Extractions in Castle Rock, CO

If decay has reached too deeply into one of your teeth or if an infection has damaged too much of the supporting bone or tissue, you will need a tooth extraction, and at Prairie Hawk Dental, Dr. Aaron Goodman can perform one to help you restore your oral health in Castle Rock, CO.

   

Before the procedure is performed, a local anesthetic is used to numb the area around the extraction site. If it is a simple extraction, the tooth will be loosened with an elevator and then extracted with forceps. Dr. Goodman may choose to smooth and contour the underlying bone afterward, and once he is finished, he will possibly suture the gums.

After the extraction, it is critical to keep the area clean to prevent infection. A dry, sterile gauze will be placed over the gums to limit bleeding. You must make sure to keep it in place for 30 to 45 minutes while the blood clots. During the 24 hours after the procedure, you should not smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously or clean the teeth immediately adjacent to the extraction site. Strenuous activity, hot liquids and straw drinking should also be avoided. A certain amount of pain and discomfort accompanies an extraction, so a painkiller may be prescribed.

If you are suffering pain from decay, infection or impaction, the dentist can determine if a tooth extraction is required to save your smile. Schedule an appointment at our practice in Castle Rock, CO by calling 720-515-1801. For more information, please visit www.prairiehawkdental.com.

Bridges

If you’ve had a tooth extracted due to damage, decay or disease, it is important to fill the resulting gap with a tooth restoration. Besides improving the appearance of your smile, restorations can keep your remaining teeth from shifting out of place and becoming more susceptible to disease and decay. One effective restoration used in Castle Rock, CO is the dental bridge, which Dr. Aaron Goodman uses to help keep his patients’ smiles beautiful and functional. 

Called a bridge because it literally creates a bridge to cross the area where your tooth is missing, this prosthetic tooth replacement is usually made from gold, metal, alloys or porcelain to ensure a strong and durable smile that can last more than a decade if properly cared for.

The process of creating a bridge takes two visits to our office. In the first, Dr. Aaron Goodman will create abutments out of the existing teeth on both sides of your missing tooth. This is where the bridge will be attached. After the abutments are in place, a mold is made of your mouth for creating the bridge, which will fit and feel as close to your natural teeth as possible. The bridge will consist of two crowns, which will be fixed to the abutments, and a pontic, which is the prosthetic that will replace your missing tooth. We provide you with a temporary bridge while your permanent one is crafted in the lab. On the second visit, the permanent bridge will then be fixed to the abutments with an adhesive.

For more information, call our office in Castle Rock, CO by calling 720-515-1801. You can also visit www.prairiehawkdental.com.

Do You Need Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Your last set of molars to emerge are your wisdom teeth, and they usually come in when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Because these teeth often become impacted, which means they come in at an angle rather than straight through the gums, it is often necessary for them to be removed before they cause pain or crowd your other teeth. At our office in Castle Rock, CO, Dr. Aaron Goodman can determine if your wisdom teeth need to be removed and extract them if they do.

If a wisdom tooth is impacted and can only emerge partially, it is possible for an operculum to form over the tooth. This flap of skin makes the molar extremely hard to clean, which means you are susceptible to an infection called pericoronitis.

When a wisdom tooth is in danger of causing such problems, Dr. Goodman extracts the tooth. Many times all four are removed at once. This is done either by using a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate the patient. It depends on the preference of the doctor and patient, as well as how far the wisdom tooth has emerged. After an anesthetic is applied, the gum tissue over the wisdom tooth is cut and the tooth is loosened and pulled out. If necessary, the gums will be sutured.

After surgery, rest is required. You will also need to change the gauze applied to the incision every couple hours.

To see if your wisdom teeth may need to be removed, schedule an appointment with Prairie Hawk Dental, call 720-515-1801. For more information, visit www.PrairieHawkDental.com.

Bridges

If you have had a tooth extracted due to damage, decay or disease, it is important to have the resulting gap filled or your remaining teeth can shift out of position. When this happens, your teeth become more susceptible to disease and decay. At Prairie Hawk Dental, we can help keep your smile beautiful and functional with dental bridges.

 

Called a bridge because it literally creates a bridge to cross the area where your tooth is missing, this prosthetic tooth replacement is usually made from gold, metal, alloys or porcelain to ensure a strong and durable smile that can last more than a decade if properly cared for.

 

The process of creating a bridge takes two visits to our office. In the first, Dr. Aaron Goodman will create abutments out of the existing teeth on both sides of your missing tooth. This is where the bridge will be attached. After the abutments are in place, a mold is made of your mouth for creating the bridge, which will fit and feel as close to your natural teeth as possible. The bridge will consist of two crowns, which will be fixed to the abutments, and a pontic, which is the prosthetic that will replace your missing tooth. We provide you with a temporary bridge while your permanent one is crafted in the lab. On the second visit, the permanent bridge will then be fixed to the abutments with an adhesive.

 

For more information, call our office in Castle Rock, CO by calling 720-515-1801. You can also visit www.PHawkDental.com.