Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth are your third molars located in the back of your mouth and they are usually the last to develop.  Most people get their wisdom teeth in their late teens or early twenties but it is not uncommon to develop wisdom teeth as an older adult.  Whatever age you get wisdom teeth, they can be extremely painful.  Symptoms of wisdom teeth that you may experience include pain in the jaw, tenderness and swelling around the gums.  If you are suffering from moderate to severe wisdom teeth pain and you think you may need the removal, get in touch with our experienced dental team today by calling us directly on 020 8942 8943!

Dedicated to dental excellence, creating healthy brighter smiles.

The Procedure

Before having your wisdom teeth removed, you’ll be given an injection of local anesthetic to numb the tooth and the surrounding areas.  If the tooth is yet to show itself through the gumline, it’s likely that our dental professional will perform a small cut (incision) that will be made in the gum so that we have full access to the wisdom tooth or teeth that need to be removed.   When we are extracting the tooth, it’s likely that you may feel some pressure.  This is completely normal because we need to widen the tooth socket by rocking to the back and forth before taking it out.

Aftercare

After wisdom teeth have been removed, it’s perfectly normal to experience some degree of tenderness and swelling.  In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to reduce pain if you have an-going infection.  We may also recommend rinsing your mouth with a prescribed mouthwash for up to a week after treatment or with warm salt water.  Reducing your consumption of alcohol and taking it easy with exercise is also recommended for a few days after treatment.

Dedicated to dental excellence, creating healthy brighter smiles.

When will I need wisdom tooth removal?

Wisdom teeth will have to be removed if the pain they are causing is unbearable.  However, there are a few more likely reasons that may lead to wisdom tooth extraction.  If you have trapped foods and debris behind the wisdom tooth or you have developed gum disease as a result of a problematic wisdom tooth, it’s only right that we get to the root cause of your issues and remove them.  Furthermore, if you have sustained damage to a nearby tooth or surrounding bone, it’s likely that wisdom tooth removal may be required.  Of course, we will look into alternate treatment methods if it’s possible for us to do so!

In an ideal situation we would always prefer to save your natural teeth whenever possible. Unfortunately, this in some instances is not the appropriate solution and it becomes necessary to extract a tooth in order to protect the health of your other teeth. Some of the situations that may warrant an extraction of a wisdom tooth or teeth include:

  • Badly broken or fractured teeth
  • Severely decayed teeth
  • Over crowded teeth.
  • Impacted wisdom teeth

If alternative treatments like a root canal and crown or periodontal treatment will not be effective, then it’s best to extract the wisdom tooth or teeth to prevent the spread of infection.

Sedation

We understand that some patients have a phobia or local anesthetic and that’s why we offer a range of different numbing options so that you can choose one that you’re the most comfortable with.  For local anesthetic, our dental surgeon will numb your mouth and wait between 10-15 minutes to ensure that mouth is fully numbed.  Alternatively, we also offer Intravenous sedation (IV) which is a sedative that goes into the vein.  This is an option to consider if you are nervous about the treatment.

Contact Westbury Dental Care and Implant Centre

If you are suffering from wisdom tooth pain and want to book in with us for a consultation so that we can examine the cause and reasons for your pain, call us today directly on 020 8942 8943.  Our team is able to thoroughly examine the positioning and current health of all wisdom teeth to determine if removal is necessary.

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