Oral Surgery / Extractions

You may require a tooth extraction for a number of reasons, such as tooth decay, the need for orthodontic spacing or an impacted wisdom tooth.

Tooth extractions are carried out under local anaesthetic or sedation, so the patient doesn’t experience any pain. Once your tooth is taken out you will need to take care of the area to stop the development of infections.

Some guidelines for after surgery care include:

• Do not eat hot food for the first 24 hours, and it is also great to avoid smoking and drinking
• Try not to move any clots that may have occurred in the gap
• Avoid rinsing your mouth out for 24 hours. Following this, you should use a salty, warm glass of water to gently rinse the mouth. Half a teaspoon of salt is more than enough
• Maintain a normal oral hygiene routine for the rest of your mouth
• If you find tiny pieces of bone in the socket do not be alarmed as this is normal
• Painkillers can be taken to ease the pain, but do not let the tablets touch the location of the surgery site
• If you experience pain in the socket a few days after the extraction visit your dentist

Wisdom Teeth

Most wisdom teeth come through fine, but others may not have enough room to erupt properly. Or they may erupt at an angle and lead to tooth impaction. This can cause pain, discomfort and infection, so it is important to visit your dentist right away if this occurs.

Wisdom teeth can affect patients years after they have come through, even if it has been some time since they initially erupted. If they start causing you pain, visit the practice right away. Infected wisdom teeth can turn into a serious problem if left untreated, with the possibility of abscesses and even a severe infection of the bone if allowed to progress. Having your wisdom tooth removed in such cases will stop the infection from spreading and save the health of the surrounding teeth, gums and jawbone.

Sedation for patients worried about oral surgery

We want all of our patients to have a good experience at the practice, even when they are visiting us for something as stressful as oral surgery. That is why we provide sedation to all of our patients, helping them to relax before, during and after treatment. Sedation removes any fear and pain you may feel, resulting in treatment that is free of discomfort and stress.

Your dentist will examine the tooth and may take x-rays to ascertain whether the tooth needs removing or not.