Tooth extraction in Antalya, Turkey

When a tooth needs to come out

• The tooth is broken or cracked below the gum line.
• Decay is so deep that the tooth cannot be rebuilt.
• Advanced gum disease has destroyed the bone that holds it.
• A root canal treatment has failed and retreatment is not possible.
• A wisdom tooth causes repeated infection or damages the tooth in front.

Extraction is not undone. Before removing a tooth we check whether root canal treatment, a crown or gum treatment can keep it predictably.

Simple or surgical extraction?

Your dentist decides on the X-ray or 3D scan which type you need. Both are done under local anaesthesia: you feel pressure, but not sharp pain.

Wisdom teeth

Not every wisdom tooth has to come out. A healthy wisdom tooth that has come through fully and can be cleaned can stay. Removal is advised when a partly erupted tooth causes repeated gum infections, when it is decayed, when it damages the tooth in front or when a cyst forms around it.

Lower wisdom teeth can lie close to the nerve that gives feeling to the lip, chin and tongue. The 3D scan shows how close. Temporary numbness after removal occurs in a small share of patients; permanent numbness is rare, well under 1 %. Upper wisdom teeth sit close to the sinus, which your dentist also checks on the scan.

Keeping the bone for a future implant

After an extraction the jawbone shrinks, fastest in the first 3–6 months; the ridge can lose up to about half of its width within the first year. That can make a later implant harder to place. Socket preservation reduces this: bone graft material is placed in the empty socket and covered with a membrane or collagen, and the site heals for about 3–6 months before the implant. See bone graft and sinus lift.

When the bone is intact and there is no active infection, the implant can sometimes be placed in the same session as the extraction. Whether that is safe for you is decided on the 3D scan.

Flying after an extraction

Most patients can fly the day after a simple extraction. After a surgical or wisdom tooth extraction, book your flight after the check-up your dentist schedules. When an upper back tooth is removed, its roots can be close to the sinus; if an opening into the sinus is found, it is closed and you will be told how long to wait before flying and to avoid blowing your nose. Drink water during the flight and keep painkillers in your hand luggage.

Dry socket

A dry socket happens when the blood clot in the socket breaks down or is lost and the bone is exposed. It usually starts 2–4 days after the extraction, with throbbing pain that can spread to the ear and a bad taste. It occurs after about 1–5 % of routine extractions and more often after lower wisdom teeth. Smoking, a difficult extraction and an earlier dry socket raise the risk.

It is treated by rinsing the socket and placing a soothing dressing; the pain usually eases within 1–2 days and the socket heals over the following weeks. Antibiotics are not normally needed.

Other risks

• Bleeding, especially if you take blood thinners. Do not stop them yourself; we agree the plan with you and, if needed, your doctor.
• Swelling, bruising and stiffness of the jaw for a few days.
• Infection of the socket.
• Damage to a filling or crown on the neighbouring tooth.
• Numbness after lower wisdom teeth, and an opening into the sinus after upper back teeth.
• Delayed bone healing if you take bisphosphonates for osteoporosis or have had radiotherapy to the head and neck. Tell us about these before treatment.

Aftercare: the first days

• Bite on the gauze for 30–45 minutes.
• On the first day do not rinse, spit forcefully, drink through a straw or smoke.
• Use a cold pack on the cheek, 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off, for the first hours.
• Eat soft, lukewarm food and chew on the other side.
• From the second day rinse gently with warm salt water after meals.
• Avoid alcohol, sauna and heavy exercise for 48 hours.
• Contact us if bleeding does not stop with firm pressure, swelling grows after day 3 or you develop a fever.

Replacing the tooth

A missing back tooth lets the neighbouring teeth tilt and the opposite tooth drift into the gap, so in most cases the tooth should be replaced. Wisdom teeth are the exception.

• Dental implant — after 3–6 months of healing, or in selected cases on the same day.
• Bridge — usually once the gum has healed, often after 2–3 months; a temporary can fill the gap meanwhile.
• Partial denture — can be fitted on the day of extraction and relined as the gum heals.

The cost depends on whether the extraction is simple or surgical, the number of teeth and whether a bone graft is placed. See prices.