We provide a full range of dental treatment from fillings to veneers and extractions to implants. Please contact us for further information or an appointment.

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             26 Lakelands Park,

             Dublin 6W,

             Co. Dublin

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            01-4926000

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If a tooth has been broken or damaged by decay, your dentist will try to fix it with a filling, crown or other dental treatment. But when there's too much damage for the tooth to be repaired, the tooth may need to be extracted — or removed — from its socket in the bone.

Beyond damage and decay, here are some other common reasons for tooth removal:

• Some people have extra teeth that block other teeth from coming in.

   Sometimes baby teeth don't fall out in time to allow the permanent teeth to come in.

   People getting braces may need teeth extracted to create room for the teeth that are being moved into place.

   People receiving radiation to the head and neck may need to have teeth in the field of radiation extracted.

   People receiving cancer drugs may develop infected teeth because these drugs weaken the immune system. Infected teeth may need to be extracted.

Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are often extracted either before or after they erupt in the mouth. They commonly come in during the late teens or early 20’s. They need to be removed if they are decayed, infected, or if there is not enough room in the mouth.

There are two types of extractions:

 A simple extraction

This is performed on a tooth that can be seen in the mouth. General dentists commonly do simple extractions. In a simple extraction, the dentist loosens the tooth with an instrument called an elevator. Then the dentist uses an instrument called forceps to remove the tooth.

A surgical extraction

This is a more complex procedure, which is used if a tooth may have broken off at the gum line or has not erupted in the mouth. Oral maxillofacial surgeons typically perform this procedure, though general dentists can also perform them. The doctor makes a small incision (cut) into your gum to surgically remove the broken tooth or impacted wisdom tooth. It may be necessary to remove some of the bone around the tooth or to cut the tooth in half in order to extract it.

 Most simple extractions can be done using just an injection (a local anesthetic); you may or may not receive drugs to help you relax. For a surgical extraction, you will receive a local anesthetic, and you may also have anesthesia through a vein (intravenous). Some people — such as patients with specific medical or behavioral conditions and young children — may need general anesthesia.

 If you are receiving conscious sedation, you may be given steroids, as well as other medicines in your intravenous sedation line. The steroids help to reduce pain and swelling after the procedure.

During a tooth extraction, you can expect to feel pressure, but no pain. If you feel any pain or pinching, tell your dentist.

Having a tooth taken out is a surgical procedure. You can expect some mild discomfort even after simple extractions. Research has shown that taking drugs that include ibuprofen, such as Advil, Motrin and others, can greatly decrease pain after a tooth extraction. Take the dose your doctor recommends, 3 to 4 times a day. Take the first pills before the local anesthesia wears off, and continue taking the mediations for 3-4 days following or as your dentist has recommended.

Surgical extractions generally cause more pain after the procedure than simple extractions. The level of discomfort and how long it lasts will depend on how difficult it was to remove the tooth. Your dentist may prescribe pain medicine for a few days. Most pain disappears after a couple of days.

Here are a few tips to help minimize your discomfort and speed recovery:

• You can put ice packs on your face to reduce swelling. Typically, they are left on for 20 minutes at a time and removed for 20 minutes. If your jaw is sore and stiff after the swelling goes away, try warm compresses.

   Eat soft and cool foods for a few days.

   A gentle rinse with warm salt water, started 24 hours after the surgery, can help to keep the area clean. Use one-half teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. Most swelling and bleeding ends within a day or two after the surgery. Complete healing takes at least two weeks.

   You should not smoke, use a straw or spit after surgery. These actions can pull the blood clot out of the hole where the tooth was.

If you need stitches, your doctor may use the kind that dissolves on their own. This usually takes one to two weeks. Rinsing with warm salt water will help the stitches to dissolve. Some stitches need to be removed by the dentist or surgeon.

Call your dentist or oral surgeon if:

• The swelling gets worse, instead of better.

   You have fever, chills or redness.

   You have trouble swallowing.

   You have uncontrolled bleeding in the area.

   The area continues to ooze or bleed after the first 24 hours.

   Your tongue, chin or lip feels numb more than 3 to 4 hours after the procedure.

   The extraction site becomes very painful -- This may be a sign that you have developed a dry socket.

Root canal is a treatment to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth instead of removing it. The procedure involves removing the damaged area of the tooth (the pulp) and cleaning and disinfecting it, then filling and sealing it. The common causes affecting the pulp are a cracked tooth, a deep cavity, repeated dental treatment to the tooth or trauma to it. The term "root canal" comes from cleaning of the canals inside the tooth's root.

Decades ago, root canal treatments were painful. With dental advances and local anesthetics, most people have little if any pain with a root canal today

Root canal treatment consists of a number of steps that take place over several office visits, depending on the situation. These steps are:

The endodontist examines and x-rays the tooth, then local anesthesia is administered to the affected tooth.

A dental dam is usually placed over the affected tooth to isolate it and keep it free from saliva.

The endodontist makes an opening through the back of a front tooth or the crown of a molar or pre-molar to remove the diseased pulp, called a pulpectomy.

Next, the pulp chamber and root canals are cleaned and shaped in preparation for a filling.

The endodontist fills the root canal with gutta percha material.

If more than one visit is needed, a temporary filling is placed in the crown opening to protect the tooth between dental visits. The temporary filling is removed and the pulp chamber and root canal are permanently filled with gutta percha into each of the canals and is sealed in place with cement. Sometimes a metal or plastic rod is placed in the canal for structural support. In the final step, a crown is usually placed over the tooth to restore its natural shape and appearance. If the tooth is broken, a post may be required to build it up prior to placing a crown.

Many people worry that a root canal will be painful, something that was true in the past. Today, with advanced anesthesia options and surgical techniques - a root canal is as comfortable as getting a filling. An infected tooth (pre-root canal), is usually what causes tooth pain, and a root canal is the solution to this problem. In fact, infected tooth pulp can cause a tooth abscess and can destroy the bone surrounding the tooth.

A treated and restored tooth can last a lifetime with proper care. Root canals have a high success rate and are significantly less expensive than the alternative, tooth extraction and replacement with a bridge or implant.

But tooth decay can still occur in treated teeth, so good oral hygiene and regular dental exams are necessary to prevent further problems.

To determine the success or failure of root canal treatment, dentists typically compare new X-rays with those taken prior to treatment. This comparison will show whether bone continues to be lost or is being regenerated.

 Sometimes root canals are not successful because an infection develops inside the tooth, or the original infection was not fully removed. In these cases, an apicoectomy, a procedure where the infection and the root tip are removed and a filling placed, is done. Other times a second root canal is recommended.