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Pre-treatment

Your Guide to Tooth Extraction

What you need to know before you have a tooth taken out: why it may be needed, what happens, the risks, and the other options.

6 min read

Urgent help: who to contact

Call 999 or go to A&E now if you find it hard to breathe or swallow, if severe swelling spreads to your neck or eye, or if heavy bleeding does not stop after 30 minutes of firm pressure.

What is a tooth extraction?

A tooth extraction means taking a tooth out of the jawbone. Your dental team will always try to save a tooth first. They only suggest taking it out when saving it is no longer possible or sensible.

Most extractions are simple. They are done in the dental chair with a numbing injection (local anaesthetic). You stay awake, but the area will be fully numb. You should not feel pain, but you may feel some pressure.

Why might I need a tooth taken out?

Your dental team may suggest taking out a tooth for one of these reasons:

  • Severe decay. The tooth is too damaged to fix with a filling or crown.
  • Advanced gum disease. The bone that holds the tooth has been lost, and the tooth is loose.
  • Infection. You have a dental abscess that root canal treatment cannot treat. Antibiotics alone do not cure an abscess.
  • Broken tooth. The break goes too deep to repair.
  • Crowding. A tooth is taken out to make space for brace treatment (orthodontics).
  • Stuck tooth (impacted tooth). The tooth cannot fully come through the gum. This is common with wisdom teeth.

Your dental team will explain clearly why they suggest taking out your tooth.

What are my alternatives?

There may be other options, depending on your situation. Your dental team will talk them through with you:

  • Root canal treatment. This clears infection from inside the tooth and seals it. You can then keep the tooth.
  • A crown. This is a cap that fits over a broken or heavily filled tooth to protect it.
  • Gum treatment (periodontal therapy). Cleaning and regular care to control gum disease and keep the tooth.
  • No treatment. Sometimes it is fine to keep an eye on the tooth. But leaving an infected or badly broken tooth can lead to worse pain, spreading infection and more bone loss.

The right choice depends on your dental health, the state of the tooth and what you want. Your dental team will never push you to have a tooth out if another option suits you.

What happens during treatment?

Here is what to expect, step by step:

  1. Numbing injection (local anaesthetic). Your dental team numbs the area around the tooth with an injection. It may sting for a moment. The area goes fully numb within a few minutes.
  2. Loosening the tooth. Your dental team uses a small tool (an elevator) to gently loosen the tooth in its socket.
  3. Taking the tooth out. The tooth is held with special pliers (forceps). It is gently rocked to widen the socket, then lifted out.
  4. Care in the chair. You bite on a gauze pad to help stop the bleeding. Your dental team checks the socket. They may put in a stitch if needed.

Taking the tooth out usually takes 5 to 20 minutes. A harder extraction, such as a broken tooth or a stuck wisdom tooth, may take longer. You may sometimes be referred to an oral surgeon for these.

Risks and possible problems

Having a tooth out is common and usually safe. But like all dental treatment, it has some risks. Your dental team will talk about these with you before you agree to treatment.

Common (affect more than 1 in 10 people):

  • Soreness and swelling around the socket for 2–5 days
  • Some bleeding from the socket for up to 24 hours
  • A stiff jaw that makes it hard to open wide (trismus) for a few days

Uncommon (affect about 1 in 10 to 1 in 100 people):

  • Dry socket (alveolar osteitis). The blood clot in the socket breaks down. This causes an aching pain that starts around day 1–3. It affects about 1 in 20 routine extractions. It is much more common after surgery to remove lower wisdom teeth (up to about 3 in 10 cases). It is more common in smokers. It can be treated.
  • Infection that needs antibiotics
  • A small piece of root tip may sometimes be left behind. This happens if taking it out would do more harm than leaving it.

Rare (affect fewer than 1 in 100 people):

  • Damage to a nearby tooth or an existing filling or crown
  • Numbness of the lip, chin or tongue. This is usually short-term but rarely permanent. It is more common with lower wisdom teeth.
  • A broken jaw. This is extremely rare and mainly happens in older people with very dense bone.
  • A hole between the socket and the sinus above it (oro-antral communication). This mainly happens with upper back teeth. It usually heals on its own or with a small procedure.

After your extraction

You will get an aftercare leaflet with full instructions. The main points are:

  • Bite on the gauze pad for at least 30 minutes after you leave the practice.
  • Do not rinse your mouth or spit hard for 24 hours.
  • Do not drink through a straw for at least 48 hours.
  • Do not smoke for at least 48–72 hours. Smoking greatly raises the risk of dry socket.
  • Eat soft foods and chew on the other side.
  • Take painkillers from a pharmacy (ibuprofen or paracetamol) if you need them.
  • Adults: follow the dose on the packet. Children: use children's paracetamol or ibuprofen and give the dose on the packet for their age. Check with a pharmacist, dentist or doctor before you take ibuprofen if you have asthma, have had a stomach ulcer, have heart, kidney or liver problems, take blood-thinning medicines, or are pregnant.
  • From day 2, rinse gently with warm salt water 3–4 times a day. This keeps the socket clean.

The socket usually heals fully in 6–8 weeks. You will feel much more comfortable within the first week.

Replacing your tooth

Losing a tooth can change how you bite, eat and speak. Over time, nearby teeth can drift into the gap. The jawbone there can also shrink. Your dental team will talk to you about ways to replace the tooth:

  • Dental implant. A titanium root is placed in the jawbone, with a crown on top. This is the closest option to a natural tooth.
  • Dental bridge. A false tooth is fixed to the teeth on each side of the gap.
  • Partial denture. A removable plate that replaces one or more teeth.

Not every gap needs filling. This is often true of back teeth that do not show and do not affect your bite. Your dental team will advise you on what is right for you.

Questions to ask your dental team

  • Is there a real alternative to taking out this tooth?
  • How simple is my extraction likely to be?
  • What is the risk of numbness, and how long might it last?
  • Which way of replacing the tooth would suit me best?
  • How long will I need off work or away from hard exercise?

This leaflet is for general information only and does not replace professional dental advice. It is intended to support — not replace — the discussion with your dental team about your individual options, risks, and treatment plan. Treatment outcomes vary between patients depending on individual circumstances. Your dental team will confirm exact fees and what is suitable for your specific circumstances before you agree to any treatment.

Sources

Links checked 18 October 2026.

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For clinicians: Simple Extraction notes template, Surgical Extraction notes template.

Learn more about dental documentation on our blog or see Nosht pricing.

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