Will I need my wisdom teeth removed?

How wisdom teeth are removed

Wisdom tooth removal usually only requires a single appointment. Before your wisdom teeth are removed, you will be given a local anaesthetic to numb the tooth and the surrounding gum area. This ensures you do not feel any pain while your wisdom teeth are removed. In some cases, conscious sedation or general anaesthetic can also be used to facilitate the removal of these teeth in anxious patients.

If the tooth has not come through the gum yet, a small incision will be made to access it. The tooth may need to be divided into smaller parts to make removing it more accessible through the opening.

You may feel some pressure just before the tooth is removed. This is your oral surgeon widening the tooth socket by rocking the tooth back and forth before removing it.

Wisdom tooth removals can often take 15 minutes if it is a simple procedure. It can sometimes take longer than 30 minutes if it is a more complicated case.

Is wisdom tooth removal painful?

As the area surrounding your tooth will be numbed using an anaesthetic, you should not feel any pain. You may feel slight pressure while the tooth is removed, but no pain. Should you feel any pain during the procedure, do not hesitate to tell the oral surgeon so that more anaesthetic can be administered and the procedure can be done in a relaxed, pain-free environment.

Benefits of removing a wisdom tooth

There are three key benefits of removing your wisdom teeth.

• Removal of pain caused by wisdom teeth Wisdom tooth extraction can ease the discomfort of having a wisdom tooth in your mouth. The removal alleviates the pressure on your jaw and lessens tooth and gum sensitivity.
• Prevents damage to nearby teeth. Wisdom teeth are often tough to reach and, thus, also challenging to keep clean. This leaves them and neighbouring teeth open to decay. The pressure caused by wisdom teeth can also weaken the roots of nearby teeth or grind away enamel, leaving them vulnerable to cavities and bone loss.

Problems if you do not remove your wisdom tooth

Wisdom teeth are often removed because of the pain they cause when they either do not erupt or fully erupt from the gums. A partially erupted wisdom tooth can usually lead to a bacterial infection called pericoronitis if you do not have your wisdom teeth extracted. Meanwhile, a wisdom tooth that does not fully erupt can develop a cyst, leading to further oral issues. Wisdom teeth can often come in crooked; this can happen usually because there is not enough space in your mouth for them to emerge correctly. If you do not have the wisdom tooth removed, a crooked wisdom tooth can permanently damage adjacent teeth and thro