diff --git a/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/internal/Smoothing/mesh_smoothing_impl.h b/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/internal/Smoothing/mesh_smoothing_impl.h
index c1ef511af1d..3490d94d6d4 100644
--- a/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/internal/Smoothing/mesh_smoothing_impl.h
+++ b/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/internal/Smoothing/mesh_smoothing_impl.h
@@ -94,13 +94,6 @@ public:
     tree_ptr_->accelerate_distance_queries();
   }
 
-  std::size_t remove_degenerate_faces()
-  {
-    std::size_t nb_removed_faces = 0;
-    nb_removed_faces = CGAL::Polygon_mesh_processing::remove_degenerate_faces(mesh_);
-    return nb_removed_faces;
-  }
-
   void angle_relaxation()
   {
     std::map<vertex_descriptor, Point_3> barycenters;
diff --git a/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/smooth_mesh.h b/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/smooth_mesh.h
index d5267e1f71c..7909b957d07 100644
--- a/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/smooth_mesh.h
+++ b/Polygon_mesh_processing/include/CGAL/Polygon_mesh_processing/smooth_mesh.h
@@ -114,16 +114,7 @@ void smooth_angles(const FaceRange& faces,
   std::size_t nb_iterations = choose_param(get_param(np, internal_np::number_of_iterations), 1);
   bool do_project = choose_param(get_param(np, internal_np::do_project), true);
 
-  internal::Compatible_smoother<PolygonMesh, VertexPointMap, VCMap, GeomTraits>smoother(pmesh, vpmap, vcmap, gt);
-
-#ifdef CGAL_PMP_SMOOTHING_VERBOSE
-  t.stop();
-  std::cout << " done ("<< t.time() <<" sec)." << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "Removing degenerate faces..." << std::endl;
-  t.reset(); t.start();
-#endif
-
-  smoother.remove_degenerate_faces();
+  internal::Compatible_smoother<TriangleMesh, VertexPointMap, VCMap, GeomTraits> smoother(tmesh, vpmap, vcmap, gt);
 
 #ifdef CGAL_PMP_SMOOTHING_VERBOSE
   t.stop();
@@ -253,16 +244,7 @@ void smooth_areas(const FaceRange& faces, PolygonMesh& pmesh, const NamedParamet
   const double gd_precision = choose_param(get_param(np, internal_np::gradient_descent_precision), 1e-5);
   bool do_project = choose_param(get_param(np, internal_np::do_project), true);
 
-  internal::Compatible_smoother<PolygonMesh, VertexPointMap, VCMap, GeomTraits> smoother(pmesh, vpmap, vcmap, gt);
-
-#ifdef CGAL_PMP_SMOOTHING_VERBOSE
-  t.stop();
-  std::cout << " done ("<< t.time() <<" sec)." << std::endl;
-  std::cout << "Removing degenerate faces..." << std::endl;
-  t.reset(); t.start();
-#endif
-
-  smoother.remove_degenerate_faces();
+  internal::Compatible_smoother<TriangleMesh, VertexPointMap, VCMap, GeomTraits> smoother(tmesh, vpmap, vcmap, gt);
 
 #ifdef CGAL_PMP_SMOOTHING_VERBOSE
   t.stop();