Tooth Extraction

What Is a Tooth Extraction?

This is a procedure where we remove a tooth. The entire tooth is extracted, including the tooth roots that extend into your jawbone. It doesn’t take long to remove the tooth, and there are two methods of extraction.

1. Simple extraction.
2. Surgical extraction.

1. Simple Extraction

A simple extraction is used when we can still see a large portion of the tooth in your mouth. In this case, we can remove it by using specialized tools to gently loosen it from the socket while minimizing damage to the surrounding gum and bone.

2. Surgical Extraction

Sometimes a tooth can break off at the gum line, leaving little tooth structure visible, and a simple extraction is not possible. In this case, a surgical extraction is performed, in which we expose the tooth beneath the gum to remove it. We might section or cut the tooth into smaller pieces to remove it more comfortably.

When Is a Tooth Extraction Necessary?

There are several situations where we may recommend removing a tooth, including:

• Advanced gum disease.
• Infected or abscessed teeth.
• Teeth that have split vertically or are severely fractured or broken.
• As part of an orthodontic plan, to create more room for the remaining teeth to straighten up.
• Impacted teeth.
• Severe tooth decay.

Signs You May Need a Tooth Extracted

Often, a tooth that is failing will cause symptoms that can include:

• Persistent toothache.
• Swollen and infected gum around the tooth.
• Pain that radiates from the tooth out into the jawbone.
• Pain and sensitivity to pressure when eating.
• Loose tooth.

Tooth Extraction Procedure

A tooth extraction is a straightforward surgical procedure. If you are in significant pain, we can perform an emergency tooth extraction to relieve the discomfort quickly. If necessary, this will be a same-day tooth extraction.

1. Consultation, Dental Exam, Diagnosis, and Treatment Plan

A dental exam allows us to assess the tooth’s condition gently, and we will take digital X-rays and, if needed, a cone beam CT scan. These diagnostics enable us to assess your tooth structure and roots more closely and determine a suitable treatment plan.

Your custom plan will detail how we recommend removing the tooth and the associated costs. At this stage, we can also discuss sedation dentistry if you would like it. This is generally unnecessary when only a single tooth is being removed, but you may prefer dental sedation if multiple teeth are being extracted.

2. Tooth Extraction

Before we begin, we will provide any sedation dentistry if required and numb the tooth before it is removed. The removal process will depend on whether it is a simple oral surgical extraction. We will discuss this during your initial dental exam and consultation.

After the tooth is removed, we may close the empty socket with stitches or leave it to heal naturally. You will be asked to gently bite down on a piece of gauze to help slow bleeding and aid the formation of a blood clot in the empty socket.

3. Tooth Extraction Aftercare and Recovery

If you have received dental sedation, we will keep you with us a while to ensure you are completely recovered before sending you home to rest. You will need someone with you to take you home.

Oral Care and Managing Discomfort

Before you leave, we will carefully review aftercare instructions with you, ensuring you know how to keep your mouth clean and hygienic and to manage any pain and discomfort.

Our dentist might prescribe an antibacterial mouthwash or recommend an over-the-counter brand. Alternatively, we may suggest using a warm saltwater rinse that you can make at home and use for several days.

We may prescribe antibiotics or pain medication. Often, over-the-counter pain relief is adequate.

Managing Swelling and Bruising

If you have any swelling or bruising afterward, try using an ice pack wrapped in a towel. Hold it against your face for twenty minutes on and twenty minutes off. After the first day, replace the ice pack with moist heat and follow the same process.

Don’t Smoke or Use a Drinking Straw

While you are healing, it is best to avoid smoking and using a drinking straw. This is because the sucking action can dislodge any blood clots that have formed in the empty socket. For the same reason, you shouldn’t rinse your mouth vigorously.

Dietary Advice

We will provide dietary advice, but generally it’s better to avoid hard or chewy foods, as well as anything containing nuts or seeds that may become stuck around the extraction site.

Usually, tooth extraction healing is smooth with a very low risk of complications. However, if the empty socket is left open to heal, it’s crucial to protect the blood clot inside it. This helps the socket to heal.

Dry Socket

It is rare, but a tiny percentage of people can develop dry socket, a tooth extraction infection that occurs when the blood clot is dislodged, and the socket becomes infected. You will soon know if this happens, because the socket will start to feel increasingly painful after a few days, rather than healing comfortably. You may even begin to see the jawbone exposed in the empty socket.

If you notice the extraction site is feeling more painful, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us immediately. We can schedule an appointment to check the empty socket and clean it out, then cover it with a protective dressing for healing. This will help clear the infection after tooth extraction and allow the empty socket to heal properly.

Replacing Missing Teeth

It is important to replace any missing tooth, except wisdom teeth.

Leaving a gap increases the risk that the adjacent teeth and those opposing the gap will begin to shift position, affecting your bite. This can cause tricky-to-treat bite problems and may make teeth less stable.

Losing teeth can affect your ability to bite and chew food properly, and may affect speech. Lastly, it can affect your appearance if the missing tooth is in your smile line.

Tooth Replacement Options

Options for replacing missing teeth can include:

• Dental implants.
• Dental bridges.
• Partial and full dentures.

We can discuss all these options with you in more detail, or you can read about them on our treatment pages. We can discuss which solution is most suitable for your needs, explain what to expect, and provide a custom treatment plan outlining the costs.