Extraction (Oral Surgery)

We would love to save teeth but sometimes a tooth has to be removed from its socket due to damage beyond its repair or from weakened surrounding support (gum and bone).

At Smiles on Lawrence Dental, your comfort comes first.  We will work with you to ensure your comfort during your oral surgery procedure (extraction), including the use of numbing agents.  Local anesthetics will be delivered prior to the procedure.  Also, we have nitrous sedation service (laughing gas) available if it is needed to make you more comfortable.

After the surgery:

The length of time your mouth stays numb will depend on the type of freezing (or anesthetic).  When your mouth is numb, be careful not to bite on your cheek, lip or tongue.  The numbness should go away within a few hours.  Some soreness or discomfort at the site of the surgery may last for few days.  Your dentist may prescribe pain medications (analgesic) to dull the pain with or without medicine to prevent the infection (antibiotic). Call your dentist if the pain does not get better within 24 hours.

You will probably bleed for the first one to two hours after surgery.  It is important to keep firm and constant pressure on the area of surgery with a gauze pad.  If you are still bleeding after one hour, put a new gauze pad on the area.  After few hours, if you cannot control the bleeding by pressing firmly on the gauze pad, call your dentist.

Do not rinse your mouth within the first 24 hours.  Do not suck on the wound.  Avoid hot liquids, like coffee and tea.  Avoid alcohol and tobacco for the first two weeks of surgery.  They will delay healing.

On the first day of surgery, you may use a cold compress on the swollen area.  To make a cold compress, wrap ice cubes in a towel, or use a bag of frozen vegetables such as peas.  Keep the cold compress there for 10 minutes and take it off for 10 minutes.  You may repeat these procedures for few hours.