Removal of teeth

Why Teeth need to be remove

When a tooth is severely damaged it may need to be removed. Wisdom teeth often fail to emerge in proper alignment and become entrapped or impacted between the jaw bone and gum tissue. This can cause swelling, pain and infection of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth and may need to be surgically removed.

What’s involved?

The procedure involves the dentist taking an X-ray. This helps to determine the shape of the roots and any difficulty that is likely to occur.

A local anaesthetic is then given to numb the area.  This prevents pain during the procedure but the patient will feel pressure applied to the tooth.

After the tooth is removed you will bite down on some gauze placed over the wound to stop any bleeding.

Your dentist will give you advice regarding aftercare and a prescription or painkillers if necessary.

In most cases the recovery period lasts only a few days. This can be helped by:

• Avoiding smoking.
• Eating soft foods.
• No rinsing for 24 hours.
• Keeping the area clean with gentle brushing.