Wisdom Teeth

An impacted wisdom tooth is one which has grown in a wrong or unnatural position. An impacted wisdom tooth may require wisdom tooth surgery to remove it. Your dentist will take x-rays to determine the degree of impaction before removal.

Due to its late eruption and the lack of space that the jaw may have to accommodate it, the wisdom tooth may not be able to erupt properly or may even remain buried. An impacted wisdom tooth can cause food to be easily trapped and cause gum inflammation and swelling leading to pain and infection.

Removal of the wisdom tooth depends on a case by case basis. If the wisdom tooth has come through properly and you are experiencing no problems from it, then it is best to leave it as it is. If however there is difficulty in keeping it clean and there is a high chance that it might give problems in the future then it may be an option to consider removal. We normally observe at least 3 repeat infections before we consider extracting the wisdom teeth.

We use local anaesthetic to minimise your discomfort during the extraction, and you should not feel any pain. You may experience some pressure as we loosen your tooth, but this will not be painful and should not take long.

The procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to around half an hour, depending on the complexity of the case. Your dentist will be able to give you an idea of the timescale at your initial appointment.