Reviewed by Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS — South Florida Smile Spa, Pompano Beach, FL
A tooth extraction in Pompano Beach at South Florida Smile Spa is a last resort, not a first one. Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS looks for a way to save a tooth before recommending that it come out, and when removal is the right call, the visit is planned around comfort: local anesthesia that is given time to work, nitrous oxide or IV sedation if you want it, and a clear plan for what replaces the tooth so a gap does not become the next problem.
Quick answer
A tooth is extracted when it can no longer be saved: decay or a fracture that reaches below the gum line, an infection that root canal treatment cannot resolve, advanced gum disease that has loosened the tooth, or an impacted wisdom tooth. A simple extraction of a tooth that is fully through the gum takes about 20 to 40 minutes under local anesthesia and most people are back to normal activity the next day. Surgical extractions, including impacted wisdom teeth, take longer and heal over about a week. At South Florida Smile Spa in Pompano Beach, extractions are performed by our periodontist on scheduled surgery days, nitrous oxide, oral sedation and IV sedation are available, and the plan for replacing the tooth is discussed before it is removed.
Tooth Extractions
When a tooth actually needs to come out
Most painful teeth do not need to be extracted. A deep cavity can usually be restored, an infected nerve can usually be treated with root canal treatment, and a cracked tooth can often be crowned. Dr. Berger recommends removal only when keeping the tooth would cost more in bone, comfort or money than replacing it. The usual reasons are:
- Decay or a fracture below the gum line, where there is not enough sound tooth left to hold a crown.
- Infection that root canal treatment cannot clear, or a tooth that has already had a root canal and has become reinfected or split. Dr. Berger has written about how a dental abscess progresses from a treatable problem to an extraction when it is left.
- Advanced gum disease that has destroyed enough bone that the tooth is loose and cannot be stabilized. See periodontal treatment.
- Impacted or partially erupted wisdom teeth that are causing pain, repeated infection, or damage to the tooth in front of them.
- Planned removal as part of a larger plan: making room before orthodontics, or clearing failing teeth before a dental implant, an All-on-4 arch, or a denture.
Simple vs. surgical extraction
| Simple extraction | Surgical extraction | |
|---|---|---|
| When it applies | The tooth is fully through the gum and can be gripped | The tooth is impacted, broken at the gum line, has curved roots, or is a wisdom tooth still under the gum |
| What is done | The area is numbed, the tooth is loosened in its socket with an elevator and lifted out with forceps | A small opening is made in the gum, sometimes a little bone is removed or the tooth is divided, then the pieces are lifted out and the site is stitched |
| Anesthesia | Local anesthetic; nitrous oxide if you want it | Local anesthetic, usually with nitrous oxide, oral sedation or IV sedation |
| Appointment | About 20 to 40 minutes | About 45 to 90 minutes depending on the number of teeth |
| Recovery | Tender for a day or two; normal activity the next day | Swelling peaks at 48 to 72 hours; soft diet for several days; stitches dissolve or are removed in about a week |
| Who performs it | Our periodontist at South Florida Smile Spa | Our periodontist at South Florida Smile Spa, working from the CBCT scan when grafting or implants are planned |
Comfort First
What a tooth extraction in Pompano Beach is like at our office
The part most people dread is pressure, not pain. Once the tooth is fully numb you should feel pushing and movement but nothing sharp; if you do, we stop and add more anesthetic. The steps are the same every time:
- Exam and X-ray. We confirm the tooth cannot be saved, check root shape and the position of nerves and sinuses, and review your medical history and medications. For complex cases a 3D CBCT scan is taken.
- Your comfort plan. Local anesthetic alone, nitrous oxide you breathe through a nose piece and that wears off in minutes, a sedative pill taken beforehand, or IV sedation given by Dr. Berger, who holds a Florida conscious sedation permit. Anxious patients and anyone having several teeth out usually choose IV.
- The extraction. Our periodontist loosens and lifts the tooth out. If a surgical approach is needed, the site is cleaned and closed with stitches.
