Having a tooth removed

The area around the tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic. The tooth is then loosened and lifted out. Some teeth come out in one piece; others are sectioned and removed in parts, which is normal and often gentler on the surrounding bone. Occasionally a small cut in the gum is needed to reach the tooth, and a stitch or two afterwards. You'll feel firm pressure but shouldn't feel sharpness — tell us straight away if you do.

• Dry socket — where the blood clot is lost and the bone is exposed, giving severe pain two to four days later. Smoking is the biggest single cause. It's treatable, but it means coming back in.
• Bleeding that continues or restarts, particularly if you take blood thinners.
• Infection in the socket, sometimes needing antibiotics.
• Bruising and jaw stiffness, and difficulty opening wide for several days.
• Nerve injury for lower back teeth, where a nerve runs close to the roots. This can leave numbness or tingling of the lip, chin or tongue. It is uncommon, usually settles over weeks to months, and is rarely permanent.
• An opening into the sinus for upper back teeth, whose roots can sit against the sinus floor. This may need a stitch and a period of care, and occasionally further treatment.
• A root tip left behind — sometimes deliberately, because removing a fragment sitting against a nerve or sinus would do more harm than leaving it.
• Damage to neighbouring teeth, fillings or crowns, especially where they are heavily restored or the teeth are crowded.
• Jaw joint soreness from holding your mouth open, and rarely a jaw fracture where bone is very thin.
• Delayed healing if you smoke, take medication affecting bone, or have a condition affecting healing.
• Losing the tooth changes the space — neighbouring teeth can drift or over-erupt, and bone gradually shrinks where the tooth used to be, which affects what replacement options are practical later.

• Root canal treatment and a crown, where the tooth is restorable — keeping your own tooth is almost always preferable when it's realistic.
• A filling or crown alone, if the damage is limited.
• Gum treatment, where the tooth is loose because of gum disease rather than decay.
• Doing nothing for now. This is a real option, but an infected or badly broken tooth usually worsens, and pain or a facial infection tends to arrive at the least convenient time.
• Referral to an oral surgeon, which we'd recommend ourselves if the tooth is difficult or the risk is higher than usual.

If the tooth is visible or does real chewing work, it's worth deciding early how it will be replaced — an implant, a bridge or a denture — because the bone shrinks over the first year and some options get harder the longer they're left.

• I understand which tooth or teeth are being removed, and that the plan may change once treatment begins if something unexpected is found.
• I have read the information above and had the chance to ask questions.
• I understand no dental treatment can be guaranteed.
• The costs have been explained to me, and I can ask for a written quote before treatment starts.
• My medical history is accurate and I will tell the practice about any changes before my appointment.
• I understand I can change my mind at any time before treatment starts.
• I understand my dentist will go through this with me and confirm my consent in person on the day.

This form records that you have read and understood the information above. It is not consent to proceed — your dentist confirms consent with you in person before treatment begins, and you can withdraw at any time.