Tooth Extraction: What to expect when having your teeth removed.

2 December 2019

You may be confronted with your dentist deciding that you’ll need to have teeth extracted, it is a relatively quick procedure performed by either your dentist or oral surgeon. There are many reasons why you may need a tooth extracted, some common reasons include tooth decay, infection or pain, compromised or broken teeth, and removal to provide other teeth to grow for those who decide to get ​braces.

What to expect during the process?

Depending on whether your tooth is visible or impacted, you will undergo simple or surgical extraction. The procedure involves complete removal of a tooth from your mouth.

A simple extraction would be under local anaesthetic, numbing the area around your tooth so you’ll only feel pressure during the procedure. Your dentist uses an instrument called an elevator to loosen the tooth and forceps to remove it. Surgical extraction is performed under both local and intravenous anaesthesia, your dentist or oral surgeon will make a small incision into your gum and may need to remove bone around or cut your tooth before extraction.

What happens after?

Once the teeth are removed and the procedure is complete, you should be able to go home the same day as the operation. You may be given prescribed antibiotics and it usually takes a few days to recover, but here are a few tips for the first 2 days of aftercare to avoid an infection or gum disease:

• Get plenty of rest.
• Avoid rinsing your mouth.
• Do not use straws.
• Do not smoke.
• Do not have any hot food or drinks.

The NHS provide an ​extensive list regarding aftercare and any questions you may have after surgery, but do not hesitate to call us if you experience any problems.

If you’re experiencing any of the aforementioned issues with your teeth and feel that you need a tooth extraction, contact us for a free consultation.

Call ​Etwall Dental Practice​ on 01283 733391, or find your nearest practice on our ​contact page​. If you’d like more detail about the procedure, check out our ​Tooth Extraction Treatment page.

Be sure to look through our ​General Dentistry service and if you find yourself in need of anymore advice about oral health or our other services.