Tooth removal
Tooth removal and bone grafts
A tooth is taken out when it is too damaged, infected or crowded to keep, and the socket can be rebuilt with a bone graft if an implant may follow.
Many removals are simple and your dentist does them. We see the harder ones: a broken tooth, a tooth with curved roots, or a tooth next to a nerve or sinus. If an implant is likely, a graft placed at the same visit helps keep the bone.
Broken, infected or crowded teeth
Bone grafts to prepare for an implant
A note back to your dentist
What happens, and how many visits
Usually one consult, one procedure visit and a short check if Dr. Elgendy wants one.
- Visit one
Step 1: Consult and scan
She looks at the tooth and a scan, and tells you whether the tooth can be saved. If it can, she sends you back to your dentist.
- Visit two
Step 2: Removal
The tooth is taken out under numbing, with nitrous oxide or IV sedation if you chose it.
- Same visit
Step 3: Bone graft, if planned
Graft material is placed in the socket and covered. It is done in the same visit.
- A few days
Step 4: Healing
Soft food, rest and gentle cleaning for a few days. A follow-up if she wants to check the site.
Comfort, risks and cost
Comfort
Numbing first, and sedation if you want more. You can ask for a break at any time.
SedationAlternatives, and waiting
A root canal or a crown can sometimes save a tooth, and your dentist can tell you if it applies. Waiting with an infected tooth can let the infection spread.
Risks and after-care
Bleeding, infection, dry socket and, rarely, numbness. A graft may not take. Soft food, no straws and no smoking while the site heals.
Who does what
We remove the tooth and place any graft. Your dentist handles the replacement.
Same-day problems
If you have swelling, a fever or bleeding that will not slow down, see the urgent visits page.
Urgent visitsHow it is billed
We bill your dental plan, your medical plan or you, whichever applies, and give a written estimate first. We never list a price on this site; the estimate is yours to keep.
How fees work
Questions about tooth removal
Will I need a bone graft?
Only if she plans an implant or the scan shows the socket needs support. She tells you before the day.
Can I go back to work the next day?
It depends on the tooth and the sedation. We tell you at the consult, and you will not be able to drive after sedation.
What can I eat afterward?
Soft, cool foods for the first days, then what feels comfortable. Written instructions come home with you.
Provided by Dr. Maha Elgendy, DDS
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon: hospital residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery, certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The owner confirms each credential.