Our Services > Tooth Extraction

What to expect during tooth removal

In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. The following will help speed recovery:

• Take painkillers as prescribed by your dentist or oral surgeon. Apply an ice or cold pack to the outside of your mouth to help relieve pain and swelling.
• After 24 hours, rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Make your own salt water by mixing 1 tsp (5 g) of salt in a medium-sized glass [8 fl oz (240 mL)] of warm water.
• Change gauze pads before they become soaked with blood.
• Relax after surgery. Physical activity may increase bleeding.
• Avoid smoking.
• Eat soft foods, such as gelatin, pudding, or a thin soup. Gradually add solid foods to your diet as healing progresses.
• Do not lie flat. This may prolong bleeding. Prop up your head with pillows.
• Avoid rubbing the area with your tongue.
• Do not use sucking motions, such as when using a straw to drink.
• Continue to carefully brush your teeth and tongue.

After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches. Some stitches dissolve over time, and some have to be removed after a few days. Your dentist will tell you whether your stitches need to be removed.

Why is tooth removal done?

Removing a tooth is necessary when decay or an abscessed tooth is so severe that no other treatment will cure the infection.

How well does tooth extraction work?

Removing the tooth can help keep infection from spreading to other areas of your mouth.

What are the risks associated with tooth removal?

Some dental work can cause bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. People who have a hard time fighting off infections may need to take antibiotics before and after dental surgery. You may need to take antibiotics if you:

• Have certain heart problems that make it dangerous for you to get a heart infection called endocarditis.
• Have an impaired immune system.
• Had recent major surgeries or have man-made body parts, such as an artificial hip or heart valve.

After an extraction, a blood clot forms in the tooth socket. The clot protects the bone while the healing process takes place. If that blood clot is loosened or dislodged, you may have a dry socket, in which the bone is exposed. Dry sockets may last for several days and may cause severe pain that sometimes includes ear pain.