Wisdom Teeth

There is never a good time to have wisdom teeth erupt into the mouth.  For majority of people they can be painful, soft tissue around them swollen and become infected.  The opposing tooth may also bite onto the soft tissue causing pain.  For the majority of people, its advised that wisdom teeth be removed, so that issues do not arise. There are usually 4 wisdom teeth that grow.  In rare cases some people don’t grow any, for others it may be 1 or 2 teeth only .  It does vary from person to person.

Wisdom teeth and the removal of them.

A wisdom tooth may need to be removed for one or more of the following reasons.

  1. Repeated or serious infection of the gum
  2. Tooth decay
  3. Wisdom teeth can grow out too far and damage the cheek or gum
  4. You may need an operation to move your jaw forwards or backwards
  5. Your tooth may be in a position that makes it difficult to clean properly
  6. An orthodontist may need to make space to move other teeth backwards
  7. You may have a cyst near or around your tooth or other jaw problems
  8. Your tooth may be in the line of a jaw fracture

What will happen if I decide not to have the operation or if the operation is delayed?

Your symptoms may get worse or return. There is a risk of getting a serious, life-threatening infection.
If you need to have your wisdom tooth removed before you can have corrective skeletal surgery for orthodontic treatment, the surgery or treatment may not be possible. Impacted wisdom teeth generally do not cause crowded front teeth.
If you have increased pain, contact your dentist.

What does the procedure involve?

Most upper wisdom teeth can be removed easily under a local anaesthetic. Lower wisdom teeth can be more difficult to remove if they are impacted.
Removing a wisdom tooth can involve cutting the gum to uncover your tooth, removing bone around your tooth and possible dividing your tooth with a drill to remove it in sections. Once removed the area is sutured or stitched over to seal the surgical site.
Follow up appoints will be required to assess the healing process. and to have the sutures removed if needed.