Surgical Tooth Extractions
Are impacted or broken teeth causing you pain and affected your oral health? Do you have a problematic wisdom tooth at risk of infection? We can protect and restore your healthy smile with a specialist surgical extraction – book your appointment today.
Why have a surgical tooth extraction?
Immediate relief from pain, infection, and inflammation.
Prevent any damage to surrounding healthy teeth.
Advanced specialist treatment for complex or high risk cases.
Complete removal of shattered or impacted teeth.
Make space in your jaw for orthodontic or implant treatment.
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What is a surgical tooth extraction?
A surgical tooth extraction is required when your case is too complex or high-risk for a standard extraction. It is carried out by a specialist oral surgeon to provide fast relief from problematic or infected teeth, and involves making an incision in your gum to access and extract the tooth.
Surgical extractions are usually necessary for impacted, severely broken, and root-damaged teeth, and help avoid complications in the future. We can also use the surgical procedure for cases where infected bone or gum tissue needs to be removed alongside the tooth.
What does a surgical tooth extraction involve?
Consultation
If you need a tooth taken out, we initially see you for a consultation to ensure a surgical extraction is suitable. We discuss the procedure in detail with you and give you a chance to ask any questions. We may also take an X-ray of your mouth to determine exactly how your tooth is growing and the best way to remove it.
Preparation
On the day of your surgery, we make sure you are feeling relaxed and ready. In most cases, we use local anaesthetic to numb the affected area in your mouth and minimise any discomfort, but sedation or general anaesthetic can be used.
Extraction
We make a small incision in your gum to access your tooth, especially if it is impacted or broken off. In some cases, we need to remove some bone around your tooth, or cut the tooth itself so it can be successfully extracted. We then loosen it until it is easily able to be removed.
Recovery
Some teeth are extracted very easily and do not need stitches, but in some cases, we place dissolvable stitches to close the gum effectively. We give you some personalised aftercare advice, including how to manage swelling and recommendations on what to eat for the next few days.
Frequently asked questions
We use local anaesthetic to numb the area, so you shouldn’t feel pain during the procedure. You may experience some discomfort or soreness afterward, which can be managed with medication prescribed by your oral surgeon.
Recovery time varies depending on the complexity of the surgery and your individual healing process. Most people experience significant healing within a few weeks. Stitches are usually dissolvable so there is no need to return to have them removed.
If you have private medical insurance, you will almost certainly find they will cover you fully for surgical tooth removal. Your policy should cover hospital costs, surgeon’s fees and, where applicable, anaesthetist’s fees. If you do not have medical insurance but want to have this treatment carried out privately, there are a number of options to pay for yourself – please contact us to find out more.
Surgical tooth removal can take anywhere from around 30-90 minutes, depending on the size and if it is particularly impacted or difficult to remove. You will get a better idea of how long your treatment will take at your first appointment.
