Our Services

Extractions

dentists performing extractions

At Andrew Scott Dental Care we understand that the patients will face an extraction with some trepidation however we aim to make this experience as pleasant as possible. The environment is a key factor to allowing you to take your mind off the treatment you will receive and therefore we have a television on mounted on the ceiling so that you can pick a channel to watch whilst the treatment is undertaken.

Andrew Scott is experienced in carrying out more complex extractions and therefore he is able to undertake surgical extractions where required.

Having an extraction can be stressful and therefore you may have forgotten the advice that your dentist gave you or lost the sheet telling you how to care for your mouth after the extraction.

Below is advice on how to care for your mouth over the next week.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns.

POST EXTRACTION ADVICE

The following steps will help prevent bleeding and relieve soreness:

FIRST FEW HOURS:

Avoid hot food or drinks until the anaesthetic wears off. This is important as you cannot feel pain properly and may burn or scald your mouth. Also be careful not to chew your cheek. This is quite a common problem, which can happen when there is no feeling.

REST:

Rest for a few hours following treatment and avoid strenuous exercise and keep your head raised for a period of time, sleeping with an extra pillow to minimise bleeding.

RINSING:

Do not rinse for at least 24 hours. It is important to allow the socket to heal, and you must be careful not to damage the blood clot by eating on that side or letting your tongue disturb it. This can allow infection into the socket and affect healing. For several days following treatment rinse your mouth gently after meals and before retiring using a mouthwash made by dissolving 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water.

Hold the solution in your mouth for several minutes, discard and repeat 2-3 times.

FOOD:

Avoid hot fluids, alcohol, hard or chewy foods. Choose cool drinks and soft or minced foods. Avoid sucking at or interfering with the wound.

BLEEDING:

The first thing to remember is that there may be some slight bleeding for the first day or so. Many people are concerned about the amount of bleeding. This is due to the fact that a small amount of blood is mixed with a larger amount of saliva, which looks more dramatic than it is.

If you do notice bleeding, do not rinse out, but apply pressure to the socket. Bite firmly on a folded piece of clean cotton material such as a handkerchief for at least 15 minutes. Make sure this is placed directly over the extraction site and that the pad is replaced if necessary.

If the bleeding has not stopped after an hour, phone us on 01224 806700. If we are closed there will be a recorded message with the number of the on-call dentist. You may have to leave a message on an answerphone however the dentist should get back to you within a few hours. If you are concerned about the amount of bleeding and have not been able to get in touch with the on-call dentist call NHS24 on 111.

PAIN:

Use pain relief as per your dentists instructions. Sometimes an infection can get in the socket, which can be very painful. This is where there is little or no blood clot in the tooth socket and the bony socket walls are exposed and become infected. This is called a dry socket and in some cases is worse than the original toothache! In this case, it is important to see your dentist, who may place a dressing in the socket and prescribe a course of antibiotics to help relieve the infection. You may also feel the sharp edge of the socket with your tongue and sometimes small pieces of bone may work their way to the surface of the socket. This is perfectly normal.

If excessive bleeding, undue pain or other symptoms occur contact us for advice without delay.

Opening Times

Mon - Wed : 9.00 - 5:30pm
Thursday : 9.00 - 7.00pm
Fri - Sat : 9.00 - 3.00pm
Sunday : Closed
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Website last updated 15th March, 2024 at 13:56 pm | GDC Website