We look before we talk about removal
Your dentist checks the tooth, the gum and bone around it and your bite, and takes a digital X-ray if it helps.
When a tooth might have to come out
Emergency Tooth Extraction in Mindarie
“Can’t you just take it out?” When a tooth has broken off near the gum, or the pain has gone on for days, it’s a fair thing to ask. Ring us on (08) 9407 7888 first. We’ll check whether it can be saved, and if it can’t, we’ll explain why before anything happens.
Before removal
Does it really have to come out?
Not always, and a phone call can’t decide it. Your dentist needs to see how much of the tooth is left and what’s happening around it.
There’s usually more than one option
A painful tooth can often be steadied, repaired or saved with root canal treatment. “Emergency” is about how soon we see you, not which treatment you’ll get.
The reasons come first
If removal is the right call, your dentist explains what they found, what happens on the day and what comes after, in everyday words.
Before you ring
What’s going on with the tooth
Say it in your own words. Pain, swelling, a break, an old repair that’s failed and your medical history all help us book the right length of appointment.
Where is it, when did it start, and does it wake you? Mention whether biting or hot and cold make it worse, and whether it’s changed suddenly.
Other options first
Can it be saved instead?
Sometimes removal is the sensible choice. It’s never our default answer to pain, though. Your dentist weighs up what’s left of the tooth and the other options, then asks what you’d like to do.
If the damage is limited and the rest of the tooth is sound, a filling or a crown can often save it.
On the day
From the first look to the plan
The examination always comes before any decision. If removal is right and you agree, it can sometimes happen at the same visit; if not, we’ll book another time.
You explain what happened.
When the pain or damage started, what’s changed since, and whether another dentist has already looked at it.
We check the tooth and everything around it.
Your dentist looks at the tooth, gums, jaw and bite, and checks for swelling, tenderness and looseness.
An X-ray to see the roots.
A digital X-ray shows the shape of the roots and the bone around them, which matters a great deal for removal.
You hear the options, then decide.
Saving it, watching it or taking it out, with the aftercare and likely cost of each, before anything begins.
Aftercare
The days either side of an extraction
Until we see you, protect the sore area and ring if anything changes. Afterwards, follow the instructions your dentist gives you for that tooth.
Chew on the other side, and don’t put anything sharp or any home remedy on the tooth or gum. If a piece of tooth or a filling came away, keep it and bring it in.
After an extraction, bite firmly on the gauze for as long as your dentist suggests. If it keeps oozing, swap in fresh gauze and hold steady pressure instead of checking the socket. Pain and swelling usually ease after 2–3 days, and the socket is mostly healed in about 2 weeks.
Pain that gets worse after a few days instead of better, a bad taste or smell, more swelling, a fever or bleeding that won’t settle can mean dry socket or an infection, so ring us. After sedation, don’t drive for 24 hours, and have an adult take you home and stay with you.
Risks to talk through first
Taking a tooth out is an invasive procedure. Risks include pain, swelling, bleeding, infection, dry socket, damage to nearby teeth or nerves, and changes in feeling, and they vary from tooth to tooth. Most people take 1–2 days off after a simple extraction, or 2–5 days after a surgical one. Ask which risks apply to you before you decide. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner. Results, risks, complications and recovery times vary between individuals.
Getting seen
Getting an urgent visit booked
Ring with what you’ve noticed, and we’ll find the right appointment. Booking doesn’t commit you to having the tooth out; that’s decided together, in the chair.
Call (08) 9407 7888Book onlineBook or call us
Call (08) 9407 7888, or use Book an Appointment if the tooth is sore but settled. Mention any swelling, injury or broken piece so we allow enough time.
How the cost is worked out
A simple extraction costs less than a surgical one, and saving the tooth is priced differently again. Your dentist gives you the likely fees after the examination and before any treatment. We accept private health fund claims.
Ringing outside our hours
Weekdays we open at 8am and close at 6pm, except Friday, when we close at 5pm. Saturday is 8am–1pm. When we’re closed, call (08) 9407 7888 for guidance, or healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for health advice.
Things to have ready
A list of your medicines, especially blood thinners, details of recent dental work, and any piece of tooth or crown that came away. First visit with us? There’s a short medical, dental and health fund form. Ring first if it’s urgent.
If removal isn’t the only answer
Where things go from here
Whichever way the examination goes, one of these pages covers the next part.
Extraction questions
Questions about having a tooth out
If you’re dreading the idea of losing a tooth, these answers cover how we decide, what the day involves and what healing usually looks like.
No, not necessarily. Pain or damage can often be treated by steadying the tooth, repairing it or root canal treatment. Your dentist checks how much healthy tooth is left and the gum and bone around it first, then explains what makes removal necessary, if it is.
Often, yes. A filling, a crown or root canal treatment can save a tooth that can be rebuilt. A deep crack, a lot of decay or weak support changes that. Ask your dentist to show you what’s left of the tooth before you agree to removal.
What you’ve noticed and what’s changed, then the tooth, gums, jaw and bite, and the teeth either side. Bring your medicine list, and mention any injury or earlier treatment on that tooth.
Usually, yes, before a tooth comes out. A digital X-ray shows the shape of the roots and the bone around them, which affects how the tooth is removed. It uses less radiation than older film. Mention if you’re pregnant.
Blood thinners and anything else that affects bleeding, medicines that affect your immune system, allergies, pregnancy, diabetes, heart conditions, and any recent antibiotics. These help your dentist plan safely. Bring an up-to-date list, and don’t stop a prescribed medicine unless your doctor tells you to.
Sometimes. It comes down to the examination, the tooth and your medical history. The visit might end with the tooth out, a temporary fix to settle it, or a second appointment booked. We can’t promise removal that day, but we’ll be clear about why.
Bite on the gauze for as long as your dentist suggests, rest, and follow the written aftercare. Pain and swelling usually ease after 2–3 days, and most people need a day or two off. Pain that gets worse after a few days, a bad taste or pain that spreads can be dry socket and needs a check. Don’t eat until the numbness wears off; after sedation, don’t drive for 24 hours and have a responsible adult take you home.
Ring us if bleeding doesn’t settle with firm pressure on fresh gauze, if pain or swelling is getting worse, or if you notice a fever, a bad taste or pus. Trouble breathing, speaking or swallowing, marked face or neck swelling, or bleeding that won’t stop needs 000 or the nearest emergency department. Your dentist will tell you which warning signs matter after your extraction.
We can’t give a figure until we know what’s involved. There’s the examination and X-ray, then either the extraction or the treatment that saves the tooth. Your dentist goes through the likely fees with you first, and our payment options page explains ways to spread the cost.
