Wisdom Tooth Extraction

A wisdom tooth is so called because its presence coincides with that stage in your life when you are considered to have gained wisdom – in your late teens or early twenties.

A wisdom tooth is a late entrant and is the third set of molars that shows up when all your other teeth have found a place in your mouth. This is the reason why the growth of a wisdom tooth is often accompanied by pain and discomfort. By the time the wisdom tooth appears, often there isn’t enough room in your jaw for it because the other teeth have already occupied the available space. The wisdom teeth is therefore not unlike an unwelcome third guest who wants to squeeze and fit into a 2-seater sofa which is already occupied.

When your jaw doesn’t have enough room to comfortably accommodate a wisdom tooth, then you need to remove it. The wisdom tooth is referred to as being impacted, when the tooth is either fully or partially enclosed within the soft tissue around the jaw bone or gums. This may cause swelling, discomfort and also pain. Wisdom tooth when it makes an appearance may also be not properly aligned which makes it susceptible to decay or damage caused by food particles getting stuck and contributing to bacterial growth. Some wisdom teeth are also formed in a position where it may be difficult to clean.

Our Merrylands dental practice provides both Normal and Surgical extraction of wisdom tooth. Removing a wisdom tooth is a fairly simple and Normal dental extraction procedure unless the tooth is impacted, in which case, it requires an incision of the soft tissue covering the tooth which makes it a Surgical procedure. The procedures are performed under anaesthesia and the patient may require a week to 10 days of post-procedural care and diet before resuming normal activity.

Early detection and removal of wisdom tooth is beneficial because the roots are not strong and fully formed and therefore less painful. Your dentist may recommend an X-ray to determine if your wisdom tooth needs to be removed. Though there are cases where a wisdom tooth may comfortably grow and become a useful and functional asset, often they are considered an extra set of teeth which is not required.

If your wisdom tooth is not impacted then your dentist can recommend if it still needs to be removed following an examination. Extraction of wisdom tooth which is not impacted is generally a preventive procedure to protect your dental health from any potential future complications. Your dentist will administer a local anaesthetic or a general anaesthetic before removing the tooth so that you don’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure.

Following normal extraction which is usually a simple and quick procedure, there may be some discomfort, pain, dull ache and swelling which is normal. Your dentist will recommend the appropriate post-operative care to aid and speed up the healing process.

Impacted wisdom tooth often causes pain and swelling. Though in some cases the impaction may not show any outward symptoms, your dentist may recommend an X-ray to fully evaluate the condition of your wisdom tooth.

Prior to surgery, your dentist will give you a local anaesthesia which will numb the area where the surgical procedure is going to be done so that you don’t feel any pain. In some cases your dentist may give you a general anaesthesia which will make you go to sleep before the procedure. By the time you wake up, the procedure will be completed. Extracting an impacted wisdom tooth involves making an incision in the gum tissue and removing the tooth with precision and care. The patient will experience some pain and swelling which is normal for a few days.

Your dentist will recommend proper post-operative care, dental hygiene and diet to ensure the incision heals in a few days and following a second appointment and examination, to remove the stitches, you should be able to eat normal food and use your mouth as before.