- Protecting the socket. Gauze is placed to form the blood clot that starts healing. If an implant is planned, a bone graft is often placed in the socket at the same visit so the ridge keeps its shape. See bone grafting.
- Written aftercare and a follow-up. You leave with instructions, a number to call, and a plan for the replacement tooth.
Aftercare: the first 72 hours decide how well you heal
Healing depends on the blood clot that forms in the socket. Almost every complication after an extraction comes from that clot being disturbed, so the instructions are simple and worth following exactly.
- First hour: bite firmly on the gauze. Change it if it soaks through; a little oozing for the rest of the day is normal.
- First 24 hours: no straws, no spitting, no vigorous rinsing, no smoking or vaping, no alcohol, no hot drinks. All of them can pull the clot out.
- Swelling: a cold pack on the cheek, 20 minutes on and 20 off, for the first day. Swelling after a surgical extraction peaks around day two or three and then goes down.
- Pain: take the first dose of the recommended pain reliever before the anesthetic wears off, then as directed. Most simple extractions need only over-the-counter medication.
- Eating: soft, cool foods the first day, then work back toward normal as comfort allows, chewing on the other side.
- Cleaning: brush the other teeth as usual from the first evening, keeping the brush away from the site. From day two, rinse gently with warm salt water after meals.
- Rest: no heavy exercise for two or three days; raised blood pressure restarts bleeding.
The American Dental Association’s patient guide to extractions gives the same advice, and our written instructions follow it.
Dry socket and when to call us
Dry socket happens when the clot is lost or dissolves early and the bone underneath is exposed. The sign is pain that gets worse rather than better from about day three, often radiating to the ear, with a bad taste. It is more common after lower wisdom tooth removal and in smokers, and it is uncomfortable but treatable: a medicated dressing in the socket relieves it within a day. Call (954) 785-1100 if pain increases after the third day, if bleeding has not slowed by the evening of the extraction, if swelling is still increasing after day three, or if you develop a fever.
What replaces the tooth
Wisdom teeth are not replaced. Any other tooth should be, because the bone around an empty socket begins to shrink within months and neighboring teeth drift into the gap, which makes a later replacement harder and more expensive. The replacement is planned before the extraction, not after, so that decisions like socket grafting can be made at the right moment.
| Option | Best suited to | Timing after extraction |
|---|---|---|
| Single tooth implant | One missing tooth with healthy neighbors; the standard of care when bone allows | Sometimes the same day; otherwise three to four months after a socket graft |
| Dental bridge | A gap between two teeth that already need crowns, or when implants are not an option | About six to eight weeks, once the gum has healed |
| All-on-4 or an implant denture | A whole arch of failing teeth | Teeth are usually fitted the same day the extractions are done |
| Partial or full denture | Several missing teeth where a removable option is preferred | An immediate denture can be placed the day of extraction and relined as the gum heals |
Cost and insurance
The fee depends on whether the extraction is simple or surgical, how many teeth are involved, the type of sedation you choose, and whether a socket graft is placed. You receive the exact fee after the exam and X-ray, before anything is scheduled. Most dental insurance plans cover extractions as a basic service, and surgical extractions of impacted teeth are sometimes covered under medical insurance as well; our team checks both and submits the claims. Monthly financing is available, and the cost of replacing the tooth is quoted at the same time so you can see the whole picture.
Care in Pompano Beach
Why patients choose South Florida Smile Spa for extractions
- Saving the tooth is considered first. Root canal treatment, crowns and gum treatment are all done here, so you are not sent for an extraction because it is the only option on the menu.
- Sedation in-house. Nitrous oxide, oral sedation and IV sedation are available at the same visit, without a referral to a surgical center.
- Emergencies seen promptly. A tooth that breaks or an abscess that flares is seen as soon as possible to relieve the pain and start antibiotics if needed, and the extraction is scheduled with our periodontist on the next available surgery day.
