Treatments
Minor Oral Surgery
Surgical extractions, wisdom teeth and the cases a general dentist would refer on — carried out here, by a specialist on the GDC Specialist Register.
Specialist surgery, without the hospital wait
Minor oral surgery covers the procedures that sit beyond routine dentistry but well short of a hospital admission: surgical extractions, wisdom teeth, retained roots, and the cases most general dentists would refer elsewhere.
Having a specialist on the GDC Specialist Register working in the practice means those cases can usually be handled here, under local anaesthetic, in a place you already know — rather than joining a hospital waiting list.
We also accept referrals from colleagues across East London. If you’re a dentist looking to refer a patient, the referral form is the quickest route.
Featured treatments
What we can do here
Treated by a specialist, in practice
Most practices refer surgical cases out. Ours are done here.
Lena Vakil joined the GDC Specialist Register in Oral Surgery in 2004, after hospital-based oral and maxillofacial training and a Fellowship in Dental Surgery. She has run an oral surgery unit in Sydney, lectured at St Bartholomew’s, the Royal London and Whipps Cross, and in 1996 established an oral surgery referral service in Docklands with Tower Hamlets PCT serving around thirty practices. GDC no. 66110.
That means a familiar practice, a familiar team, and a specialist doing the surgery. For very complex cases, a hospital referral may sometimes be necessary.
Please note that all extractions at our practice are carried out under local anaesthesia only — we do not offer sedation or general anaesthesia.
Surgical and difficult extractions
Not every tooth comes out simply. A tooth may be badly broken down, heavily filled, root- treated and brittle, or have roots that curve around a nerve or into the sinus. Those cases need surgical technique and planning rather than more force.
A surgical extraction usually means lifting the gum slightly, removing a small amount of bone or dividing the tooth into sections so each root comes out along its own path, then closing the site with stitches. It is done under local anaesthetic.
Wisdom teeth
Wisdom teeth only need removing when they’re causing a problem — repeated infection around the gum, decay that can’t be restored, damage to the tooth in front, or cysts. Where they’re settled and cleanable, the right advice is usually to leave them alone, and we’ll say so.
When one does need to come out, a full assessment comes first, including an X-ray to see where the roots sit relative to the nerve in the lower jaw. Some cases are better done in hospital, and we’ll tell you plainly if yours is one of them.
What to expect afterwards
Expect some swelling and discomfort for a few days; it’s usually worst around day two and settles from there. You’ll go home with written aftercare instructions and a number to call.
- Take pain relief before the anaesthetic wears off rather than waiting
- Avoid rinsing for the first 24 hours, then use warm salt water
- No smoking, and no vigorous rinsing or spitting — both dislodge the clot
- Soft food, and chew on the other side
- Any stitches used are usually dissolvable
If bleeding won’t settle, or pain worsens sharply after three or four days rather than improving, call us — see emergency dentist.
What it costs
A routine extraction is £173 to £224. An extraction with our specialist oral surgeon is £358 to £545 and requires a full-mouth X-ray. Some surgical cases need a separate assessment before a price can be given, and you’ll always have that in writing first — see the full fee guide.
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