Surgical Dentistry

Tooth Extraction

A dental extraction is the process of removing a tooth from the mouth. A tooth may need to be extracted for a number of reasons, including extensive damage to a tooth due to trauma or decay, periodontal disease resulting in loose teeth or infection, as part of orthodontic treatment to improve appearance or bite, or because of impacted, non-functional or painful wisdom teeth. In most cases we use a local anaesthetic to numb the surrounding areas, so you can expect to feel a lot of pressure, but no pain, during the procedure.

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to come through the gums, usually between the ages of 18-25 years. In most cases there are a total of 4 wisdom teeth, however some people may have fewer or extra wisdom teeth. Sometimes wisdom teeth can only partially erupt through the gum into the mouth, or potentially remain under the gum entirely. This is called an impacted wisdom tooth, and although sometimes they may remain in place causing no trouble, other cases can lead to severe problems and must be extracted.
Some wisdom teeth are shaped or positioned favourably for straight forward extraction, however other wisdom teeth may need to be surgically removed if they are in a difficult position or have an unusual shape.

Many wisdom teeth extractions, including surgical extractions, can be completed under local anaesthetic in the dental chair.

If a case looks likely to be too difficult or complicated to be removed in the chair, or if you prefer to have the teeth removed under general anaesthetic, your dentist may refer you to a specialist Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is a titanium artificial tooth root that is inserted into the jaw bone as an option to replace one or multiple teeth. Once an implant is placed, one or more false teeth in various forms are then attached to the implant/s in order to restore function. Dental implants may be used in a range of cases, for example a single implant can be placed and restored with an artificial tooth (crown) to replace a single missing tooth, or in a case where all teeth are missing, especially in the lower jaw, two or more implants may be placed and a denture made to clip snugly to the implants (overdenture).

Although nothing in dentistry is as good as natural teeth, dental implants may offer improved stability and retention of dentures, prevention of bone loss in the jaw area, and the avoidance of using adjacent teeth for support. Implants do not move.

There are some cases where implants cannot be used to replace missing teeth, your dentist can discuss if implants are appropriate in your case.