The removal of a tooth from your mouth is known as an extraction. These are generally performed when a tooth is damaged, decayed or because of gum disease. Occasionally it is necessary to remove children’s teeth for orthodontic reasons i.e. to help new or remaining teeth grow correctly.
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to come through- usually in a patient’s late teens or early twenties. By the time they do come through there is not always enough room in the mouth for them to grow properly or without displacing other teeth.
Because of this lack of space, your wisdom teeth might grow at angle, get stuck or only partially emerge- this is known as ‘impacted wisdom teeth’ and may need to be removed if they begin to cause problems. Your dentist will advise on whether your wisdom teeth need to be removed or not.
Dr Nuno Santos was brilliant. I’ve been terrified of the dentist since I was a child but he put me at ease and I never felt a thing!
My tooth had been bothering me for ages. Gracefield solved the problem quickly and painlessly.
My wisdom tooth was impacted and I was afraid that getting it taken out would be painful. My dentist at Gracefield handled it with no problem.
A tooth extraction is a fairly straightforward process. On average it will take your dentist 10 to 15 minutes to numb the affected area. The extraction process itself usually takes an additional 5 to 15 minutes.
Wisdom teeth may take longer to extract depending on whether or not they are impacted and to what degree.
There are many variables that affect the amount of pain you may potentially feel when you have a tooth extracted. However, all Gracefield dentists are highly trained in the most up-to-date techniques and procedures to help minimise any discomfort. Sedation is also available for patients who are especially wary.
How soon you can eat specific foods after an extraction vary on the extent of the procedure but, generally speaking, you may be restricted to soft foods for the first 24 hours. These restrictions may vary if wisdom teeth are extracted due to the more involved procedure.
Your dentist will be able to give you more specific details on the day depending on the type of extraction that was performed.
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