Tooth Extraction

Before appointment:

• Your medical history will be checked, so please ensure you update us of any changes to your health or medication. In some cases, we may need to ask you to stop taking some medication before treatment. If that is required, we will work with your GP to establish how long you need to stop the medication for.
• The procedure will be explained to you and you can ask us any questions you might have. All possible risks and complications will be discussed with you. Once you are happy with everything, please sign the consent form provided and we can proceed to the procedure of taking tooth out.

During appointment:

• Your tooth will be numbed using local anaesthetic injection so that it is a pain-free procedure for you.
• Then we will loosen your tooth and take it out. The part to loosen the tooth may take some time if there is not enough tooth structure for us to hold on to. You will feel pressure in the area but there should not be any pain. If you experience any pain, please stop your dentist and they will make sure full numbness is achieved before proceeding any further.

After treatment:

We will provide you after care instructions verbally and in writing. Please follow these instructions to make sure extraction socket heals well. These instructions are:

• Do not rinse your mouth for at least 24 hours after an extraction. This will help the blood to clot in the socket. It is this blood clot that will aid healing.
• After 24 hours, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water. Take a sip, hold it in your mouth and spit out. The salt will help cleanse the area and limit the chances of infection. DO NOT RINSE OR GARGLE. Over-enthusiastic rinsing can dislodge the clot and slow the healing process. Do this as many times throughout the day as possible for 1 week.
• Brush your teeth as normal but brush the area of treatment gently, taking particular care not to cause any bruising or bleeding.
• Avoid eating or drinking until the local anaesthesia has worn off. This will stop you from accidentally chewing or burning your cheeks. Avoid food and drinks that are very hot / spicy / hard as the area will be sensitive.
• If you start to bleed again, do not worry. Roll a handkerchief into a sausage, place it over the bleeding socket and bite HARD for 30 minutes. Remember that blood will mix with saliva so the volume will appear greater.
• You may experience some pain, swelling and bruising after treatment. This will only be short-lived and will improve after three days. Take painkillers, such as Ibuprofen and/or paracetamol, for the first 24 hours to help reduce the pain and swelling. Then take them as and when required. Avoid taking aspirin as it may cause bleeding. If you are asthmatic, avoid taking ibuprofen as it may worsen your asthma.
• Take it easy for the rest of the day; avoid demanding physical work or exercise. Also refrain from drinking alcohol for the first 24 hours.
• Avoid smoking for at least 48 hours after treatment. Smoking reduces the rate of healing and increase the risk of infection, which can be very painful. Ask your pharmacist for alternatives such as nicotine patches.
• If you have any concerns, prolonged bleeding or pain, please call us on 01243 825888