Dental care is improving all the time, with new treatments being developed continuously and advances in technology made to improve the appearance and health of patients’ mouths. Despite these advancements however, tooth extraction is sometimes the most appropriate treatment.
We may recommend tooth extraction if:
– You are suffering pain because of decay or damage to your tooth that cannot be treated by other methods;
– Your mouth is overcrowded, causing your teeth to become misaligned
– You are suffering from gum disease, which has caused your teeth to loosen.
If any of these issues are currently affecting you, please contact us through the form below and we’ll talk to you about how we can help you.
Tooth extraction to alleviate pain
There are few things as painful as toothache, which may be caused by decay, infection or a broken tooth. We believe in using the least invasive procedure possible for any condition, and may initially try to treat dental pain by prescribing antibiotics, using a filling or performing root canal therapy.
If, however, we believe that those options are inappropriate, or if they have been tried and did not improve the problem for you, then we will recommend tooth extraction.
Will it hurt?
You may feel relief at the idea of the tooth being removed as a permanent end to your tooth pain. Even so, you may be nervous about the procedure and have images of it being traumatic or even violent. In fact, modern methods of tooth extraction mean that there is no tugging or pulling involved. We use gentle and effective methods of tooth extraction to ensure that you experience minimal discomfort.
All of our dentists are experienced and trained to not only deliver excellent dental care but also to be gentle and communicate well with our patients – your treatment will always be explained to you throughout any procedure and you will be able to raise your hand at any stage if you experience discomfort or anxiety. You’ll always be in safe hands under our care.
If you’re having one or two teeth taken out, you will be given a local anaesthetic and only when the area around your tooth is completely numb will extraction take place. You will feel firm pressure, but you will not feel any pulling: your tooth will be moved from side to side to loosen it before being carefully removed. You will be awake throughout but if you prefer we can provide a relaxing sedative to help deeply calm any anxieties. Please click here to find out more about the sedation we offer.
If you need to have a large number of teeth extracted, then we may recommend relaxing sedation to ensure that you are as comfortable as possible throughout the procedure.
After the extraction
Once your tooth has been removed, you will have a dressing placed on the socket where your tooth used to be and you will be asked to bite down on it and apply pressure to keep it in place. There will be some bleeding, which should stop quickly with the aid of the dressing. If it is necessary (which is usually the case with impacted wisdom teeth), you may be given a few stitches.
You will then be allowed to go home to recover. You may feel discomfort for a few days, though this can be eased by:
– Taking painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen;
– Applying an ice pack (taking care to wrap it in a tea towel to avoid damaging your skin);
– Eating soft food for the rest of the day and being careful when introducing solid food over the following couple of days;
– Avoiding hot food and drink while your mouth is still numb and being extra careful when chewing as you may not feel pain if you are burnt or bite your cheek.
Self-care
Following a tooth extraction, you can still floss and brush your teeth, but be careful to avoid the healing area. Do not smoke as this can lengthen healing time and can make the area more prone to infection.
Before your treatment we will have discussed what your next steps will be, whether they are to replace the tooth with an implant, a bridge or a denture, or to leave the space. We will usually offer you a follow-up appointment to check that your mouth is healing as well as expected.
Contact us
If you are experiencing toothache, or feel that you may need orthodontic work that might involve tooth extraction, or if you are suffering from gum disease, please use our contact form and we’ll discuss your treatment options with you.