Extractions & Wisdom Teeth Removals

Yes, they are absolutely safe. You need not worry.

You will be given a local anaesthetic that will make the area around your tooth to become numb. The dentist will then use dental instruments called elevators and forceps to remove your tooth.

A tooth extraction may be necessary for the following situations:

1. When a tooth is so damaged (because of trauma or decay) that it cannot be repaired by a filling or crown
2. When the tooth itself becomes loose in its socket due to gum disease. (Since the gums and underlying bone are damaged, they can no longer help in firm attachment of the tooth)
3. When there is an infected tooth (with an abscess) that does not go away even after root canal treatment
4. For wisdom teeth that are partially erupted or improperly positioned
5. To make space during orthodontic treatment

The gums covering your extraction hole or socket will begin to close over within 7-10 days and by the end of the month, the underlying bone will have healed to a large extent. However, the final healing may take between 2-4 months.

Do not take hot drinks like tea, coffee and hot soup after tooth extraction. Wait at least for 4-5 days to continue your regular diet.

You should ideally wait for 48-72 hours before smoking after a tooth extraction, else it can lead to a dry socket which is a very dangerous condition.
Smoking after the procedure will slow down the healing process and place you at greater risk for “dry socket”, which is a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention.

Generally speaking, you should avoid eating anything for 12 hours prior to the surgery. This can help prevent nausea during and after the procedure. If you are having a local anaesthetic, you may not need to fast as long so be sure to inquire before the treatment. Let us know if you have a condition that doesn’t allow you to fast, such as diabetes.

It is also important to remember that you cannot smoke for 12 hours before the surgery and 24 hours after. Smoking after the procedure will slow down the healing process and place you at greater risk for “dry socket”, which is a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention.

Yes, a dental abscess after drainage and tooth extraction will take about 1-2 weeks to heal and go away.

No, alcohol will dehydrate you and interfere with the healing of your extraction socket, so it is not recommended at all in the first 24 hours.

Bite down firmly on the gauze piece your dentist has placed on your extraction site for at least 1 hour. If bleeding doesn’t stop, replace the gauze piece with a clean one every 30 mins until it stops. You can also try placing a green tea bag and biting down since green tea contains tannins that constrict the blood vessels around your extraction socket and slow down the bleeding.

Something like bread which is a bit dry and needs to be chewed properly may interfere with the healing of your extraction socket, so it is not advised right after extraction.

Tooth extraction is done under local anaesthesia i.e. your entire jaw is made numb so no you will not feel any pain. However, you might feel some slight pressure.

A soft diet made of foods like soup, mashed potatoes, yoghurt, soft-boiled or scrambled eggs, oats, fruit and vegetable smoothies and even ice cream is a great option to have after a tooth extraction.

If you have an infected wisdom tooth, it needs to be extracted. However, removing an infected wisdom tooth as it is will be quite painful so your dentist will prescribe a 3-5 day course of antibiotics to bring down the infection. You can also do daily saltwater rinses to keep the wisdom tooth area clean and take pain medication if required.

Normal cases of wisdom tooth extraction can be done within 30 mins but if the wisdom tooth is impacted, or stuck inside the jawbone, it can take up to an hour or more, depending on the complexity.

All tooth extractions are done under local anaesthesia, so you won’t feel any pain. If however, the wisdom tooth is stuck in the bone, you can expect some pressure as your dentist tries to get it out in one piece.

Try alternating warm and cold compresses over the jaw area to relieve some of the pain. 

We call a wisdom tooth that is not visible in the mouth and is embedded inside the jawbone as impacted or “stuck”. Removal of an impacted wisdom tooth will need the gums to be cut open and some amount of bone drilling done to expose the tooth.

The soreness and discomfort from your wisdom tooth extraction will go away within a week. Try alternating warm and cold compresses over the jaw area to relieve the pain. 

The negative pressure created in the mouth with the use of a straw just after tooth extraction can dislodge the blood clot formed in your tooth socket. Dislodgement of this clot can lead to a condition called dry socket, which is extremely painful and can lead to further infections or complications.

Travelling won’t have any effect on your extraction would but it’s advisable to take rest for at least 1-2 days and avoid strenuous activity after your tooth extraction to prevent any complications from arising.

Travelling won’t have any effect on your extraction would but it’s advisable to take rest for at least 1-2 days and avoid strenuous activity after your tooth extraction to prevent any complications from arising.

For the first 2-3 nights after tooth extraction, sleep with your head elevated. Avoid sleeping on your side. Remember to take out the gauze piece before going to sleep or you can choke on it.

Time taken for tooth extraction can vary from as little as 10 mins (for front tooth removal and teeth that are already moving) to 30-60 mins for complex cases of wisdom tooth extraction.

All tooth extractions are done under local anaesthesia, so you won’t feel any pain. If however, the wisdom tooth is stuck in the bone, you can expect some pressure as your dentist tries to get it out in one piece.

If all attempts to save the tooth have been unsuccessful, or if there is an alternative reason to remove the tooth then there are various benefits to getting the tooth removed.

• Reduced risk of adjacent 2nd molar resorption
• Lower chances of gum infections, cysts and abscesses
• Easier to maintain oral hygiene

The obvious negative point of this treatment is that it leaves an empty space in the jawbone, but these can be rectified by our tooth replacement treatments