Wisdom Teeth Removal at Blockhouse Bay Dental Centre
As they are the last four teeth to erupt into the mouth, wisdom teeth can begin to break out around the age of 18 which marks the beginning of adulthood and when supposedly you gain wisdom. Although many people believe that wisdom teeth automatically need to be removed, that’s not always the case.
If there is enough space for the wisdom teeth, and they erupt into the correct position, they are useful teeth and do not need to be extracted. However, if your jaws are too small or your teeth are too large, issues can arise. Being the last teeth to erupt if there is insufficient space the wisdom teeth can get trapped and only partially erupt. This is known as impacted wisdom teeth.
Over tens of thousands of years humans’ jaws are evolving to be smaller yet with the same number of teeth. It wasn’t uncommon for the ancient Egyptians to have 36 teeth (rather than our 32) without any problems!
Why Do You Remove Wisdom Teeth?
If the wisdom teeth only partially erupt, a gum flap can trap food and bacteria and cause regular infections. It feels like the tooth is ‘popping up’ and then the ache will subside. Occasionally the mouth can become very sore, with difficulty opening it and swelling can occur, such that antibiotics are needed.
This process will keep happening until the tooth either erupts fully or until it is removed. The inflammation around impacted wisdom teeth is often related to stress and often is worse around students’ exam times.
Problems That Impacted Wisdom Teeth Can Cause
If you have an impacted wisdom tooth, that can cause the following issues:
- Infection, swelling, pain and limited opening of the mouth
- Bad breath from all the food packing
- Decay in the good teeth immediately in front, leading to extraction or root canal therapy
- Loss of bone around the tooth in front
Case Study
See panoramic OPG X-ray showing impacted wisdom teeth.
In this case, the lower wisdom teeth can clearly be seen horizontally impacted against the erupted back molars. The upper wisdom teeth are erupted, but with nothing to bite against.
This detailed image shows deep decay (dark shadows) in the impacted wisdom tooth, as well as the useful erupted molar.
If left as is, the back molar will require root canal treatment or extraction, in addition to the extraction of the wisdom tooth. It is essential to assess the proximity of the inferior alveolar nerve (highlighted) so that damage can be avoided..
To determine whether your wisdom teeth require removal, a full clinical exam is performed. We also will take a large panoramic radiograph to assess the wisdom teeth roots and their association to various anatomy and nerves.
If the wisdom teeth are deeply impacted by bone or very close to a nerve in the jaw then we may need to refer you to a specialist oral surgeon. Quite often they can be very simply removed, even without any sutures (stitches).
Often, the wisdom teeth can be removed without any discomfort under local anaesthetic. During the procedure, you are awake but numb. There is NO discomfort though you will be aware of some sensations, noise and pushing of the teeth; you won’t, however, experience pain.
Afterwards, you may experience some discomfort and in some cases swelling. Regular analgesics and hot salty mouthwashes are very effective at controlling post-operative symptoms. We likely will see you a week post-operatively to see how you’re healing and to remove any sutures.
It’s impossible to provide a quote without first performing a clinical exam and assessing the large radiograph. The surgical removal of all four wisdom teeth is likely to be under $1750. The panoramic radiograph costs $125.
Book an Appointment
If you’re wondering if your wisdom teeth require removal, contact our Blockhouse Bay dental practice today to book an appointment.