Extractions

A dental extraction is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. It is performed for a wide variety of reasons:

  • Tooth decay – if the decay is severely advanced and the nerves and blood vessels in the tooth have been infected, and are unsuitable for root canal treatment.

  • Tooth infection – an infection can grow in the jaw bone from the tooth infection. The most common way to address this is by removing the tooth that is causing the infection.

  • Impacted wisdom teeth – sometimes, our mouths are not big enough to accommodate these teeth. The teeth become impacted (stuck), which can cause infection and pain.

  • Orthodontics (braces) – teeth can erupt in many different positions, if this happens you may have to have teeth extracted so your other teeth can be brought into line.

  • Periodontal disease – bacterial infection under the gum damages the tissue that connects the tooth to the gum; as the disease progresses, the bone anchoring the tooth to the jaw begins to dissolve, resulting in the tooth becoming loose.

  • Teeth that have been damaged by trauma.

  • Certain medical conditions may require teeth to be extracted.

Your dentist will examine your tooth and explain the reasons why your tooth needs to be extracted, an x-ray will be taken to help plan the best way to remove the tooth and to see if an abscess is present.

If an abscess is present, your dentist will administer antibiotics before your tooth is extracted.

Your dentist will ask you about your medical history. You must list every medication you are taking, even if you have purchased it from over the counter, as some medications can complicate an extraction.

Tell your dentist if you are anxious about the procedure, as sedation is available.

Dentist performing dental procedure on patient in clinic with dental tools and X-ray on screen.

Extraction aftercare

  • After the extraction, a blood clot will form in the socket where the tooth used to be. Do not disturb the clot by vigorous rinsing or poking the site with your tongue or finger, as it is a very important part of the healing process.
    If the socket does start to bleed place gauze or a teabag over the extraction site and apply pressure by biting down; the bleeding will usually stop within a few minutes. Again, do not disturb the blood clot. If the bleeding persists, please contact us for further advice.

  • Your mouth will still numb for an hour after the local anaesthetic. Please take care not to bite your cheek or tongue or burn your mouth when drinking hot liquids.

  • Avoid smoking and alcohol for 24 hours, as these can affect the healing process.

  • You may be in discomfort after the anaesthetic has worn off, so take a household painkiller (i.e. paracetamol or ibuprofen) following the manufacturer’s instructions. Do not take aspirin, as this may cause the socket to bleed.

The above instructions are very basic, all of our patients will be given an individual post-operative instruction sheet on their next day review appointment.