When a tooth cannot be saved
Tooth Extraction in Turkey
A tooth extraction removes a tooth that cannot be saved, most often because of deep decay or infection. It is usually done under a local anaesthetic, so you stay awake but feel no pain. However, it is worth asking whether the tooth can be kept first, because a dentist can only confirm the right plan after examining you in person.
At a glance
- Anaesthetic
- Usually a local anaesthetic injection in the gum
- Main types
- Simple or surgical extraction
- Time in the chair
- A few minutes for some teeth, longer for difficult ones
- Soreness
- Worst for about 3 days, and can take up to 2 weeks to settle
- Dry socket
- About 1% to 5% of routine extractions
- Replacing the tooth
- An implant, a bridge or a denture
These figures come from NHS leaflets and research reviews rather than from any one clinic. Your dentist confirms your plan after an in-person examination.
How a tooth extraction works
First, your dentist numbs the area with an injection into the gum, much like the one for a filling. It takes a couple of minutes to work. After that, you should feel no pain while the tooth comes out.
Some teeth come out simply from their socket in a few minutes. Others need a small cut in the gum, and sometimes your dentist removes a little bone or cuts the tooth into pieces. Then stitches hold the gum in place, and they usually dissolve within two weeks.
Afterwards, a blood clot forms in the empty socket. This clot is needed for good healing. So the first days of aftercare focus on keeping it in place.
- 1
Simple extraction
Your dentist eases the whole tooth out of its socket. This suits many teeth that sit fully above the gum and have straightforward roots.
- 2
Surgical tooth extraction
Here, your dentist lifts a small flap of gum and may remove some bone. This helps with teeth below the gum, broken teeth, or long or curved roots.
- 3
Anaesthetic and sedation
Most people only need a local anaesthetic. For surgical removal, sedation or a general anaesthetic is sometimes an option. With sedation, you need an adult with you for 24 hours.
When a tooth extraction may be needed
We prefer to keep natural teeth where that is reasonable. So a dentist weighs these points after examining your teeth, gums and X-rays. Treat them as a guide rather than a checklist.
An extraction may be considered if
Saving the tooth may be worth discussing if
Simple or surgical tooth extraction, or root canal treatment
Each option has a place. However, the dry socket figures come from one review of mostly wisdom tooth trials, so your own risk may differ. Your dentist will explain which fits your tooth.
Your tooth extraction journey
Removing a tooth can take only a few minutes, although difficult teeth take longer. Still, your dentist will confirm how many days you need in Istanbul, especially after surgical removal.
- 1Online
Remote review
First, you send photos and any recent X-rays. Then a dentist explains whether the tooth might be saved or needs to come out.
- 2Visit 1
Examination and X-rays
Next, your dentist checks the tooth, your gums and your medical history. Tell them about every medicine you take, including blood thinners.
- 3Visit 1
Numbing the area
Then your dentist gives a local anaesthetic. After a couple of minutes, the tooth and gum feel numb.
- 4Visit 1
Removing the tooth
Your dentist removes the tooth simply or surgically. If they cut the gum, they close it with stitches.
- 5Same day
After your tooth extraction
Bite firmly on a damp pad to control bleeding. Also, avoid food and drink for three hours, and do not rinse for 24 hours.
- 6At home
Replacing the tooth
Afterwards, you can plan an implant, a bridge or a denture. See a dentist near home for check-ups too.
Aftercare and healing after tooth extraction
Bleeding and the blood clot
Some blood in your saliva for a few days is normal. If the socket bleeds, bite firmly on a damp, rolled pad for 10 to 30 minutes. Do not suck or poke the socket, because this can loosen the clot.
Pain relief
Pain is usually worst for the first 2 to 3 days. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help, so follow the dose on the pack. However, avoid aspirin as a painkiller unless your doctor prescribed it.
Eating, rinsing and smoking
Eat soft food and chew on the other side. After 24 hours, rinse gently with warm salt water. Also, avoid alcohol and smoking for at least 48 hours, since smoking can slow healing.
Healing time
Soreness usually settles within two weeks, and dissolving stitches go in about the same time. Meanwhile, the jawbone keeps changing shape for several months.
