How much time is needed for a tooth extraction?

If you have an upcoming extraction scheduled, you might be wondering how much time it will take.

• Learning how long the extraction process (the act of “pulling” your tooth) will take, especially if it’s less time than you expected, can help ease your concerns.
• Knowing the total amount of time your appointment will encompass can help you plan ahead and prepare more effectively.

Procedure times will vary widely depending on the type of case—whether it’s a routine single-tooth extraction, multiple extractions, or a more involved procedure like impacted wisdom tooth removal. Total appointment time will vary accordingly, with additional time needed for cases where sedation is used.

This guide outlines the amount of time typically needed for each phase of a tooth extraction, from numbing the area to removing the tooth to post-operative care. We also provide time estimates based on the type of tooth being extracted. These insights, all taken from research studies, will give you a firm idea of what to expect, helping you to better prepare for your procedure.

How long does the tooth extraction process take?

Some quick answers about routine extractions …

For routine single-tooth extractions (dentists refer to these as “simple” extractions Definition) your procedure will probably be scheduled for 20 to 40 minutes of appointment time.

Here’s a breakdown of what that time estimate includes:

• On average, the process of numbing a tooth usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
• The extraction procedure itself (the actual act of removing your tooth from your jawbone) usually takes on the order of 3 to 15 minutes.
• Preoperative preparations and postoperative duties may take in the neighborhood of 5 to 10 minutes each.

How does extracting more than one tooth affect procedure time?

• You can expect that having additional adjacent teeth removed will add on the order of an extra 3 to 15 minutes per tooth.

  For just one or two extra teeth, the lower end of this range is probably the more realistic. When several teeth in a row are removed, wound management becomes more of an issue and the higher end of the range would tend to apply.

• When removing additional teeth in separate (isolated) locations, an extra additional 3 to 15 minutes of procedure time per tooth can be expected.

Using sedation for your procedure will extend the length of your appointment.

If some form of sedation technique Common options. is used during your extraction, associated pre and post-operative events will increase the length of your appointment depending on the method used.

How much time is needed for a wisdom tooth extraction?

Due to the large number of variables involved, the procedure time that will be required to remove a wisdom tooth usually isn’t determined until a consultation examination has been performed. We outline factors that are considered below.

How long does it take to have a tooth extracted? – A breakdown of events.

a) How long does it take to pull a tooth? – Surgical time.

As stated above, for routine “simple” extractions, the act of extracting your tooth (physically removing it from its socket), may only take a few minutes, possibly as few as 3 to 6. With more stubborn teeth, the process may take as long as 15 minutes.

This estimate is derived from information mentioned in the following three studies that recorded the surgical time required to remove individual teeth from their subjects.

Study #1 ►   Bataineh (2016)

Title: Patient’s pain perception during mandibular molar extraction with articaine: a comparison study between infiltration and inferior alveolar nerve block.

Study methods and parameters –

This study evaluated the removal of 104 lower 1st molars (52 patients, with each having one molar on each side taken out).

Each tooth’s “extraction time” was recorded, which was defined as the interval starting with the application of the dentist’s first instrument to the tooth until its complete removal from its socket. (The numbing process had already been completed.)

Due to the design of the study, the 104 teeth taken out were broken into two groups (Groups 1 and 2). In terms of the extraction process itself (removing a lower 1st molar), however, these groups were equivalent.

Study findings –

• The extraction time measured for Group 1 ran between 8 and 34 minutes. The average time was around 14 minutes, with 68% of cases (1 standard deviation unit) lying within plus or minus 5 and 1/2 minutes.
• The extraction time measured for Group 2 ran between 7 and 27 minutes. The average time was around 17 minutes, with 68% of cases lying within plus or minus 15 minutes.

Study #2 ►   Kammerer (2012)

Title: Comparison of 4% articaine with epinephrine (1:100,000) and without epinephrine in inferior alveolar block for tooth extraction: double-blind randomized clinical trial of anesthetic efficacy.

Study methods and parameters –

This study evaluated the extraction of 88 lower teeth [molars (two-rooted teeth) and premolars (one-rooted teeth)].

Study findings –

The “mean time of extraction” was 14.4 minutes (as measured from the beginning of total numbness to the end of the operation). 68% of all cases were completed within plus or minus 14 minutes (which suggests that at least some of the extractions were astoundingly quick).

Study #3 ►   Fagade (2005)

Title: Intra-operative pain perception in tooth extraction – possible causes.

