Dental Extractions

A dental extraction when a tooth needs to be pulled out. When a tooth is too damaged (broken, decayed or deep infection in the tooth) to be repaired, it may need to be pulled out. A tooth may also need to be pulled out if there is severe gum disease or in the case of teeth overcrowding or wisdom tooth problems. A tooth may also need to be extracted if it has suffered trauma from a knock to the jaw (for example in fall or sports injury).

Simple extractions are performed by your Brighter Smiles dentist with a local anaesthetic. The tooth is then loosened and then extracted. You may feel some pressure during the extraction, however there is generally no pain due to the use of the local anaesthetic.

Recovery time does vary, however most patients are back to feeling normal with a few days. It will take several weeks for full healing.

We will ask you not to rinse or spit after the extraction for the day as this can result in the dislodging the blood clot and delaying healing. Smoking is discouraged for the day of extraction and several days after. In most cases you can eat normally, however in some cases you may need to eat soft foods for 1-2 days. We will provide you with guidelines for care of the extraction site.

Some extractions are more complicated and require surgical extraction in an operating theatre under general anaesthetic. Recover time may be longer for surgical extractions, depending on the individual circumstances.

We will discuss your options with you as to any alternatives and the best options for extraction and aftercare. A dental extraction may be followed by a dental implant where the suitable (either at the time of extraction or after the site has healed).