Dental Surgery
Exams, Cleaning, X-Rays, & Sealants
Wisdom Teeth
Sometimes there may not be room in your mouth for your wisdom teeth and, as they start to come through, they push against the teeth already there or may start to come through at an angle. When this happens, you might feel some pain or discomfort, so the best thing to do is to visit your dentist.
The dentist will probably need to conduct oral surgery and take an x-ray of your mouth to see how – or if – your wisdom teeth are coming through. From this, they will be able to make a judgement on whether tooth extraction is required, and how easy or difficult it might be.
Tooth Extraction
Having a tooth out is the same as having an operation and, because of this, you must look after the area to speed healing and to reduce the risk of infection. Here are some pointers:
For the first 24 hours after your oral surgery, you should try to avoid eating hot food, don’t smoke, don’t drink any alcohol, This is so you do not disturb any blood clot which might have formed.
Don’t rinse your mouth for 24 hours after the extraction. After that, rinse gently with warm salty water – half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water is enough.
Brush your teeth as normal to keep your mouth as clean as possible. You may feel some small pieces of bone work their way out of the socket – don’t worry, this is perfectly normal.
There may be some swelling and a bit of discomfort in the first two to three days. If you need to, take some ordinary painkillers – aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol will be fine.
If you feel pain a few days after the tooth has been removed, it might be where the blood clot has broken down, leaving an empty hole in the gum. This is called a ‘dry socket’ and will need to be looked at by your dentist. Simply go back, and the dentist will pack the wound to ease your discomfort.
Book Appointment
We cover a variety of treatment options, please contact us today to book an appointment where our professional and friendly dentists will assess your concerns and recommend the best treatment options available.