Dental surgery at Victorian Dental Group

Surgical treatment covers everything from a straightforward extraction to procedures that need a registered specialist. This page explains what is done here at Malvern East, what is referred out, what recovery actually involves, and how to tell ordinary healing from a problem.

Deciding whether surgery is needed

Nothing surgical begins without a comprehensive examination first. That means assessing the tooth, the surrounding bone and soft tissue, and taking radiographs where clinically indicated — we have an on-site OPG, which matters particularly for wisdom teeth and anything involving the jaws.

The purpose is to establish whether the tooth can be saved. Extraction is not a first resort. Root canal treatment, a crown, or periodontal treatment can often keep a tooth that at first glance looks hopeless, and keeping your own tooth is almost always preferable to replacing it. A natural tooth root maintains the bone around it; once the tooth is gone, that bone begins to shrink, and every replacement option is a compromise on what you started with.

Where a tooth genuinely cannot be saved, you will be told why, what the alternatives are, what it will cost, and what replacing the tooth would involve — before anything is done.

Reasons a tooth is usually beyond saving

Tooth extraction

The most common surgical procedure in general practice. A tooth may need removing when it is:

Simple extractions involve a tooth that is fully erupted and accessible. The tooth is loosened in its socket with an instrument called an elevator and then removed with forceps. Most take a few minutes once numb.

Surgical extractions are needed when a tooth is broken at the gumline, impacted, or has awkward root anatomy. These involve a small incision, sometimes removing a little bone around the tooth, and often sectioning the tooth into pieces so each root can come out along its own path. Sectioning is routine and not a sign something has gone wrong — it is usually gentler on the surrounding bone than forcing a multi-rooted tooth out whole. Stitches may be placed; dissolving sutures typically disappear within one to two weeks.

What it actually feels like

You will feel firm, sustained pressure and a rocking movement, and you will hear sounds through the bones of your skull that are louder to you than to anyone else in the room. None of that should be sharp. Pressure is the anaesthetic working correctly; sharpness is not, and more can be given — say so at the time rather than enduring it.

Wisdom teeth

A common reason for referral. Worth knowing: a healthy, fully erupted wisdom tooth that is causing no problems does not automatically need removing. Removal is indicated where there is recurrent infection, decay that cannot be restored, damage to the neighbouring molar, cysts, or persistent pain.

Risks are higher than for other extractions — lower wisdom teeth sit near the nerve supplying the lip and tongue, and injury to it, while uncommon, can cause numbness that is occasionally permanent. Upper wisdom teeth sit close to the maxillary sinus, and a small opening into it is possible. This is precisely why an OPG and a proper assessment come first. Where the radiograph suggests the roots are intimately related to the nerve canal, a referral for a cone-beam scan or to a specialist is the right call, and we will make it.

See wisdom teeth.

Surgery involving implants

Placing a dental implant is a surgical procedure: a titanium post is placed into the jawbone and left to integrate over several months before the crown goes on. Adequate bone volume and healthy gums are prerequisites, and smoking measurably reduces success rates. Uncontrolled diabetes, certain bone medications and active gum disease all need addressing before implant surgery is appropriate.

See dental implants.

What we refer to a specialist

We are a general dental practice and hold no specialist registration. Some procedures belong with a registered specialist, and we refer rather than attempt them:

If your case needs a specialist, we will say so and arrange the referral. Being told a procedure is better done elsewhere is a good sign, not an inconvenience.

Anaesthetic and comfort

Most surgical treatment here is done under local anaesthetic — you are awake, the area is numb. You should not feel pain during the procedure, though you will feel pressure and movement, which is normal and not a sign the anaesthetic is failing.

We would not claim extractions are painless. The procedure itself should not hurt; afterwards, discomfort for a few days is normal and expected, and is managed with pain relief.

Numbness usually wears off over two to four hours for a lower tooth, less for an upper. While the lip and tongue are numb, avoid hot drinks and take care not to bite the soft tissue — this is the most common avoidable injury after an extraction, and it is most common in children.

If you are anxious about surgical treatment, tell us before the appointment rather than on the day — there is more we can do with notice. See dental anxiety.

Recovery and aftercare

After an extraction:

A rough timeline

When What is usual
First 24 hours Oozing that tints saliva pink; numbness wearing off; discomfort building as it does
Days 1–3 Swelling peaks around day two to three, then eases; jaw stiffness; bruising may appear
Days 3–7 Steady improvement; soreness fading; any dissolving stitches loosening
Weeks 2–4 Gum closed over the socket; comfortable eating on that side returning
Months 2–6 Bone fills in underneath; the ridge settles to its final shape

Contact us if bleeding does not settle with firm pressure, pain worsens sharply after day three (often dry socket), swelling increases rather than decreases after day three, or you develop a fever.