Risks of tooth extraction
Most people heal without problems. Still, NHS leaflets list pain, bleeding, bruising, swelling, stiff jaw opening and infection as possible effects. In addition, surgical removal can mean up to a week of pain and stiff jaw opening.
Some medicines also change the risk. For example, blood thinners can make bleeding last longer. So never stop any medicine yourself; instead, your dentist decides with your doctor. UK guidance often keeps these medicines going for simple extractions.
Here, the clot breaks down and the socket aches badly a few days later, often with a bad taste. It follows about 1% to 5% of routine extractions, although rates run higher after surgical wisdom tooth removal. So see your dentist, who can place a dressing in the socket.
Smoking raises the risk. In one review, about 13% of smokers had a dry socket, against about 4% of non-smokers. Therefore, try to stop smoking before and after your extraction.
UK guidance lets many people on blood thinners have simple extractions without a break in their medicine. For larger extractions, your dentist may ask you to delay one dose, and they may use stitches or packing.
Drugs such as bisphosphonates or denosumab can rarely stop the bone healing after an extraction. The risk is much higher with cancer treatment than for osteoporosis, so tell your dentist about them.
Watch for a raised temperature, a nasty taste or discharge, more pain or severe swelling. If any of these appear, contact your dentist, because you may need treatment.
After an extraction, the jawbone shrinks, mostly in the first 3 to 6 months. Socket preservation may reduce this a little, but the evidence is still uncertain.
What to ask before a tooth extraction
Ask any clinic, including us, for clear written answers before treatment. Good answers help you compare options and plan your trip.
- 1Can this tooth be saved with root canal or gum treatment?
- 2Will this be a simple or a surgical extraction?
- 3Which anaesthetic will you use, and do I need someone with me?
- 4How should I manage my blood thinners or other medicines?
- 5How will you reduce my risk of dry socket?
- 6Would socket preservation help if I want an implant later?
- 7When can I fly home, and who do I contact if a problem starts?
Tooth extraction: your questions
A local anaesthetic numbs the area, so you should feel no pain. Afterwards, soreness is common for a few days, and regular painkillers usually help.
Soreness usually eases after about 3 days and goes within 2 weeks. Swelling after surgical removal peaks at 2 to 3 days. However, the bone keeps remodelling for months.
In a simple extraction, your dentist eases the tooth out of its socket. By contrast, a surgical extraction needs a cut in the gum, and sometimes bone removal and stitches.
No, not on your own. UK guidance often continues them for simple extractions. So ask your dentist and your doctor, and follow their plan exactly.
Protect the clot: do not smoke, suck or poke the socket, and avoid rinsing for 24 hours. In addition, your dentist may suggest a chlorhexidine rinse or gel, which reviews found probably helps.
You can choose an implant, a fixed bridge or a removable denture. A quick denture can be made within days, although it often needs adjusting as your gums heal.
Related guides
Medical review required before publication · General information only; it does not replace an examination, diagnosis or personalised treatment plan.
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Removal of teeth under local anaesthetic (2024)
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Surgical removal of teeth (2024)
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. Tooth extraction after care (2024)
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Dental surgery and recovery (2025)
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Surgical extraction of teeth (2023)
- Daly BJ et al. Local interventions for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2022)
- Kuśnierek W et al. Smoking as a risk factor for dry socket: a systematic review (2022)
- Tan WL et al. A systematic review of post-extractional alveolar hard and soft tissue dimensional changes in humans (2012)
- Atieh MA et al. Alveolar ridge preservation techniques for dental implant site development. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2021)
- Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Management of dental patients taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs: quick reference guide, 2nd edition (2022)
- Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Oral health management of patients at risk of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (2017, updated 2024)
- Gaudin E et al. Occurrence and risk indicators of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw after dental extraction: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2015)
- Kostares E et al. Prevalence of osteonecrosis of the jaw following tooth extraction in patients with osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)
- Ng YL et al. Tooth survival following non-surgical root canal treatment: a systematic review of the literature (2010)
- NHS. Root canal treatment (2025)
- NHS. Dental treatments (2026)
- NHS. Dentures (2025)
Is a tooth
extraction right
for you?
Send a few clear photos and any recent X-rays. A dentist will then review them and explain whether the tooth could be saved or needs a tooth extraction. Your plan stays provisional until you're examined in person.