When extraction is the right call
A tooth broken below the gum, one destroyed by decay past the point of restoring, severe gum disease that has lost the supporting bone, or a wisdom tooth that keeps becoming infected. We will always tell you if there is a realistic way to save the tooth instead, and what that would involve.
On the day
The area is fully numbed before we start. You will feel firm pressure but not pain. Most extractions take only a few minutes; a tooth with curved or spread roots takes longer and sometimes needs to be removed in sections.
Afterwards
Bite on the gauze for the first half hour and let the clot form. For the first twenty-four hours, no rinsing, no smoking, no drinking through a straw. All three dislodge the clot and cause a dry socket, which is genuinely painful. Warm salt-water rinses from the next day onward. Call us if bleeding does not settle or pain worsens after day three.
Common questions
Will it hurt?
Not during, thanks to the anaesthetic. Afterwards expect soreness for a few days, manageable with ordinary painkillers.
Can I go back to work?
For a simple extraction, usually yes, though take it easy. For a surgical one, give yourself the rest of the day.
Should I replace the tooth?
If it is a back tooth doing chewing work, or a visible one, usually yes. Gaps let neighbouring teeth drift. We can talk through a bridge or a denture.