Extractions
Your teeth are very important to us, and for this reason we aim to preserve and maintain the life of your teeth for as long as possible. However Teeth can become decayed or broken for a variety of reasons and their removal may be required.
At Golborne Dental Care we will discuss all the options to save the tooth with you before considering the extraction. Once we have discussed this with you we will go on to talk about the choices depending on your wants and needs.
There are a number of reasons why your teeth may need to be extracted. Some of the most common reasons include:
- severe gum disease (periodontal disease) - when bacteria build up on your teeth and damage the bone that holds them in place, the teeth may become loose
- tooth decay - if a tooth is very rotten, its nerves and blood vessels can die, leading to a painful abscess
- a broken tooth that can’t be repaired
- crowded teeth - if you have a small jaw or lost your milk (baby) teeth early, your teeth may be crooked and you may need to have one or more removed so that the rest can be straightened
- wisdom tooth problems - if there isn’t enough space in your mouth for your wisdom teeth they may become impacted (stuck behind the tooth in front) and need to be removed
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What aftercare does it involve?
There will be some bleeding and your dentist may put in stitches. After the extraction, you will be given a piece of soft padding to bite on to stop the bleeding.
If you have had your tooth removed under local anaesthesia, you will need to stay at the dental surgery until the bleeding is controlled. This will probably take about 10 to 15 minutes. You may need pain relief to help with any discomfort as the anaesthetic wears off.
Wait until the local anaesthetic has worn off before having hot food or drinks – you might burn your mouth or chew the inside of your cheek while it’s still numb. Once you regain some feeling, stick to lukewarm, soft food and try not to chew in the part of your mouth where the tooth has been removed. Try not to drink alcohol or smoke for the first 24 hours after the extraction – this may cause further bleeding.
It’s best not to rinse out your mouth or do any exercise for the first 24 hours after the extraction. This is because any blood clot that may have formed could be disturbed and the bleeding could start again. After 12 hours it can be helpful to rinse out your mouth with salt water (half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water) a few times a day.
What happens during a tooth extraction?
- So that you don’t feel any pain during or immediately after the procedure, your dentist will give an injection of local anaesthetic into your mouth, which completely blocks feeling from the area.
- After the anaesthetic has taken effect, your dentist will widen the socket (the area your tooth sits in) using a tool called an elevator or a pair of special forceps. He or she will then move the tooth from side to side until it is loose enough to be removed completely.
- During the procedure you will feel some pressure in your mouth and hear some noise. You should not feel any pain.