- Extraction, surgery and replacement under one roof. The extraction, socket grafting and implant placement by our periodontist, and the final crown by Dr. Berger, are planned together from the same scan.
- Judgment-free. Teeth that are too far gone are usually the result of years of avoidance. We treat the tooth, not the history.
Patients come to us for tooth extractions from Pompano Beach, Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coconut Creek. If you are not sure whether your tooth can be saved, start with Dr. Berger’s guide to a broken tooth and what to do about it.
If a tooth is hurting now
Call and tell us what is going on. We will see you as soon as we can, confirm whether the tooth can be saved, and if it cannot, remove it comfortably with a plan for what comes next.
South Florida Smile Spa · Dr. Nicole M. Berger, DDS · 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach, FL 33060 · (954) 785-1100
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a tooth extraction hurt?
Not during the procedure. The tooth and surrounding gum are fully numbed, so you feel pressure and movement but not pain, and we stop to add anesthetic if you feel anything sharp. Afterward, a simple extraction is tender for a day or two and usually manageable with over-the-counter pain relief. Surgical extractions are sorer for a few days and the swelling peaks around day two or three.
How long does a tooth extraction take?
A simple extraction takes about 20 to 40 minutes including numbing. A surgical extraction, or removing several teeth at once, takes about 45 to 90 minutes. Add time if you are having IV sedation, because you will rest in the office until you are ready to go home with your driver.
Can I be sedated for a tooth extraction?
Yes. South Florida Smile Spa offers nitrous oxide, oral sedation and IV sedation, all given in our Pompano Beach office. IV sedation is administered and monitored by Dr. Berger, who holds a Florida conscious sedation permit. Nitrous oxide wears off within minutes; with oral or IV sedation you need someone to drive you home.
How long does it take to heal after a tooth extraction?
The socket closes over with gum in about one to two weeks, and most people are back to normal eating within a few days. The bone underneath takes several months to fill in fully, which is why an implant placed in a grafted socket is usually restored three to four months later.
What is dry socket and how do I avoid it?
Dry socket is pain from exposed bone when the blood clot is lost early, usually from day three onward. Avoid it by not using straws, spitting, rinsing hard, smoking or vaping for the first 24 hours, and by following the written instructions. If it does happen, a medicated dressing placed at the office relieves it quickly.
Do you remove wisdom teeth?
Yes. Wisdom teeth, whether erupted or impacted, are removed by our periodontist at South Florida Smile Spa, with sedation available. The X-ray or CBCT scan taken at your first visit tells us whether a simple or surgical approach is needed before the appointment is booked.
Do I need to replace an extracted tooth?
Wisdom teeth, no. Any other tooth, yes. The jawbone around an empty socket shrinks over the following months and the neighboring teeth drift into the gap, so waiting makes replacement harder. A single tooth implant is usually the first choice; a bridge, an implant denture or a partial denture are the alternatives. The replacement is planned before the extraction.
Can I have an implant placed the same day as the extraction?
Sometimes. If there is no active infection and enough bone, our periodontist can place the implant immediately after removing the tooth. When that is not possible, a bone graft is placed in the socket and the implant follows after about three to four months of healing.
Can a tooth be extracted the same day I call?
Usually not the same day, but quickly. A broken or abscessed tooth is treated as an emergency: call (954) 785-1100 and we will see you as soon as possible to relieve the pain and, if there is infection, start antibiotics. Extractions are performed by our periodontist on scheduled surgery days, so the removal is booked for the next available one, typically within days.
Should I stop my medications before an extraction?
Do not stop anything on your own. Tell us about blood thinners, diabetes medication, osteoporosis medication and anything else you take, and we will coordinate with your physician where needed. Dr. Berger has written a guide to medications before dental sedation that applies here as well.
Do you see patients from outside Pompano Beach?
Yes. Patients come for extractions from Lighthouse Point, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coconut Creek and across Broward County. The office is at 572 E McNab Rd, Suite 102, Pompano Beach. Call (954) 785-1100 or request an appointment.