Wisdom Teeth Removal

What are they?
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to appear, at the back of the mouth, from your late teens onwards. Most people have four wisdom teeth but it is not unusual to have fewer – or even none. Because they are the last teeth to form, there sometimes isn’t room for them. They might come through at an angle, pressing against the teeth in front or the bone behind.

What happens?
Watching how your teeth and jaws grow is part of your regular dental care, so we like to build a relationship with you over time. Do tell us if you think there may be a problem.

We will take x-rays to see where your wisdom teeth are in your jaw and how much room there is for them to come through, and to check whether they are causing any damage to the teeth in front of them. The X-rays will also show how simple or difficult it may be to take a wisdom tooth out.

As your wisdom teeth come through, the surrounding gum can become inflamed and sore. This is called ‘pericoronitis’. It may settle down or come and go over a period. It is usually better to remove a wisdom tooth after the first instance of pericoronitis because it will often continue to cause you trouble.

We provide local anaesthetic and your wisdom tooth will be removed in the clinic. Typically patients bear the procedure quite well, and you should be able to fit it in with work or other commitments. If all your wisdom teeth need to be removed we will refer you to the hospital to have them removed under general anaesthetic.

What are the benefits of removing wisdom teeth?
If you have your wisdom teeth removed there will be no more pain and infection and it will stop any damage to the teeth in front.