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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

631 Reviews

5.0

4th December 2024

Friendly and caring service

4th December 2024

The right atmosphere.

29th November 2024

The clinician is brilliant

28th November 2024

Highly professional team. Great treatment.

27th November 2024

The dentist is excellent

26th November 2024

Professional, thorough and caring staff.

23rd November 2024

Excellent Dentist and Hygienist Competent helpful receptionist

21st November 2024

Probably the friendliness of the staff. The quality of the care and the professionalism of the dental team. My extraction was not straightforward but was accomplished with the utmost skill and dexterity. I could not praise them highly enough. It was a pleasure to note the way my dentist and her nurse worked seamlessly together in a finely tuned double act.

16th November 2024

I was seen on time and the extraction I had was explained to me thoroughly before the treatment started.

16th November 2024

The staff are lovely

13th November 2024

High levels of professionalism; friendliness of all staff; very pleasant environment.

13th November 2024

Efficient and friendly

9th November 2024

I e had some terrible experiences in the past which has left me feeling nervous and anxious before an appointment. The team at St Anne's have all been fantastic since day one. They listen, they empathise and are not pushy. The hygienist is very careful and thorough … the best experience I’ve ever had.

8th November 2024

The staff are totally professional. I had a check up with Susan as my dentist who explains everything as she goes along. I had a new hygenist Anna ( Polish) who was amazing. Just as good as Chrissie. I was very impressed with both ladies who carried out my treatment. Receptionists are also very polite and helpful.I left in a very happy mood . All thanks to the treatment I received at the practice .

2nd November 2024

I wouldn't call the experience great as it was a tooth extraction. But it was done well and was painless, and I felt I was in good, careful hands.

31st October 2024

Efficiency of it.

30th October 2024

Both my hygiene appointment and my checkup were conducted very thoroughly and with care for my comfort. All the staff are very kind.

30th October 2024

Pleasant and friendly staff. Patient. Explain what's going on. Take care not to hurt!

23rd October 2024

Everything was highly satisfactory; I felt I was in very good hands throughout. Thank you to all concerned

16th October 2024

Very respectful and caring staff

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