90 Heath Road, Twickenham TW1 4BW
General & Cosmetic Dentistry
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90 Heath Road, Twickenham TW1 4BW
I was extremely anxious about having a wisdom tooth extracted and Mike suggested the option of "conscious sedation" to help me through it. I was delighted with the result. The anaesthetist and surgeon were both kind and calm and explained everything to me at the beginning. I was completely unaware of the procedure at the time and have had no memory of it since. I was soon back at home where I had a good sleep for a few hours and then had no after effects whatsoever. I didn't even need to take a painkiller.
Many people have to have a tooth removed at some stage of their lives. Some people need to have their wisdom teeth removed, usually because they are growing in the wrong direction and causing problems. Sometimes teeth are over-crowded, and some may need to be extracted as part of orthodontic (tooth straightening) treatment. Gum disease can cause teeth to become loose in the later stages, which may mean they need to be extracted, and sometimes teeth can simply become too damaged, either accidentally or through decay, and need to be taken out.
We are fortunate enough to be able to offer the services of Specialist Oral Surgeons so patients requiring extractions are in very good hands.
The procedure for an extraction is usually very simple from a patient's perspective. We numb your tooth and the surrounding area so you feel no pain. We then hold the tooth firmly and ease it out. There is usually a little bleeding so we place a gauze pad in the tooth socket and ask you to bite down on it for about half an hour, after which it can be thrown away.
In the case of wisdom tooth extractions, you may have some swelling after the procedure and discomfort that can be eased with over-the-counter painkillers. In cases of advanced gum disease or periodontitis, antibiotics will be prescribed to reduce the risk of further infection.