Wisdom teeth removal
Have you been feeling a dull ache towards your back teeth? Or is it more of a sharp pain that gets worse when you chew on food? Chances are your wisdom teeth are the culprit.
Wisdom teeth (“third molars”) are the last teeth to erupt through the gums, usually as late teens, young adults or sometimes even older (i.e. when we’ve got a bit more “wisdom”). There are up to four wisdom teeth that can be present, although there are people who don’t have them at all. For those who have space in their jaws for new teeth, wisdom teeth will erupt through the gums without any issue other than general discomfort for a few days. Unfortunately, for the majority of people who have wisdom teeth, there isn’t sufficient room in their jaws to accommodate them. This is when wisdom teeth become problematic and can lead to pain, crowding, or worse, infection.
As with any pain in the mouth, it’s better to get it assessed and treated as soon as it occurs. If you suspect your wisdom teeth are giving you grief, give us a call on 9569 8091 for an emergency appointment and we’ll get you on your way to being pain-free.
When do wisdom teeth become a concern?
Depending on how your wisdom teeth are positioned, they may or may not physically erupt through the gums. This is where X-rays taken at your appointment can clearly show the source of your pain, and whether or not your wisdom teeth (or tooth) requires extraction (removal).
Leaving wisdom teeth to grow, when there’s not enough space in the jaws, can eventually lead to:
- Infection of the surrounding gums, which usually occurs if the teeth aren’t kept clean, given its position all the way back in your mouth; you may experience sharp pain, swelling, fevers and increasing discomfort if the wisdom tooth is not extracted
- Food impaction, where food gets caught in between the emerging wisdom tooth and the adjacent molar, creating a petri dish for bacteria and infection
- Cyst formation, which is where a wisdom tooth within the gum, has a cyst (or a sac of fluid) form around it; this cyst can fill with more fluid and encroach on the neighbouring teeth and gums, leading to pain and swelling
- Erosion cavity, where a wisdom tooth is growing horizontally into the roots of the adjacent molar, risking damage and requiring both to be removed
Your routine dental check up and cleans with the dentist every 6 months may also help uncover any potential problems with wisdom teeth that are growing. Where a dentist identifies that your wisdom teeth are growing in a direction that may lead to some of the problems above, they may advise that it be removed early.
What’s the process involved with wisdom teeth removal?
Your dentist will walk you through the full treatment plan, and advise you on the risks involved, which include swelling, bruising and pain, as well as possible infection post-extraction. Depending on your circumstances, local anaesthetic can be used for straightforward cases. Sedation in the dental chair can also be organised if you’d prefer to sleep through it. More complex cases due to position or shape of the roots of the wisdom teeth may be referred on to one of our networks of oral maxillofacial surgeons.
Once your wisdom teeth have been removed, you’ll be required to rest in our waiting room before you go home. The dentist will prescribe the relevant pain relief medication for you to take, as well as walk you through a leaflet of recovery instructions. We’ll also schedule a follow up phone call and appointment to check how you’re healing.
What’s the recovery like?
Expect the pain and swelling to be worse between days 2-4 after wisdom teeth removal, however this may differ from person to person. Once you’re at home, take it easy for the first few days and avoid applying pressure or suction on the wound. Think long naps, ice-cream and lots of Netflix to pass the time – resting will help with recovering.
Give us a call on 9569 8091 if you think your wisdom teeth need to be assessed – it’s better to get it checked sooner rather than later.
Wisdom teeth removal appointments are available for nearby suburbs, such as: Stanmore, Marrickville, Summer Hill, Ashfield, Petersham, Lilyfield, Tempe, St Peters, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Newtown, Burwood, Croydon, Haberfield, Lewisham, Erskineville, Wolli Creek, Leichhardt, Enmore, Annandale, Camperdown, Glebe, MacDonaldtown, Redfern, Eveleigh, and Earlwood.
