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Simple & Surgical Extractions

Dentist Victoria - Private Dentist Vauxhall - Pimlico Dental

Extractions are normally performed after years of extensive treatment trying to save and protect your natural tooth. The reasons we extract include advanced decay and infection, gum disease leading to supporting bone loss (loose teeth), to make room for orthodontic treatment, or when removing wisdom teeth.

There are two routine methods for removing teeth – simple and surgical. The method chosen for you depends on how heavily decayed the tooth is and whether or not we could remove the crown and root intact. If we feel that much of the tooth is far below the gums and bone, we may elect to perform a surgical extraction. We will always discuss your options with you and let you know if we plan on doing anything but a routine extraction.

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR SIMPLE EXTRACTIONS?

Simple extractions are usually very straightforward, needing only a short appointment.

  • At the start of your appointment, we ask a few questions about your medical history and check you are feeling fit and well. We use local anaesthetic to ensure you are comfortable during the extraction.
  • We ask you to rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash and check the area of your mouth is fully numb before beginning the procedure.
  • We gently loosen the tooth by teasing the root away from the gums, applying small amounts of pressure in small rotating movements. The tooth comes out easily, without touching any of the surrounding gums.
  • We check all of the tooth has been removed and give detailed post-operative advice and instructions to help your healing process and to prevent infection.

WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE FOR SURGICAL EXTRACTIONS?

  • In some cases, we may need to give the tooth a helping hand to remove it successfully. Surgical extractions are a more involved procedure, taking a longer appointment.
  • We initially check your medical history and make sure you are feeling fit and well. We administer local anaesthetic to numb the area of the extraction and ensure you remain comfortable throughout.
  • We ask you to rinse with an antiseptic mouthwash and check the area of your mouth is fully numb before beginning the procedure.
  • We make a small incision in the gum area around the tooth, giving us better access for extraction. In some cases, we need to remove a small cuff of bone from around the tooth to make way for our fine instruments.
  • We tease the roots of the tooth away from the socket, using the same technique as in a simple extraction.
  • When the tooth has been removed, we clean the socket with a sterile solution and place a few stitches, which will disappear within two weeks as the socket and gums heal. We give detailed post-operative advice and instructions to help healing.
  • After two weeks, we have a review appointment, checking your healing and looking for any signs of infection.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER SURGERY

After an extraction, your lips and gums may remain numb for a few hours until the anaesthetic wears off. You may also experience some oozing of the socket which can be treated easily by biting down on a small clean cotton napkin for 20 minutes. If it does not stop, you should come back into the surgery, as we may need to place a stitch or two. Later you may have throbbing pain, which you can treat with pain medicines, such as ibuprofen, paracetamol. The discomfort usually lasts only a day or two.

DO I NEED TO REPLACE MY EXTRACTED TOOTH?

Once a tooth has been removed the bone and the gums in the area start to shrink. This makes future replacement more difficult as we need good quality and quantity bone to place an implant. To counteract shrinkage, we can place an immediate synthetic bone alloplast to help prevent bone loss and maintain the area for implant placement in the future.

We can extract a tooth and replace it immediately if desired, either with a denture, temporary bridge or an immediate implant.

REFERRALS TO OUR PRACTICE

If you’ve been referred to us for specialist treatment, rest assured that you will be treated with the best care.

We always put the patient first and keep our referring dentists in the loop as much as possible.

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Pimlico Dental Care
 124a Regency Street
Victoria
London, SW1P 4AP

Website Updated in February 2024

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