Tooth extractions in Irving, TX

When a tooth needs to come out

We always look for a way to keep your natural tooth first. But sometimes a tooth extraction is the healthiest choice: a tooth broken below the gumline, decay too deep to restore, advanced gum disease that has loosened it, a severe infection, crowding, or a wisdom tooth that’s stuck or damaging its neighbor.

If a tooth could be saved with a root canal and crown, we’ll tell you, along with the cost of each path. Our article on root canal vs. extraction lays out the trade-offs. Dr. Chloe Kim, one of our general dentists, focuses much of her work on extractions and is known for her calm, hands-on approach and for explaining each step as she goes.

Signs you might need tooth extractions

• A tooth is broken below the gumline
• Decay or infection too severe to restore
• A tooth is loose from advanced gum disease
• Pain, swelling or a bad taste behind your last molar
• A wisdom tooth is partly erupted or growing sideways
• A baby tooth that hasn’t fallen out on time

Simple vs. surgical tooth extractions

A simple extraction is for a tooth that’s fully visible above the gum. After numbing, the tooth is gently loosened and lifted out. Most patients feel pressure, not pain, and the removal itself often takes just a few minutes.

A surgical extraction is for a tooth that’s broken at the gumline, has long or curved roots, or hasn’t fully come in, like many wisdom teeth. It may involve a small opening in the gum, removing a little bone, or dividing the tooth so it comes out in smaller pieces. Stitches are often placed. It sounds more dramatic than it feels, because you’re numb throughout, and we can review sedation options with your health history if you’re anxious.

When roots sit close to a nerve or the sinus, we take a 3D CBCT scan in our office to see exactly where they are. If a tooth’s position makes it safer for an oral surgeon to remove, we’ll tell you plainly and help with the referral.

Wisdom teeth: when to remove them

Wisdom teeth usually show up between the late teens and early twenties. Some come in straight and healthy and can stay. Others are impacted, meaning stuck under the gum or bone, come in at an angle, or break through only partway, which traps food and bacteria under a flap of gum.

Signs a wisdom tooth needs attention include pain or swelling at the back of the jaw, sore or bleeding gums behind the last molar, a bad taste, trouble opening wide, or a cavity in the wisdom tooth or the molar next to it. Removing problem wisdom teeth in early adulthood often means an easier recovery, since the roots are shorter and the bone is less dense. Our wisdom teeth guide goes deeper.

Recovery: what the first week looks like

Most people are sore for two to three days, with swelling that peaks around the second day and then fades. Plan an easy rest of the day. Many patients are back at work or school the next day after a simple extraction, and within a few days after wisdom teeth.

• First hour: bite firmly on gauze so a clot can form.
• First 24 hours: rest, ice your cheek 20 minutes on and 20 off, and don’t rinse, spit forcefully or use a straw.
• Days 1–3: soft foods like yogurt, eggs, mashed potatoes and lukewarm soup, and pain relievers as directed.
• After 24 hours: gentle warm saltwater rinses after meals, and normal brushing of your other teeth.
• Days 3–7: work back to regular foods, chewing on the other side.

How to prevent dry socket

Dry socket happens when the blood clot in the socket dissolves or gets dislodged before the area heals, leaving bone exposed. It’s uncommon after routine extractions, but more likely after lower wisdom teeth and in people who smoke. The telltale sign is pain that gets worse instead of better around day two to four, often spreading toward the ear, sometimes with a bad taste.

To protect the clot, skip straws, smoking and vaping for at least several days, don’t spit forcefully, keep crunchy foods away from the socket, and follow the rinse instructions we give you. If you think you have dry socket, call us. It’s very treatable, and a soothing medicated dressing usually brings relief quickly.

Replacing the tooth afterward

Unless it was a wisdom tooth, a missing tooth usually needs a plan. Neighboring teeth can drift into the gap, the opposing tooth can grow down into the space, and the jawbone where the tooth was starts to shrink. Your options include a dental implant, a dental bridge or a partial denture.

If an implant may be in your future, ask about socket preservation. We place bone graft material in the socket right after the extraction, which helps keep the ridge’s height and width for an implant a few months later. It adds little time to the appointment and can spare you a larger graft down the road.

What to expect, step by step

1. Exam and imaging

   We examine the tooth and take digital x-rays, plus a 3D CBCT scan for wisdom teeth or complex roots.

2. Options and estimate

   We explain whether the tooth can be saved, what removal involves and how you might replace it, with costs in writing.

3. Numbing and comfort

   We numb the area thoroughly and confirm it’s fully numb before we begin. Sedation options are reviewed with your health history.

4. Removal

   The tooth is gently loosened and removed, in sections if needed, and a graft or stitches are placed when appropriate.

5. Aftercare and follow-up

   You go home with gauze, written instructions and our number. Surgical extractions and grafts get a follow-up check.

Cost, insurance & financing

As a general guide before insurance, a simple extraction in the Dallas–Fort Worth area often falls in the $150–$400 range per tooth, while surgical extractions and impacted wisdom teeth commonly run about $300–$800 per tooth. A bone graft or sedation adds to the total.

Your exact cost depends on the tooth’s position and roots, whether it’s impacted, and whether you add a graft or sedation. We give you a written estimate before treatment. Most PPO plans cover part of the cost of extractions, and Texas Medicaid and CHIP cover necessary extractions for children 18 and under. See insurance and financing.