Study methods and parameters –

This study recorded the “duration of surgery” for 116 single-tooth extractions. This measurement was defined in a similar fashion as above (from the first instrument placed until complete tooth removal).

Because the paper was designed to evaluate a different aspect of the extraction process, it chose not to report precisely what types of teeth were extracted (upper, lower, molar, incisor, etc…).

Study findings –

In tabular form, here’s what the study reported.

Note: Almost 1/2 of all of the teeth pulled were completed within a 5-minute time frame.

Collectively, what do these studies conclude about how long it takes to pull a tooth?

Different kinds of teeth take different amounts of procedure time.

Different types of teeth tend to pose their own challenges when they are taken out. As examples of extremes:

• Lower incisor teeth, with their short single roots and small overall size, typically offer little resistance to coming out.
• In comparison, molars are much larger teeth, have multiple roots (lowers have 2, uppers have 3), and occupy a location in the mouth that’s somewhat more difficult to visualize and access. And for all of these reasons, generally offer a greater challenge to remove.

These variances are evident in the studies we’ve referenced.

• The study cited above that just evaluated molar extractions (Bataineh (2016)) placed the time needed for that process along the line of 15 minutes per tooth.
• In comparison, the Fagade (2005) study that evaluated the removal of all types of lower teeth found that almost 1/2 of all extractions were completed within 5 minutes.

Rules of thumb about how long it takes to extract different kinds of teeth.

• Many of the very quick extractions reported by the latter study probably involved single-rooted teeth that have conically shaped roots (incisors). So if that’s the type of tooth you’re having extracted, it seems reasonable that you can expect a comparatively shorter procedure (5 minutes or less).
• But for extractions involving larger multi-rooted teeth (molars), it seems reasonable to expect that more time will likely be required (up towards 15 minutes or so).
• For teeth whose size and anatomy fall somewhere in between (canines, premolars), the middle of our time range seems the most realistic.

Multi-rooted molars typically offer more of a challenge and therefore more time to remove than smaller single-rooted incisors.

Extraction difficulty (time needed) vs. tooth type.

While based on conjecture rather than scientific measurement, we’d suggest that the general pecking order for extraction speed (for intact erupted teeth having normal anatomy and positioning in the mouth) might be (arranged from quickest to hardest):

• lower incisors  <  upper lateral incisors  <  upper central incisors  <  lower premolars  <  upper premolars  <  lower canines  <  upper canines  <  lower molars  <  upper molars

But for a more definitive answer in regard to your extraction, you’ll simply have to ask your dentist what they expect.

b) Numbing up your tooth for an extraction- How long does it take?

As this section documents, you can expect that your dentist will allow somewhere around 10 to 15 minutes for your tooth to get numb before they begin the process of extracting it.

The time needed will vary according to the type of injection(s) given.

Teeth located in different areas of the mouth require different kinds of dental injections to numb them. One of the more challenging to administer is the inferior alveolar nerve block injection (IANB). (This is the standard shot used to numb up lower back teeth. It’s the one given in the very rear of your mouth that ends up making your lip up front feel tingly.)

We’ve chosen to use the IANB as our benchmark for estimating tooth-numbing time, as it typically takes longer compared to other kinds of injections.

(The statistics cited below involved the use of the more common anesthetic solutions dentists use when giving IANB injections.)

Study #1 ►   Bataineh (2016)

Title: Patient’s pain perception during mandibular molar extraction with articaine: a comparison study between infiltration and inferior alveolar nerve block.

Study methods and parameters –

This study measured the elapsed time between administering an extraction patient’s anesthetic until they displayed signs of numbness.

Study findings –

For all subjects (52 total), this interval ranged from 5 to 20 minutes. The average time was about 10 minutes, with the time needed for 68% of the patients (one standard deviation unit) to show signs of numbness plus or minus 4 minutes.

Study #2 ►   Kanaa (2012)

Title: A prospective randomized trial of different supplementary local anesthetic techniques after failure of inferior alveolar nerve block in patients with irreversible pulpitis in mandibular teeth.

Study methods and parameters –

This study involved 122 patients who were given an anesthetic to numb up a lower tooth in preparation for various types of dental work (including extraction). At 2-minute intervals, an electric pulp tester was used to measure the tooth’s degree of numbness.

Study findings –

On average it took 5 1/2 minutes for the teeth to numb up, with 68% of all cases doing so in plus or minus 3 minutes.

Study #3 ►   Kammerer (2012)

Title: Comparison of 4% articaine with epinephrine (1:100,000) and without epinephrine in inferior alveolar block for tooth extraction: double-blind randomized clinical trial of anesthetic efficacy.