Go to a hospital emergency department for spreading facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or bleeding that will not stop — see dental emergency.

Risks

All surgery carries risk. For extractions that includes bleeding, infection, dry socket, damage to adjacent teeth or fillings, sinus communication with upper back teeth, jaw stiffness, and — uncommonly, mainly with lower wisdom teeth — nerve injury causing altered sensation. A root tip occasionally fractures and, where retrieving it would cause more harm than leaving it, may be left and monitored.

Your practitioner will discuss the risks relevant to your case, and you should feel free to ask what would happen if you did nothing. For some teeth the honest answer is that very little changes for now and the tooth is monitored; for others it is a spreading infection, and the difference matters.

Tell us beforehand about

Questions we are asked

Will I need time off work? For a simple extraction, usually not beyond the day itself. For a surgical extraction, plan on taking it easy that day and avoiding heavy lifting or exercise for two to three days.

Can I drive afterwards? After local anaesthetic, yes. After sedation or a general anaesthetic in hospital, no — you need someone to take you home.

Do I have to replace the tooth? Not always. A wisdom tooth is not replaced. A back molar with a healthy tooth behind it often is. A front tooth almost always is. The consequences of leaving a gap — drifting, over-eruption of the opposing tooth, bone loss — build slowly, so the decision is not urgent, but it is worth making deliberately rather than by default.

Can I eat normally afterwards? Soft, cool food for the first day, then build back as comfort allows. Avoid anything with small hard pieces — seeds, nuts, rice — that can lodge in the socket during the first week.

Practical details

HICAPS on-the-spot health fund claiming, Afterpay and Zip accepted. Fees depend on what is required and are quoted before treatment begins.

Victorian Dental Group — 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145 · (03) 9088 5808 · Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm · book online

This page is general information and does not replace advice from a registered dental practitioner about your own circumstances. Please see our Disclaimer.

What dental surgery is carried out at Victorian Dental Group?

Routine and some surgical extractions, and minor oral surgery, within general practice scope. Victorian Dental Group holds no specialist registration. Complex dentoalveolar surgery, corrective jaw surgery, biopsies, pathology and facial trauma are referred to a registered oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

What happens before any surgical procedure?

A full examination assessing the tooth, the surrounding tissues and the bone, with imaging where it is needed — including the on-site OPG, which shows the position of the roots and their relationship to nearby structures such as the nerve in the lower jaw. The findings, the options and the risks are discussed with you, and you receive a written plan with costs before anything begins.

When is a tooth extracted?

When it cannot reasonably be saved, or when keeping it poses a risk to the surrounding teeth, bone or your general health. Extraction is a last resort rather than a first option — where a tooth can be restored or root treated instead, those alternatives are put to you, along with what happens if nothing is done.

Does an extraction hurt?

The area is numbed with local anaesthetic, so the procedure itself is generally not painful, though you will feel pressure. Afterwards there is usually some soreness and swelling for a few days, managed with over-the-counter pain relief. Comfort varies between people and we will not promise yours.

What are the risks of an extraction?

Bleeding, swelling and soreness are expected. Less commonly: dry socket, infection, damage to a neighbouring tooth or restoration, a piece of root left where removing it would cause more harm, and in the upper back teeth a communication with the sinus. For lower teeth close to the inferior alveolar nerve there is a risk of altered sensation in the lip and chin, which is usually temporary and occasionally permanent — which is why those cases are often referred.

What anaesthetic is used?

Local anaesthetic, administered by a registered dental practitioner, which numbs the area while you remain awake. Treatment under sedation or general anaesthetic is carried out in a hospital or a facility equipped for it, not here — if that is what your case needs, we will say so and refer you.

What should I tell you before surgery?

Any blood thinner, bisphosphonate or denosumab — current or past — as these change planning and healing; diabetes; a heart valve replacement or previous endocarditis; a joint replacement; immune conditions or immunosuppressant medication; radiotherapy to the head or neck; pregnancy; and any previous reaction to a local anaesthetic. Do not stop any medication on our account.

What is recovery like?

Bite on the gauze as directed, avoid rinsing vigorously, smoking or drinking through a straw for the first 24 hours, keep to soft food, and avoid the site when brushing. Ring us if bleeding will not settle, if pain worsens rather than eases after two to three days, or if swelling increases. Spreading facial swelling, difficulty breathing or swallowing, or fever is a hospital emergency — call 000 or attend an emergency department.

How do I arrange an assessment?

Victorian Dental Group, 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145. Phone (03) 9088 5808 or email info@victoriandentalgroup.com.au, Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm. If you are in pain, ring rather than booking online so it can be triaged.

Images on This Page