TOOTH REMOVAL

Depending on the size of your jaw and the way your wisdom teeth come through, you may never experience any pain or discomfort with your wisdom teeth. The best way to determine whether you will need your wisdom teeth removed is to come for an evaluation with one of our friendly dental professionals. At your appointment, we will review your dental history, take any necessary photographs or X-rays and examine your mouth and wisdom teeth. If we recommend the removal of some or all of your wisdom teeth, we will then discuss with you the procedure, any risks or complications and what you can expect after they have been removed.

If you are feeling particularly nervous about the procedure, then sedation might be a good option for you. We work closely with an affiliate anaesthetist to offer IV sedation (also known as sleep dentistry) so that you can have your treatment done in comfort.

In many cases, absolutely nothing. If your jaw is large enough to accommodate your wisdom teeth then you shouldn’t experience any pain or discomfort. However, if your jaw is too small or your wisdom teeth come through on an angle (also known as impacted), it can cause lead to some serious dental issues. Some of the common problems you might experience with your wisdom teeth include:

• Tooth Decay – If your wisdom tooth comes through on an angle (also known as impacted) saliva, bacteria and food can build up around it, causing tooth decay. When this is not removed, it can lead to infection and inflammation not just around the wisdom tooth but it’s neighbouring teeth as well. This can result in another tooth requiring removal or root canal therapy.
• Gum infection – If your wisdom tooth has just started to come through, you might find that food gets stuck beneath the gum which can lead to gum infection. As a result, you may experience pain, swelling in the mouth, cheek or neck and bad breath.
• Pressure Pain – When your wisdom teeth start coming through, they can place pressure on the other surrounding teeth as your jaw expands to make room. This can be quite painful and can result in the erosion of other teeth.
• Cysts – When a wisdom tooth is impacted, it can lead to a cyst formation on the surrounding gum. When left untreated, this can lead to destruction of the bone, jaw expansion and the movement or decay of other teeth. To prevent further bone loss and possible fracturing of the jaw, removal of the tooth may be required.
• Teeth crowding – If your wisdom tooth comes through on an angle, this can place pressure on the surrounding teeth and cause them to move in order to make room for the tooth and jaw to grow. When there isn’t enough room in the mouth, this movement can lead to crooked teeth and crowding, which may require orthodontic treatment such as braces.

Besides common issues such as tooth decay, gum disease, pressure pain, cysts and crowding, you may also find that you require your wisdom teeth removed for orthodontic or prosthetic reasons.

To ensure the best results from your orthodontic treatment, your wisdom teeth may need to be removed before getting braces so that your treatment is not compromised by unnecessary movement of the jaw or other surrounding teeth.

If you require a denture, you may also need your wisdom teeth removed. If a wisdom tooth grows below a denture, it can cause irritation and inflammation of the gum and surrounding tissues. If the wisdom tooth is not removed, you may require a new denture in the future if the teeth or jaw move as a result.

Impacted or wedged wisdom teeth are the very last molars at the back of your mouth which do not have enough room to develop normally. As a result they can erupt through the skin on an angle, causing pain, sensitivity and other serious oral issues until they are removed.

The procedure for removing an erupted wisdom tooth is usually the same as any other tooth extraction.

Tooth removal or extraction is generally a simple, straightforward and painless process. Before pulling the wisdom tooth out, we will numb the tooth and surrounding gum using a local anaesthetic. If you are feeling particularly nervous or having multiple teeth taken out you may wish be placed under general anaesthetic at an additional expense. During the procedure, we will use special forceps to grasp and loosen the tooth in a circular motion. Sometimes teeth can break as they are being pulled out and will need to be removed in pieces.

Although you won’t be able to feel any pain during the procedure, unfortunately we cannot prevent you from feeling sensation and any sounds associated with the wisdom tooth removal. Once the wisdom tooth has been removed, we place a sterile gauze pillow in the socket to help enable a blood clot to form.

Impacted or un-erupted wisdom teeth may require surgical extraction. For your comfort, this is usually carried out under IV sedation or in association with a specialist oral surgeon under general anaesthetic.

The length of recovery time for wisdom teeth removal does vary from person to person, however you should start to feel back to normal anywhere from three-four days up to a week or more. During this time, there are plenty of ways to help make your wisdom teeth removal recovery time easier. For some of our wisdom teeth removal recovery tips, visit our blog.

Just like any tooth extraction, our dentists will provide with you with some after care instructions to help keep the area clean and to promote fast healing and recovery. The majority of pain and discomfort occurs within the first 24-72 hours and taking over-the-counter pain relief such as Panadol and Nurofen can help to minimise the pain as the mouth heals. One of our friendly staff will also give you a call in the week following your extraction to check that the wound is healing well and address any questions or concerns you may have. Sometimes blood clots can become dislodged after a wisdom tooth extraction, leaving the nerve exposed to air, food and fluid. This is called a dry socket infection which can be painful. If this occurs, a sedative dressing is placed over the socket for a few days to help protect it and enable a new blood clot to form.

The cost of a wisdom tooth extraction does vary from person to person depending on the treatment required. To find out more about payment options and rebates, and to assess your suitability for a wisdom tooth extraction, simply give us a call on 08 9440 4455 or request an appointment with one of our friendly dental professionals today.

There are a few different circumstances where a tooth may need to be removed. This includes when a tooth is damaged beyond repair or if there is crowding, inflammation or increased risk of infection.

When tooth decay infiltrates the centre of the tooth (pulp), bacteria can enter, potentially resulting in infection. Likewise, if your immune system is suppressed due to certain medications, the risk of infection posed by a damaged tooth may warrant an extraction.

Dentists may also need to remove teeth in preparation for orthodontic treatment such as traditional braces or teeth aligners. If a tooth cannot break through the gum due to crowding then the tooth may also need to be removed.

Tooth removal or extraction is generally a simple, straightforward and painless process. Before pulling the tooth out, we will numb the tooth and surrounding gum using a local anaesthetic. If you are feeling particularly nervous or having multiple teeth taken out you may wish be placed under IV sedation (also known as sleep dentistry) at an extra cost. During the procedure, we will use special forceps to grasp and loosen the tooth in a circular motion. Sometimes teeth can break as they are being pulled out and will need to be removed in pieces.

Although you won’t be able to feel any pain during the procedure, unfortunately we cannot prevent you from feeling sensation and any sounds associated with the tooth removal. Once the tooth has been removed, we place a sterile gauze pillow in the socket to help enable a blood clot to form.

Sometimes blood clots can become dislodged, leaving the bone exposed to air, food and fluid. This is called dry socket which can be painful. If this occurs, a sedative dressing is placed over the socket for a few days to help protect it and enable a new blood clot to form.

Before the extraction, our dentists will provide with you with some after care instructions to help keep the area clean and to promote fast healing and recovery. The majority of pain and discomfort occurs within the first 24-72 hours and taking over-the-counter pain relief such as Panadol and Nurofen can help to minimise the pain as the mouth heals. One of our friendly staff will also give you a call in the week following your extraction to check that the wound is healing well and address any questions or concerns you may have