What is a bone graft and do I need one?

A small amount of bone material placed in the socket to preserve it for a future implant. Only if you are planning to replace the tooth that way.

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When a tooth has to go.

We save teeth whenever we can. When one is too damaged, infected or crowded to keep, we remove it gently, with numbing, and send you home knowing exactly what to do next.

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Numbed and gentle Usually one visit Replacement planned with you

Tooth Extractions at mend dental in Irvine, CA

Saving the tooth firstExtraction is the last option

When it is the right call

Four reasons a tooth cannot be saved.

We look for every way to keep a tooth first. These are the situations where removing it is the healthier choice.

Too broken or decayedNot enough healthy tooth left to hold a filling or crown.
Advanced gum diseaseThe bone around the tooth is gone and it has become loose.
A crack below the gumlineSome cracks cannot be sealed, and the tooth keeps getting infected.
Impacted wisdom teethA wisdom tooth stuck under the gum or growing sideways into its neighbor, causing pain, infection or damage.

How it goes

Numb, gentle, and over before you expect.

1Numb completelyTopical gel, then a slow injection. We check you are fully numb before anything else.
2Loosen and removeThe tooth is gently loosened and lifted out. Numb throughout.
3Protect the socketGauze, sometimes a small stitch, and a bone graft if you are planning an implant.
4Aftercare, written downWhat to eat, what to avoid, and a number to call if anything feels off.

Good to know

Healing is simpler than you think.

A few days of taking it easy is usually all it takes. We tell you what normal looks like.

Rest the first day. No straws, smoking or vigorous rinsing while the clot forms.
Soft foods for a few days. Soups, yogurt, eggs. Chew on the other side.
Some soreness and swelling is normal. Ibuprofen and a cold compress cover it.
We plan the replacement with you. An implant, bridge or nothing at all, depending on the tooth.

From our patients

Gentle extractions

Tooth Extractions questions, answered.

Not during. You are fully numb the whole time. Expect some soreness for a few days afterward, managed with over-the-counter pain relief.

Most people are back to normal routines the next day and eating normally within a week.

Often yes, especially a visible or chewing tooth, because neighbors drift and bone shrinks. Wisdom teeth are the common exception.

A small amount of bone material placed in the socket after the tooth comes out. It is recommended when you plan to replace the tooth with an implant, when an infection or gum disease has already thinned the bone, when the socket wall is damaged during removal, or when the tooth is in a visible area where the gum would otherwise sink in. Not everyone needs one. The doctor will look at your bone on the X-ray and recommend a graft only when it protects your options.

Most PPO plans cover extractions. We verify your benefits and quote the cost before your visit.

Not sure the tooth can be saved? Let us look first.

An exam and X-ray, an honest recommendation, and a plan you understand.

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