Study findings –

When evaluating the extraction process of 88 lower teeth, this paper determined that on average just over 7 minutes was needed for anesthesia, with 68% of cases numbing up within plus or minus 3 minutes.

Study #4 ►   Nusstein (2010)

Title: Local Anesthesia Strategies for the Patient With a “Hot” Tooth.

Study methods and parameters –

This paper’s background information section discussed the issue of patients who had slow anesthesia onset after IANB injection.

Study findings –

It stated that studies had shown that 19% to 27% of patients may not reach full numbness until 16 minutes following their injection, with 8% not having adequate onset until after 30 minutes.

So, how much time is needed to numb up a tooth for extraction?

When reviewing the findings of the above studies, it is easy to conclude that it takes somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, and sometimes as long as 15 minutes, for a tooth to become numb. In fact, a study by Zain confirms this estimate, stating that it based its anesthesia protocol (for use with extraction patients and IANB injections) on the time interval they found “suggested by previous studies,” which was waiting 10 to 15 minutes after administering the patient’s injections.

A dentist will tend to plan extractions with the longer end of this time frame in mind. That way they can stay on schedule even when encountering a stubborn case. But that’s generally a positive approach anyway because waiting those extra few minutes makes it more likely that the full effect of the anesthetic has had a chance to take place.

▲ Section references – Zain

c) Additional time that will be needed for your appointment.

Performing pre and post-operative events will add some time to your procedure.

Beyond just working with your tooth, some appointment time will need to be set aside for needed pre and post-operative duties. Many of these will be performed by members of your dentist’s staff.

a) Preoperative events- 10 minutes.

• You’ll need to be seated in your dentist’s chair and draped with a protective bib. Your dentist’s assistant will need to set up the room for your procedure.
• Your health history will need to be reviewed and updated. Your current status must also be evaluated, which may include taking your blood pressure.
• You’ll be asked if you have any concerns or questions about your procedure.

Overall, these duties shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes or so to complete. Of course, that assumes that a diagnosis for extraction has already been made and that the necessary X-rays have been taken and read.

If not, additional appointment time will need to be set aside for these activities. If inhalation or IV sedation will be used, additional pre-op time will be required for it too.

b) Postoperative events- 10 minutes.

Once your dentist has completed the process of pulling your tooth and closing up your extraction site, there are still a few matters that must be tended to.

Extraction completed.

• One of the most important is simply checking that you’re OK, including that you’re clear-headed and stable to walk. You should never feel rushed if you aren’t. Your dentist knows that some patients will require extra time to recuperate.
• You’ll be given the set of postoperative instructions List. that you’ll need to follow. You’ll probably also be given additional gauze Bleeding management. to take home.
• If your dentist anticipates that much postoperative swelling What to expect. will occur, they may start you off with an ice bag right away. If very much post-op pain What to expect. is anticipated, your doctor may give you a prescription for pain relievers.
• If you want, don’t forget to ask for a look at your tooth. And FYI, if it had a valuable restoration on it (like a gold crown), that’s your property to keep (and sell How to.) if you want.

In the case where you feel fine after your procedure, the above events can probably all be accomplished in 10 minutes or less.

Bottom line, how long will your extraction appointment need to be?

Combining all of the estimates we calculated above, it’s pretty easy to figure out how long an extraction appointment needs to be.

Our 50-minute number above seems a little bit high for just a single tooth. We’d expect that unless there’s reason to think otherwise most dentists won’t schedule an extraction appointment expecting that every step will take a maximum expected amount of time.

Assuming that their appointment book is broken down into 10-minute intervals, the following durations seem likely to us:

How much time will your dentist actually spend with you?

While it will be your dentist who actually pulls your tooth, as many other duties as possible will likely be delegated to members of their staff. This includes most of the pre and post-operative events mentioned above.

Waiting for your tooth to numb up.

While your dentist will be the one to give you your injections, it’s unlikely that they’ll stick around for the 10 to 15 minutes needed for them to take effect. There’s really no reason for them to:

• Your dentist will most likely have chosen a method of anesthetizing your tooth that will numb it up for about an hour. So since most extractions take substantially less time than this, there’s really no rush in starting.
• They also know that by having you wait for a relatively longer rather than shorter amount of time it’s more likely (per the statistics above) that you’ll have reached full numbness.

So, expect that your dentist will come into your operatory and administer your anesthetic, and then leave the room. They’ll have their assistant monitor you. Then, after enough time has elapsed that it’s expected that you’ll be numb, they’ll return to begin the process of actually removing your tooth.

