Call me back

We’re Accepting New Patients!

Read More Next

Looking for a caring and professional dental practice? We’re excited to welcome new patients to our clinic! Whether you’re due for a check-up, need treatment, or are looking to enhance your smile, our friendly team is here to help.
Contact us today to book your first appointment—we look forward to meeting you!

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth are molars which are the last adult teeth to develop in the mouth. Most people have four wisdom teeth at the back of the mouth — 1 in each corner.

They usually start to appear in gums in late teens, early twenties, but it can also be quite common to appear later. By this time, there are already 28 adult teeth in the mouth and so the development of wisdom teeth can often be impacted by restricted space, causing problems as they grow. Wisdom teeth can sometimes emerge at an angle or get stuck and only partially emerge. Teeth that grow through like this are known as impacted.

When to see a St Anne's Dental Practice dentist

Impacted wisdom teeth don't always cause symptoms. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth becomes infected, damages other teeth or causes other dental problems, you may experience some of these signs or symptoms:

Red or swollen gums
Tender or bleeding gums
Jaw pain
Swelling around the jaw
Bad breath
An unpleasant taste in your mouth
Difficulty opening your mouth

As with any teeth problems, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms it's important to book an appointment at St Anne's Dental Practice to see a dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for routine dental health review.

What can I do to help relieve the discomfort of wisdom teeth?

A mouthwash of medium-hot water with a teaspoonful of salt will help to reduce gum soreness and inflammation. Swish the salt water around the tooth, trying to get into the areas your toothbrush cannot reach. Do this several times a day.

An antibacterial mouthwash containing chlorhexidine can also reduce the inflammation. Pain-relieving tablets such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can also be useful in the short term, but talk to us at St Anne's Dental Practice if the pain continues.

Why are wisdom teeth removed?

If your wisdom teeth are impacted but not causing any problems, you don't usually need to be remove them. This is because there's no proven benefit of doing this and it carries the risk of complications.

Sometimes, wisdom teeth that have become impacted or haven't fully broken through the surface of the gum can cause dental problems. Food and bacteria can get trapped around the edge of the wisdom teeth, causing a build-up of plaque, which can lead to several problems in the mouth:

  • Damage to other teeth. If the wisdom tooth pushes against the second molar, it may damage the second molar or increase the risk of infection in that area. This pressure can also cause problems with crowding of the other teeth or require orthodontic treatment to straighten other teeth.
  • Cysts. The wisdom tooth develops in a sac within the jawbone. The sac can fill with fluid, forming a cyst that can damage the jawbone, teeth and nerves.
  • Decay. Partially impacted wisdom teeth appear to be at higher risk of tooth decay than other teeth. This probably occurs because wisdom teeth are harder to clean and because food and bacteria get easily trapped between the gum and a partially erupted tooth.
  • Gum disease. The difficulty cleaning impacted, partially erupted wisdom teeth increases the risk of developing a painful, inflammatory gum disease in that area.

Many of these problems can be treated with antibiotics, antiseptic mouthwash and a good oral hygiene regime.

Wisdom teeth removal is very common, but usually only recommended when other treatments haven't worked.

How are wisdom teeth removed?

If your St Anne's Dental Practice dentist recommends removing your wisdom teeth, they'll take an X-ray of your mouth to help them determine who should carry out the procedure. Your dentist may remove your wisdom teeth, or they may refer you to a specialist surgeon for hospital treatment.

Before the operation, we’ll fully explain the procedure to you.

A local anaesthetic injection is usually given to numb the area around the tooth. You'll feel some pressure just before the tooth is removed, as your dentist or oral surgeon needs to widen the tooth socket by rocking the tooth back and forth.

A small cut in the gum is sometimes necessary, and the tooth may need to be cut into smaller pieces before it's removed.

It takes anything from a few minutes to 20 minutes, or sometimes even longer, to remove a wisdom tooth.

After your wisdom teeth have been removed, you may have swelling and discomfort, both inside and outside your mouth. Occasionally, some mild bruising is also visible. This is usually improves after 3 days, but it can take up to 2 weeks. If this continues for longer, or progresses, please get in touch with the team at St Anne's Dental Practice as soon as possible.

Prevention

You can't keep an impaction from occurring but keeping your regular dental appointments for cleaning and reviews enables your dentist to monitor the growth and emergence of your wisdom teeth. Regularly updated dental X-rays may indicate impacted wisdom teeth before any symptoms develop.

If you have any concerns about your wisdom teeth, or are experiencing any pain, give us a call on 01273 473189.

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to St Anne's Dental Practice. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

716 Reviews

5.0

2nd July 2025

Great welcome from reception, very thorough session at the hygienist,was good to feel relax. Good check up .

2nd July 2025

I've always been nervous and all the staff our lovely and my dentist is brilliant .l've been with this practice for along time and would not go anywhere else we'll done all of you .

1st July 2025

Professionalism and friendliness of ALLthe staff.

27th June 2025

Last minute appointment, but everyone was lovely. Adam explained everything clearly and offered to write me a treatment programme.

25th June 2025

St Anne's has always been a very friendly and comfortable practice, moving with the times but maintaining and improving standards over time.I would readily recommend them to anyone, especially those who, like me, have been largely inattentive to dental care and hygiene from an early age.

25th June 2025

Friendly professional staffRelaxed atmosphere

25th June 2025

Options clearly explained and selected jointly based on best likely outcome.

17th June 2025

Rekah, hygienist, was very professional, explained everything about the procedure. She was very gentle & took time to offer advice when using electric toothbrush. The treatment was excellent & I looked forward to seeing her on my next appointment.

16th June 2025

I was afraid of the dentist from bad childhood experiences until I attended st annes.. I now look forward to seeing my dentist as she always puts me at ease, is respectful and caring. I feel that I am in good hands.

16th June 2025

Excellent treatment.

15th June 2025

Waited only a few minutes to be seen. Dentist chatty and welcoming - remebers things about me. Doesn't do unnecessary treatment. Talks through options. Recptionist efficient and friendly

13th June 2025

The staff are very welcoming and efficient. I get the treatment scheduled and a clear explanation of everything that goes on

13th June 2025

The dentist took time to explain the treatment. I did not get the feeling there was any rush.

12th June 2025

Very professional, efficient and friendly. Highly skilled dentist.

12th June 2025

Friendly with sense of humour.

10th June 2025

Friendly, relaxed and caring

10th June 2025

Care of clinicians. Highly skilled and nice people with it. The process is also very smooth

6th June 2025

the staff are always very helpful and Adam very considerate and explains everything about the procedure and will answer your questions and explain any alternatives if there are any and what you should consider before you make your choice.His bedside manner is just what you what if you have any reservations about dentists.The practice is very lucky to have him.

5th June 2025

Friendly and highly efficient

5th June 2025

Honourable, helpful, competent, professional and kind staff throughout the practice from practice manager, dentist, hygienist, dental nurse to receptionist. The very best practice in Sussex. It is a pleasure to continue to recommend them to family & friends.

Prev Previous
Next Next