Expert Wisdom Teeth Removal

What is wisdom tooth extraction?

Wisdom tooth extraction involves the removal of one to four wisdom teeth. People usually undergo this procedure in their teens or early to mid-twenties as that's when wisdom teeth typically develop. Before going into further detail about the extraction process, it's first useful to explain what makes wisdom teeth unique from our other teeth.

Wisdom teeth are the last of our teeth to appear, though some don’t develop wisdom teeth at all. As our third set of molars, wisdom teeth typically grow into the four back quadrants of our mouth during adolescence and young adulthood. However, wisdom teeth have been known to grow at strange angles and to get stuck under the surface of our gums. Naturally, this can lead to a wide variety of issues that necessitate extraction, including crowding, gum disease, and the misalignment of your other teeth.

Of course, there's a chance that your wisdom teeth will come through the gums and are well aligned, in which case they can be treated like any other tooth. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough room on our jaws for our wisdom teeth, which causes them to grow out at an inappropriate angle. Wisdom teeth are usually best removed soon after they're seen to be growing inappropriately. Dentists typically catch these things during routine appointments.

How is the tooth extracted?

If your wisdom teeth need to be removed, you can have them extracted at a dental practice. You'll be put under general anaesthetic, which will put you to sleep so that the procedure is pain-free. During this, the dentist will remove your wisdom teeth, clean up the area and stitch it. This anaesthetic will make you feel a little confused and drowsy for a few hours, so it's important to plan for someone to drive you home afterward.

How long does the procedure take?

The amount of time it takes to get your wisdom teeth extracted depends on the state of your teeth and the number of teeth you're getting extracted. If you’re having all four wisdom teeth removed in one visit, which many patients opt to, the procedure will take about an hour. If you only have one or two teeth extracted, you can expect the procedure to take about 30 to 45 minutes. Please note, wisdom teeth that are severely impacted may take longer to extract. Your dentist will give you a more accurate idea of how long the procedure will take after they’ve examined your teeth.

The recovery period also varies depending on the patient and the state of their wisdom teeth. However, the average recovery time is usually somewhere between one and four days. You’ll receive all the information you need about the recovery period before the actual procedure. This includes what sort of medication you should take, what symptoms to expect, and what foods and beverages you should and shouldn't be consuming.