How much extra time is needed to extract additional teeth?

The issue of pulling multiple teeth might involve two possible variations, multiple adjacent or individual isolated teeth. The time considerations for each of these scenarios are slightly different.

1) Multiple adjacent teeth.

This is the case where two or more teeth in a row are taken out.

The sockets of two adjacent teeth that have been extracted.

a) The time needed to numb up the additional teeth.

b) The time needed to extract the additional teeth.

The total amount of time it takes to remove two adjacent teeth may be less than two isolated ones. But other considerations may come into play too.

Pros.

Probably the biggest potential time-savings is that the space left by the first extracted tooth might give the dentist better access to, or additional options in loosening up, the next tooth in line.

Difficulties.

When multiple adjacent teeth are extracted, additional procedure time may be required because:

• Extra attention is needed to manage/influence the resulting shape of the healed jawbone (for example, alveoloplasty may be required What’s this?).
• Since a larger wound is involved, stitches may be needed. When? | Why?

Generally speaking, when 2 or more teeth are extracted all of the time savings and additions encountered will probably just even themselves out. Simply adding on our “extraction time” estimate above (3 to 15 minutes per tooth) seems a reasonable estimate of how much extra time will be required.

2) Multiple isolated teeth.

This is the case where individual teeth in different parts of the patient’s mouth are removed.

a) The time needed to numb up the additional teeth.

A separate set of injections will probably be required to anesthetize each individual tooth. And the process of doing so might add an extra two or three minutes to your procedure.

But once that’s been accomplished, all of the teeth will numb up during the same time frame. So overall there’s no great delay involved.

b) Time needed to extract the additional teeth.

There’s no economy of scale that takes place when multiple isolated teeth are pulled. The time required to remove each one will be the same as if they were extracted during separate appointments.

Per our estimate above, this can be expected to lie on the order of an extra 5 to 15 minutes per tooth.

How long does it take to extract a wisdom tooth?

Pulling third molars involves such a wide range of circumstances that it’s difficult to answer to this question until an examination has been performed. Here are some of the variables that must be evaluated.

a) Is the wisdom tooth erupted?

Removing a wisdom tooth that has fully emerged through the gums and is positioned normally in the jawbone is often considered a routine tooth extraction. Therefore, the amount of time scheduled for its procedure would align with the time estimates provided above.

• Removing some upper wisdom teeth can be amazingly simple and quick. This scenario applies to cases where the tooth’s roots are fused and have a conical shape that offers little resistance to extraction forces. The amount of time scheduled for this kind of extraction would run on the order of 20 to 30 minutes.
• The anatomy of other erupted wisdom teeth won’t be so favorable and a longer appointment, like typically scheduled for other molars, will be needed. An appointment length of 30 to 40 minutes (for a single tooth) might be typical.

b) Impacted wisdom teeth.

Wisdom teeth that lie partially or fully buried under the gumline (impacted teeth Details) take more time and effort to access and remove (see surgical tooth extractions Details). Additionally, some type of sedation may be used for the procedure that will take additional time to administer.

Due to these variables, an appointment time of around 40 to 60 minutes will probably be scheduled. This will be extended if more than one tooth will be removed.

Wisdom teeth extractions are typically only scheduled after a consultation examination has been performed by the treating oral surgeon (or possibly a general dentist). At that time, the amount of time that will be needed for your appointment can be determined.

FYI: This page discusses how the surgical difficulty of removing wisdom teeth is estimated Jump

Why estimating extraction procedure time matters.

It’s important for your dentist to give you an idea of how long it will take to remove your teeth so the two of you can make plans accordingly. This is especially true in cases involving multiple teeth or a procedure that’s expected to be difficult because:

• A longer, more drawn-out process, especially one that’s not anticipated, might place a patient at increasing levels of anxiety as their procedure continues on.
• A patient may not have the physical stamina to comfortably endure a drawn-out procedure. (This might even include the simple act of being able to keep their mouth open for as long as is required.)

Consequences.

In these types of scenarios, the dentist may lose their patient’s ability or desire to cooperate. If so, the outcome of their procedure might be put in jeopardy, or else end in a result where postoperative complications are more likely to occur.

Solutions.

In the case where scheduling the patient’s work as multiple shorter appointments is not desired or possible, the use of sedation techniques Your options. may make longer extraction procedures more tolerable and therefore an option.

What’s next?

We have a lot more information about tooth extractions.

Comments.

This section contains comments submitted in previous years. Many have been edited so to limit their scope to subjects discussed on this page.