Some teeth are past saving, and hanging on does more harm than good. Dr. Ben Areheart removes damaged teeth right here in our Rock Hill office, usually in one visit. The area is numbed completely before he touches anything, and you'll know exactly what it costs before you're in the chair.
Prefer to talk? Call (803) 328-3886.
Dr. Areheart's first instinct is always to save the tooth. Extraction is what he recommends when saving it would cost you more pain, money and bone than letting it go.
Once decay eats through most of the crown and into the root, there isn't enough solid tooth left for a filling or cap to hold onto.
A tooth split above the gum can often be capped. A fracture that runs below it usually can't, because bacteria will keep leaking into the break.
When the bone holding a tooth has receded far enough, the tooth loosens beyond what a deep cleaning can stabilize.
Some abscessed teeth can be saved with root canal treatment, which is done by endodontic specialists we refer patients to. When even that can't clear the infection, removing the tooth protects the bone and the teeth beside it.
Impacted or partially erupted third molars trap food and push on their neighbors. More on wisdom teeth removal →
If you're moving to a full or partial denture, failing teeth come out first so your gums can heal into a stable base for the new fit.
We offer IV sedation, unusual for a general practice in this area. You stay safe and monitored, and you relax through the entire appointment instead of white-knuckling it.
It starts with an X-ray, not forceps. Dr. Areheart looks at the tooth's position and root shape, tells you whether it truly needs to go, and lays out your options. If you'd rather think it over first, nobody here will pressure you.
On the day of the extraction, the area gets numbed thoroughly and we wait until it has fully taken hold. You'll feel pressure and some wiggling, but not pain. Most single-tooth extractions are done in well under an hour; the removal itself is often the shortest part. Afterward the socket is cleaned, stitches go in if needed, and one of our assistants walks you through aftercare before you leave with written instructions.
Hurting right now? If you have a dental emergency, we can often treat you the same day depending on the complexity of the problem. Call when we open at 8 and tell the front desk what's going on, or read about our emergency dental care first.
Dr. Areheart earned his DMD from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2011, then served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force, where his advanced residency covered implant and sedation dentistry. He has practiced at Piedmont Dental since 2014, long enough that he's now pulling wisdom teeth for kids he first saw in elementary school.
The word that keeps showing up in his reviews is "gentle." That matters more for extractions than almost anything else we do. Piedmont is a family dentist above all, so the goal is a visit calm enough that you'd send your own kid in without worrying.
It depends on the tooth. A fully erupted tooth with straight roots is a quicker, simpler job than one broken off at the gumline or wrapped around the nerve canal. The number of teeth, your sedation choice, and any denture or implant prep all move the number too.
What stays constant: Dr. Areheart examines the tooth first, then you get the exact figure in writing before any work begins. No mid-procedure surprises, ever.
Extractions are usually classified as necessary treatment, which most dental plans help with. We file almost all insurances if your plan allows out of network providers. Our front desk will help with your specific situation before you commit to anything.
No. The area is numbed completely before anything happens. You'll feel pressure and movement, not pain. If the anxiety itself is the problem, IV sedation lets you relax through the whole appointment.
Most people are back to their normal routine within a day or two, and the socket closes over the following one to two weeks. Soft foods for the first few days help. You'll leave with written aftercare instructions covering all of it.
If you have a dental emergency, we can often treat you the same day depending on the complexity of the problem. Call (803) 328-3886 when we open at 8 and describe what you're feeling, and the front desk will find the soonest slot.
Dry socket happens when the blood clot protecting the empty socket comes loose too soon, exposing bone. It's painful but avoidable: skip straws and smoking for at least 72 hours, don't rinse hard the first day, and follow the aftercare sheet we send home with you.
Usually yes, unless it's a wisdom tooth. Neighboring teeth drift into an empty space over time, which changes your bite. A dental implant, a bridge or a partial denture can fill the gap, and Dr. Areheart will go over the options with you before the extraction, not after.
Call us and describe what's going on. If it can be saved, Dr. Areheart will tell you. If it can't, we'll get it handled gently and get you back to eating on both sides.
Call (803) 328-3886