VisitsUsually one visit
TimeSore for a few days
WhoOral-surgery trained
In short
An extraction removes a tooth that is too decayed, broken or loose to repair with a filling, crown or root canal. Wisdom teeth come out when they are stuck in the jaw, infected, impossible to keep clean, or damaging the tooth in front.
Does this sound like you?
- A tooth is cracked below the gum or too decayed for a filling, crown or root canal.
- The gum behind your last molar is sore and swollen and keeps flaring up.
- An X-ray shows a wisdom tooth stuck sideways or pressing on the tooth in front.
- Gum disease has loosened a tooth past the point of saving.
- A tooth needs to come out to make room for braces or a denture.
What healing usually looks like, day by day
Every mouth heals at its own pace; a simple extraction is often ahead of this, a stuck wisdom tooth a little behind.
Day 0 (the day of)
Numbness wears off over a few hours and the socket starts to ache. A little oozing is normal; the clot forming now is what protects the bone underneath.
Do
- Keep firm pressure on the gauze for about an hour, then change it if still bleeding.
- Take the pain relief we recommend before the numbness fully wears off.
- Rest with your head raised; hold an ice pack on your cheek in short spells.
- Cool, soft food only. No rinsing or spitting today.
Avoid
- Straws, smoking, alcohol and hot drinks.
- Poking the socket with your tongue or a finger.
- Heavy lifting or a workout.
Days 1–2
Soreness and swelling usually peak here, and your jaw may feel stiff. Your cheek can look puffy and a faint bruise is possible.
Do
- Start gentle salt-water rinses on day 2: half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water, let it fall out rather than spitting.
- Brush your other teeth as normal, steering clear of the socket.
- Keep to soft food and drink plenty of water.
- Stay on the pain relief schedule instead of waiting for the ache to build.
Avoid
- Smoking or vaping.
- Anything hot, crunchy or spicy.
- Hard rinsing or spitting.
Days 3–4
Pain should be easing, not getting worse. Swelling starts to go down and you can often manage softer solid food.
Do
- Rinse with salt water after each meal.
- Move to slightly firmer food if chewing on the other side feels fine.
- Ease back into normal daily activity.
Avoid
- Ignoring pain that climbs after day 3; call 647.479.3151 so we can check for a dry socket.
Days 5–7
The gum is closing over and most people feel close to normal. A small gap or a whitish patch in the socket is usually healing tissue, not a problem.
Do
- Return to a normal diet as comfort allows.
- Keep rinsing after meals for the week.
- Come in for any follow-up we booked; stitches, if used, often dissolve on their own.
Avoid
- Chewing hard or seedy food straight over the socket.
Week 2 and beyond
The gum is usually sealed by two weeks, and the bone underneath keeps filling in for a few months. If the tooth will be replaced, this is when we start planning the implant, bridge or denture.
Do
- Brush and floss the area normally again.
- Watch for food catching in the socket; a gentle rinse clears it.
Avoid
- Skipping the follow-up if we asked to see you.
Do and don't after an extraction
Everything here is about protecting the clot in the socket for the first few days.
Do
- Eat soft, cool food: yogurt, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, lukewarm soup, smoothies from a spoon.
- Chew on the other side of your mouth.
- Drink lots of water, straight from a glass.
- Rinse gently with warm salt water from day 2, after each meal.
- Take pain relief on schedule for the first two or three days.
- Sleep with an extra pillow for the first night or two.
- Take any antibiotic we prescribed to the end, even once you feel fine.
- Call 647.479.3151 if bleeding does not slow, pain gets worse after day 3, or you have fever, spreading swelling or a bad taste that will not rinse away.
Don't
- No straws for at least three days; the suction can pull the clot out.
- No smoking or vaping for as long as you can manage, ideally a week.
- No alcohol for the first few days, and none with your pain medication.
- No hot drinks or hot food on day 0.
- No crunchy, chewy or seedy food: chips, nuts, popcorn, seeded bread, rice.
- No hard rinsing, spitting or swishing in the first day.
- No poking the socket with your tongue, fingers or a toothpick.
- No heavy exercise for two or three days; it raises blood pressure and can restart bleeding.
What happens.
First visit to finish, in order.
Usually one visitSore for a few daysOral-surgery trained
- Exam and X-rayDr. Malik looks at the tooth and takes an X-ray to see the roots and the bone around them. He tells you whether the tooth can be saved, and what removing it would involve.
- Plan the gapIf the tooth will need replacing, we talk about an implant, bridge or denture now, so the estimate covers the whole job and you can plan.
- Numbing and nitrousWe numb the area properly and check it has taken before we begin. If you want nitrous oxide, you breathe it through a small nose mask, stay awake and feel calmer.
- The extractionA simple extraction loosens the tooth and lifts it out; a stuck wisdom tooth may need a small opening in the gum, or the tooth divided into pieces. Dr. Malik did a residency in oral surgery and does this work himself, and we stop if you need a break.
- Home with instructionsYou leave with written aftercare and a prescription if you need one. Bite on the gauze, rest for the day, and eat soft food for a few days while the socket heals.
Cost and insurance.
Most extractions take one visit. The cost depends on whether the tooth comes out simply or needs surgery, and the estimate spells out which. Most dental plans cover part of an extraction. We bill your insurance directly. You see the estimate in writing before anything starts. No insurance? We tell you the cost up front.
Questions people ask.
Does getting a tooth pulled hurt?
Once the area is fully numb you feel pushing and pressure, not sharp pain, and we check before we start. The area is sore for a few days afterwards; the pain relief we recommend usually keeps it manageable.
What can I eat after a tooth extraction?
Soft, cool food for the first two or three days: yogurt, eggs, mashed potatoes, soup that is not hot, smoothies eaten with a spoon. Skip straws, hot drinks, alcohol and smoking, which can dislodge the clot that protects the socket.
Do all wisdom teeth need to come out?
No. If they come through straight and you can keep them clean, they can stay. Dr. Malik removes them when they are stuck, infected, decayed or damaging the tooth in front.
When should I call after an extraction?
Call 647.479.3151 if bleeding has not slowed after a few hours of steady pressure on gauze, if pain gets worse after day three instead of better, or if you have spreading swelling, fever or a bad taste that will not rinse away. These can be signs of infection or a dry socket.