Services
Wisdom Teeth Removal & tooth extractions
While we will always do whatever it takes to save a tooth, an extraction is sometimes unavoidable. An impacted wisdom tooth, severely decayed teeth, advanced periodontal disease, a poorly positioned tooth that simply can’t be corrected or a tooth that is too damaged for repair – these are all reasons why a tooth will need to be extracted.
It’s never fun to have a tooth removed, but Dr. Galatis is exceptionally gentle and will do everything in his power to make sure your experience is as pain-free as possible. He will also give you expert and caring advice about the next steps where relevant.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth can be tricky – your jaw may not be large enough to accommodate them, which causes them to become impacted, which can be very painful and lead to infection. Your wisdom teeth can also just break through the jawline without growing fully and this can cause a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. If this happens, there’s a danger of gum infections if food and germs get trapped under the flap.
Wisdom teeth can also cause infection and damage to the neighbouring teeth and bone, and even the development of a cyst. They also sometimes grow at an awkward angle – facing the wrong way.
When any of these things happens, tooth extraction is the only remedy.
How to Deal With a Dry Socket
If a blood clot doesn’t form, or has been dislodged then the healing process is delayed. You’ll know if this is happening by the dull, throbbing pain where the tooth was extracted. It can also cause a bad taste in your mouth or bad breath. If this happens, get hold of Dr. Galatis so he can place a medicated dressing to the dry socket. You’ll need to be very careful to follow the post-extraction rules so that your mouth is given the opportunity to heal properly.
What to Expect from a Tooth Extraction
Your tooth, jawbone and gums that surround the tooth will be numbed with a local anaesthetic. Then Dr. Galatis will gently rock your tooth back and forth to widen the socket. You’ll feel some pressure, but no pain. It’s a relatively quick procedure – if your tooth is too firmly embedded in the socket due to a curved root or very tight socket, Dr. Galatis may need to remove the tooth in sections. He will cut the tooth up and remove it piece by piece. There won’t be any additional pain, it’ll just take a little longer.
Caring for Your Mouth After a Tooth Extraction
It’s very common for your mouth to bleed after an extraction. Dr. Galatis will place a piece of moist gauze over the area and it’s best to bite down on it for around 45 minutes. Usually after this amount of time, a clot will form over the socket. Be careful not to dislodge this clot – so stick to soft foods and don’t chew on that side of your mouth. Don’t smoke, use a straw, drink hot liquids or rinse and spit for 24 hours. Use an ice-pack on your face for 10 minutes at a time to reduce swelling. If you need to, an over-the counter painkiller should help with the pain.
After 24 hours, be gentle with your mouth but do floss the surrounding teeth and rinse with salt water after meals and before bedtime.
You’ll be able to feel a hole where the tooth was, but this will smooth out and fill in with bone in a few weeks to a month. After a week or two, you’ll be able to eat normally however.
