, you should avoid strenuous activity. Healing from extraction is all dependent on forming a blood clot at the extraction site and avoiding dislodging it. Follow your aftercare instructions to prevent complications like dry socket.

What Can My Child Eat After An Extraction?

Make sure that your child doesn’t eat or consume hot liquids until their mouth is no longer numb. This is to prevent accidental injury. Once the anesthetic has fully worn off, they can eat soft foods but should steer clear of hot foods and drinks for the first 24 hours. 

Make sure that your child doesn’t drink through a straw for the first 24 hours, because they need to avoid all forms of suction. Your child will need to avoid hard, crunchy, and sticky foods for the first week. Stick to soft foods like mashed potatoes, apple sauce, pasta, and yogurt. 

If you need to chew, try to do so on the other side of your mouth to avoid irritation and getting food particles in the extraction socket. Avoid giving your child spicy foods for the first 24 hours.

Will My Child Need A Space Maintainer?

This depends on what type of tooth was lost and when it was lost. Permanent teeth do not require space maintainers, but they will need a tooth replacement in the form of a dental bridge, implant, or partial denture. The only exception to this is wisdom teeth, which do not need to be replaced.

Space maintainers are used when primary teeth are lost prematurely. Even though primary teeth are supposed to fall out on their own anyway, they must do so on an appropriate schedule. 

Sometimes children lose a tooth too soon because of tooth decay or dental trauma. The problem here is that this tooth serves an important purpose – to maintain space in the mouth for the eventual eruption of the permanent tooth. 

Without a space maintainer, the surrounding teeth will shift and lean into the space where the tooth used to be. This can cause orthodontic issues and worst of all, block the eruption of the permanent tooth. 

A space maintainer is a stainless steel oral appliance that is placed around an abutment tooth and holds open the space where the previous tooth was to prevent these consequences. Then, it’s removed when the permanent tooth is due to erupt. 

Some primary teeth don’t require a space maintainer, such as the front four teeth, because the space will stay open on its own. If your child needs an extraction, contact us at Miles of Little Smiles today to schedule a consultation in White Plains or Westchester with Dr. Mila Belgrade.