Extractions

Your third and final molars to emerge are your wisdom teeth, which usually come in when you are between 17 and 25 years old. While many people do not experience problems with these new teeth, many others find that theirs must be removed. If your mouth does not have enough room for these molars to come in, a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and at our office in Del Rio, TX, Dr. Louis Cadena can determine whether a wisdom tooth extraction is the best course of action for you.

 

Wisdom teeth are usually removed because they become impacted, which means that the tooth does not have enough room to come in straight through the gums and instead emerges at an angle. This can cause pain, damage to the jaw and a more crooked smile. Additionally, the site of impaction can become a bacterial hotspot since impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean.

 

Wisdom teeth extractions can range from removing a single tooth to removing all four teeth at once. Dr. Cadena will let you know what he thinks is best for you. For the procedure, he will use either a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate you while the teeth are extracted. The tooth will then be accessed through an incision in the gums and wiggled until it is loose enough to be lifted out. If the tooth is too deeply embedded to be removed this way, it will be broken up into pieces before being removed.

White Fillings

When teeth become decayed, they're often in need of a filling. Nowadays, most patients don’t want to have fillings that are obvious to others when talking, smiling or laughing. Here at Cadena Dentistry in Del Rio, TX we provide composite resin fillings, which are also known as white fillings.

 

These fillings are the same color as the patient’s tooth, so they aren’t obvious to anyone else. White fillings not only helps the patient protect their tooth from further decay, but feel more confident when they smile knowing no one knows it’s there.

 

White fillings have many benefits to patients that make them a great dental filling option:

• They are the same white color of the tooth being filled.
• White fillings can be blended to be any shade, regardless of the color of the tooth.
• They are not significantly more expensive than other fillings.
• White fillings are just as efficient in protecting teeth as alternatives.

It takes slightly longer for the process of white fillings than metal fillings because white fillings are blended to match our patient’s tooth. Otherwise, they look and feel like any other filling, allowing the patient to fill a cavity and protect their tooth from more serious problems. If you have a cavity and are in need of a filling, call us today at 830-775-3322 to see if you are a candidate for white fillings.

Extractions

Extractions are needed for multiple reasons: to avoid getting a root canal, to remove wisdom teeth that are pushing against other teeth, or to remove an impacted and infected tooth. Here at Radiance Dental, we provide extractions for patients that need to get a tooth removed. It is not a difficult process and is done under anesthesia, so no pain is experienced. We do ask that patients have a ride home following the anesthesia, as it is not safe for them to drive.

 

After the extractions are completed by Dr. Louis Cadena, it is important that patients follow these tips:

 

1. Only eat soft foods for the first few days following the surgery, such as yogurt, pudding and mashed potatoes.

2. Don’t use a straw when drinking liquids.

3. Avoid chewing on the side of the mouth where the tooth was extracted.

4. Avoid smoking cigarettes, as the sucking motion can pull the blood clot.

5. Call our office if excessive pain or bleeding is experienced.

 

You may notice some minor bleeding at the extraction site, which is temporary. An ice pack works wonders for any lingering pain.