Tooth Extractions

When a Tooth Can't Be Saved

Removing a tooth is the last option, not the first. Before we get there we look at whether a filling, a crown, or root canal treatment can keep it — a natural tooth in place is better for the bone, the bite, and the teeth either side of it than anything we can put in its place.

Extraction becomes the right answer when:

• Decay or a fracture has destroyed too much of the tooth for a restoration to hold
• Infection has spread beyond what root canal treatment can resolve
• Advanced gum disease has left the tooth without enough bone support
• A wisdom tooth is impacted, repeatedly infected, or damaging the tooth next to it
• Crowding needs to be relieved before orthodontic treatment
• A baby tooth is blocking the adult tooth coming through behind it

What Happens on the Day

The area is numbed with local anaesthetic. For a tooth that is fully visible above the gumline, the extraction is a matter of loosening it and lifting it out — you'll feel firm pressure and hear some noise, but not pain. A tooth that's impacted or broken at the gumline needs a surgical extraction, which means a small incision to reach it and sometimes removing the tooth in sections.

Most single extractions take twenty to forty minutes including the numbing. We'll go through the aftercare with you before you leave and send it home in writing.

Healing and Aftercare

A blood clot forms in the socket and is what the healing is built on — protecting it for the first 24 hours is the single most important thing you can do. That means no rinsing, no spitting, no straws, and no smoking. Losing that clot causes dry socket, which is painful and needs another visit to settle.

• Bite gently on the gauze for 30–45 minutes to control bleeding
• Use an ice pack on the outside of the cheek for the first day to limit swelling
• Stick to soft food and lukewarm drinks for a day or two
• From day two, rinse gently with warm salt water a few times a day
• Keep brushing your other teeth normally, avoiding the socket itself

The gum usually closes over within one to two weeks. Call us if bleeding doesn't settle, if pain gets worse after day three rather than better, or if you develop a fever.

Replacing the Tooth

A gap doesn't stay a gap. The teeth either side gradually tip toward it, the opposing tooth drifts down, and the bone that used to support the root begins to resorb. That's worth planning for even if you don't act immediately.

The options are a dental implant, a bridge, or a removable partial denture, and the right one genuinely depends on the tooth, the bone, and your circumstances. We'll go through the trade-offs honestly rather than steering you to the most expensive one. Call (708) 974-1319 to talk it through.