Extraction may involve removing one or more teeth. You may be asked to take antibiotics before the procedure on certain condition. You will get a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth so you do not feel pain. Your dentist may loosen the tooth in the gum using a tooth removal instrument called an elevator. Your dentist will then place forceps around the tooth and pull the tooth out from the gum.

Before the Procedure

Tell your dentist about any medicines you take, including over-the-counter medicines, and about your medical history. A tooth extraction can introduce bacteria into the bloodstream. So be sure to tell your dentist if you have or have had conditions that may make you prone to infection. These may include:

• Heart disease
• Liver disease
• Weakened immune system
• Recent surgery, including heart surgery and bone and joint procedures that involve metal hardware

Should you need a more complex tooth extraction, our surgeon may have to cut a flap of gum tissue and remove some surrounding bone. The tooth will be removed with forceps. If it is hard to remove, the tooth may be sectioned (broken) into pieces.

After your tooth is removed, our dentist will clean out the gum socket and smooth out the bone that is left and the gum may need to be closed with one or more stitches, also called sutures. Thereafter, you will be asked to bite down on a damp piece of gauze to stop the bleeding.

After the Procedure

You may go home shortly after the procedure.

• You will have gauze in your mouth to stop the bleeding. This will also help a blood clot to form. The clot fills the socket as the bone grows back in.
• Your lips and cheek may be numb, but this will wear off in a few hours.
• You may be give an ice pack for your cheek area to help keep swelling down.
• As the numbing medicine wears off, you may begin to feel pain. Your dentist will recommend pain relievers, such as ibuprofen/ ponstan or you may be given a prescription for pain medicine.
• Complete antibiotics or other medicines as prescribed.
• You can apply a cold compress 10 to 20 minutes at a time to your cheek to reduce swelling and pain. Use ice in a towel or a cold pack. Do not place ice directly on the skin.
• Avoid doing too much physical activity for the first couple of days.
• Do not smoke.
• Chew on the other side of your mouth, eat soft foods until the wound heals. Avoid hard and crunchy foods for 1 week.
• Do not drink from a straw for at least 24 hours. This can disturb the blood clot in the hole where the tooth was, causing bleeding and pain. This is called dry socket.
• Begin gently brushing and flossing your other teeth the day after your surgery.
• Avoid the area near the open socket for at least 3 days. Avoid touching it with your tongue.
• You may rinse and spit starting about 3 days after surgery.
• The stitches may loosen (this is normal) and will dissolve on their own.
• Follow up with your dentist as directed for stiches removal or any unusual pain

You should call us if you have:

• Signs of infection, including feveror chills
• Severe swelling or pus from the extraction site
• Continued pain several hours after extraction
• Excessive bleeding several hours after extraction
• The blood clot in the socket falls out (dry socket) days after the extraction, causing pain

Rash or hives, Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain or trouble swallowing