Nobody wants to hear a tooth has to come out. When it genuinely does, how it’s removed matters — for how comfortable the next week is, and for what you can do with the space afterwards. Every extraction is planned with the replacement already in mind.
Before recommending removal, we look hard at whether a filling, a crown or root canal treatment could still save the tooth.
A tooth generally has to come out when:
In pain right now? Call the office — we’ll get you seen and assessed rather than leaving you to wait it out. Note: we do not remove wisdom teeth — those we refer to a trusted oral surgeon and stay involved in coordinating your care.
Request an AppointmentWhich one you need depends on how much of the tooth is above the gum and what the roots are doing underneath.
For a tooth intact above the gum with straightforward roots: numbed, gently loosened, out in one piece — usually under half an hour, local anesthetic only, and you drive yourself home.
For teeth broken at or below the gum, curved or fragmented roots, or infection in the surrounding bone — a small opening in the gum or sectioning the tooth so each part comes out cleanly, leaving the bone intact.
We’d rather tell you plainly: wisdom tooth removal belongs with an oral surgeon, and we refer you to one we trust. Every other kind of extraction — including complex surgical removal — we handle in our own offices.
Most of the anxiety comes from not knowing the sequence. Here it is.
Root shape, surrounding bone and neighbors checked; extraction confirmed as the right call; and we talk through what goes into the space afterwards.
Thoroughly numbed — you tell us when it’s fully numb, not the clock. Nitrous oxide sedation available if you’re anxious; say so when you book.
Loosened and lifted, or accessed surgically with minimal force. You feel pressure and movement, not pain — most say the anticipation was worse.
If planned, graft material and PRF go into the socket before closing — the few extra minutes that protect the ridge and keep an implant possible later.
Written instructions, a clear pain-relief plan, and a number to call if anything worries you — plus a follow-up to check healing and book the next step.
The moment a tooth comes out, the bone that held it starts to shrink. A graft placed at extraction time is the difference between a straightforward implant later and a much bigger rebuild.
Socket preservation fills the empty socket with biocompatible graft material your own bone grows into — preventing ridge collapse, maintaining facial support, and keeping a future implant straightforward. If there’s any realistic chance you’ll want an implant, have the graft.
PRF — Platelet-Rich Fibrin from a small sample of your own blood — is placed directly into the site:
A blood clot has to form in the socket and stay there. None of this is complicated, but the details matter.
Call us for pain that increases after day three, bleeding that hasn’t settled, fever or growing swelling, or a bad taste that won’t clear — dry socket is quickly treated, so don’t wait it out.
We take dental anxiety seriously — local anesthetic, nitrous oxide, unhurried technique and PRF make an extraction as easy as it can reasonably be. On cost:
CareCredit, Cherry, LendingClub and HFD financing available if you’d rather spread the cost.
During the extraction, no — you’re fully numb and feel pressure and movement rather than pain. Afterwards, soreness as the anesthetic wears off is normal and manageable with over-the-counter relief, and PRF therapy reduces swelling and discomfort in the days that follow.
No — wisdom teeth we refer to a trusted oral surgeon and coordinate your care around it. We handle every other type of extraction, including surgical removal of teeth that are broken, infected, or coming out ahead of an implant.
When it can no longer be saved or leaving it in would damage what’s around it: decay too extensive to restore, a fracture below the gum line, advanced gum disease, or infection that root canal treatment couldn’t resolve. Dr. Yoon will always tell you if a crown or root canal could still save it.
Simple: the tooth is visible above the gum and lifts out in one piece — quick, local anesthetic only. Surgical: the tooth is broken at or below the gum, has curved or fragmented roots, or infection has reached the bone — it’s accessed through the gum or sectioned for a cleaner, gentler removal.
A straightforward single extraction: 20–40 minutes, much of it anesthetic and preparation. Surgical extractions, or ones with a graft and PRF at the same visit, take longer — we give you a realistic estimate when booking so you can plan your day.
Gum tissue closes within one to two weeks and most patients feel normal in three to seven days. Bone healing underneath takes three to six months — the timeline that governs when an implant can be placed, and why we often graft at extraction time.
Dry socket is losing the blood clot too early, exposing bone — a deep ache appearing two to four days after extraction. Avoid all suction (straws, spitting) and all tobacco for the first several days; PRF also lowers the risk by stabilising the clot. If you suspect it, call — relief is usually rapid.
If there’s any chance you’ll want an implant in that space later, yes. Socket preservation takes a few extra minutes; without it, the ridge shrinks and rebuilding the bone later is a bigger, longer, more expensive procedure. Undecided patients usually choose it to keep options open.
It depends on simple vs surgical, whether a graft and PRF are placed, and your insurance — which is why we examine and X-ray before quoting. Most plans cover a share; we verify benefits, give a written estimate first, and offer financing.
A dental implant, a bridge, or a removable partial denture — depending on bone volume, the neighboring teeth, your health and timeline. Because Dr. Yoon is a prosthodontist, replacement planning starts before the tooth is even removed.
22030 7th Ave South #100
Des Moines, WA 98198
| Office Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday | 8:00 am – 3:30 pm |
| Tuesday | 8:00 am – 3:30 pm |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | 8:30 am – 4:00 pm |
| Friday | Closed |
4215 198th Street SouthWest #205
Lynnwood, WA 98036
| Office Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
You deserve care that's gentle on the day and sets you up properly for what comes next — PRF-assisted healing and socket preservation keep the space implant-ready.
