Tooth extraction,
done properly.
Including impacted wisdom teeth and roots fractured below the gum line — the cases many general practices refer out. Dr. Engelhardt’s oral surgery training means they are handled here.
Simple, or surgical.
A simple extraction is for a tooth that has fully erupted and is reachable. It is gently loosened and removed with minimal instrumentation. Most take between twenty and forty-five minutes from the anaesthetic going in to the tooth being out.
A surgical extraction is for teeth that are impacted, broken, or fractured below the gum line. It involves a small incision to reach the tooth. These generally take forty-five to ninety minutes.
In both cases the socket is cleaned thoroughly once the tooth is out, which reduces the risk of infection and gives the site the best chance of healing cleanly.
When extraction is the answer
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- Teeth fractured below the gum line
- Decay too extensive to restore
- Severe infection that has destroyed the tooth
- Advanced gum disease leaving a tooth unsupported
- Preparation before implants or dentures
Simple, or surgical.
Nothing starts until you are numb.
Local anaesthesia is fully administered before any instrument is used, and we proceed only once the area is completely numb. That is not a courtesy, it is the procedure.
Full local anaesthesia
Administered and given time to work before anything begins. If you can still feel the area, say so and we wait.
Sedation available
For anxious patients and for more complex surgical cases, sedation options are available. Ask when you book.
Atraumatic technique
The approach prioritises preserving the surrounding bone and soft tissue — which matters enormously if an implant is planned later.
Some medications change the plan.
This is the part people forget to mention, and it genuinely matters.
Blood thinners affect bleeding during and after an extraction. Bisphosphonates — often prescribed for osteoporosis — affect how jawbone heals and can change how an extraction is approached.
Neither necessarily prevents treatment. Both change how it is planned. Bring a list of what you take to the consultation, including anything over the counter, and tell us about recent surgery or ongoing medical treatment.
What happens next
You leave with detailed post-operative instructions, written as well as spoken, covering how to look after the socket while it heals.
We also talk about what replaces the tooth. Removing a tooth without a plan for the gap leaves you with bone loss and teeth drifting into the space.
The thing to actually avoid.
Dry socket is the most common complication after an extraction. It typically develops two to four days afterwards, when the blood clot protecting the socket is dislodged before the site has healed.
Prevention is straightforward, and almost entirely in your hands for the first two to three days.
- No smoking for at least 48 to 72 hours
- No drinking through a straw — the suction is the problem
- No vigorous rinsing or spitting
- Follow the written instructions you are given
- Call us if pain worsens rather than easing after day two
Answered honestly.
How long does an extraction take?
Will it hurt?
What is dry socket, and how do I prevent it?
Do I need to replace the tooth?
Can I have sedation?
I take blood thinners. Can I still have a tooth out?
Can I drive myself home?
In pain, or been told it has to come out?
Call and we’ll look at whether the tooth can be saved — and if it genuinely can’t, plan the removal and the replacement together.