Wisdom teeth removal and extraction

Wisdom teeth, like wisdom, come with age.

Wisdom teeth are one of the most common types of dental extractions that we help our patients deal with here at Bondi Dental in Bondi, Sydney. Even though wisdom teeth are a common dental health issue that many people will have go through, there are a lot of misconceptions about wisdom teeth.

We’d like to help answer some frequently asked questions about wisdom teeth and their relationships to your overall oral health.

What are wisdom teeth, and why are they important?

Wisdom teeth are molars – big teeth used for grinding food while you chew. Wisdom teeth are located at the very backs of your top and bottom jaws; most adults have four wisdom teeth. However, unlike the rest of your molars, wisdom teeth do not emerge until later in life. People typically lose their baby teeth and get most of their permanent teeth whilst still in the primary school years – but wisdom teeth arrive a bit late to the party. Most people get their wisdom teeth during ages 17-25 as the wisdom teeth descend (or arise) from below the gum line.
The reason that we have to understand more wisdom teeth is because they often create problems for people’s dental health. The truth is: wisdom teeth actually aren’t very “wise.”

What kinds of problems are caused by wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth are often creating trouble for the neighbouring teeth. As wisdom teeth erupt from the gum line and grow into place within a person’s rows of existing teeth, they often exert pressure (“crowding”) on the other teeth or can cause food particles and bacteria to be trapped in the mouth, resulting in the risk of infections and gum disease. Another problem with wisdom teeth is their tendency to hunker down inside the jawbone and become impacted – which means that the wisdom teeth are stuck within the jawbone. There are other types if impacted wisdom teeth – for example, some wisdom teeth come in sideways (rather than growing straight in like a normal tooth would). Other wisdom teeth only partially break through the surface of the gum line and then get stuck in place, which can lead to infections and gum disease.

Does everyone have to get their wisdom teeth removed?

Some people are fortunate enough to have all four wisdom teeth erupt and grow into place normally, however, because the wisdom teeth are so far back in the mouth, it is very hard to keep them clean and changes of decay are very high. It is quite common for many people to have some level of difficulty with their wisdom teeth. Many people in Australia get their wisdom teeth removed as a preventive measure – sometimes it’s easier to just remove wisdom teeth before the teeth get a chance to cause problems.
One tip to keep in mind is that wisdom teeth are often easiest to remove when people are younger. So if you’re in your teenage years, that might be the perfect time to get the wisdom teeth removed. If you wait until you’re in your 30s (or later), there can be added challenges and complications. So don’t delay!

For more information on wisdom teeth, or to schedule an appointment to get your own wisdom teeth looked after, please contact Bondi Dental in Bondi, Sydney, or call 1300 988 010.

How do I know if I need to have my wisdom teeth removed?

If you’re age 16 or older, chances are that your wisdom teeth will soon be coming in. Many high school and university students get their wisdom teeth removed during semester holidays; it’s practically a rite of passage to adulthood in some areas of Sydney.
At Bondi Dental in Bondi, Sydney, removing wisdom teeth is one of the most common dental procedures. You don’t need to be afraid of the process; it’s just part of growing up. Whilst some lucky people don’t have any problems with their wisdom teeth and are safe to leave their wisdom teeth in place, most of us will need to have our wisdom teeth removed to correct or prevent dental health problems.

So how do you know if you need to have your wisdom teeth removed? Sometimes people come into Bondi Dental in Bondi Sydney for emergency treatments either because of severe toothache from their wisdom tooth or a swollen face. This is a very clear sign and signal that you will need to remove your wisdom tooth/teeth. However, if have have your regular dental check-ups at Bondi Dental, our Principal Dentist, Dr. Andrew Sih will inform you at time of examination as to the situation of your wisdom teeth and whether you will need to remove them, to prevent the onset of any crisis.

Impacted wisdom teeth

This is a condition where your wisdom teeth are not growing in straight, and get stuck. Sometimes wisdom teeth will grow in at a slight angle, and other times wisdom teeth will be completely sideways! Your dentist will monitor the progress of your wisdom teeth when you get dental X-rays. If your wisdom teeth are completely encased within your jawbone, that is called a “bony impaction.” If your wisdom teeth have partially emerged from the gum line (these are often visible when you look in the mirror; it’s just like a new tooth coming in) and then gotten stuck in place, this condition is called a “soft tissue impaction.” Bony impactions often cause problems because the wisdom teeth can put pressure on the neighbouring teeth or can even interfere with the roots of nearby teeth – thus causing significant dental health issues.

Infections

If you have a “soft tissue impaction,” even if there is no danger to the neighbouring teeth, this can still be a problem because food debris and bacteria tend to get trapped inside the soft tissue around the wisdom tooth. This can lead to infections and gum disease; in severe cases, a bacterial infection in your mouth can move to other parts of your body and cause problems for your overall health. For these reasons, wisdom teeth need to be carefully watched as they grow into place – if there are any signs of a soft tissue impaction, your dentist will likely recommend that you get your wisdom teeth removed.

Well-grown in wisdom teeth that need to be removed anyway

With wisdom teeth, sometimes you just can’t win. Even if all four of your wisdom teeth have grown in normally and seem to pose no immediate problems, depending on your situation you might still want to have the wisdom teeth removed. The reason is that wisdom teeth, being located way at the back of the mouth, tend to be very difficult to keep clean. It’s hard for most people to brush – and more importantly, floss – their wisdom teeth regularly or thoroughly enough, thus increasing the chances of decay. Therefore, just as a preventive measure, dentists will recommend that all wisdom teeth be removed.

For more information on wisdom teeth, or to schedule an appointment to get your own wisdom teeth looked after, please contact Bondi Dental in Bondi, Sydney, or call 1300 988 010.

Wisdom teeth removal – what to expect

If you need to have your wisdom teeth removed, you might be feeling nervous about the procedure. No one likes to have oral surgery, but sometimes it’s unavoidable – and with wisdom teeth removal, it’s often best to just get it all done at once rather than drag out the process for months and years.

At Bondi Dental in Bondi Sydney, our dentist Dr. Andrew Sih, has performed thousands of wisdom teeth removals during his career. He can help to put your mind at ease and guide you through a comfortable and successful process of getting your wisdom teeth removed. In cases of impacted wisdom teeth when surgical procedures are required, Dr. Terry Yuen, our Oral Surgeon will perform the procedure.

Will it hurt?

Wisdom teeth removal is always performed with anaesthetics to prevent pain and discomfort. Some patients, because of their fear, may want this procedure done under general anaesthetics in a hospital. This could prove to be a long and costly process. In Bondi Dental, our experienced dentists, Dr. Andrew Sih and Dr. Terry Yuen are able to remove simple or complex cases of extractions using local anaesthetics, with the right amount of local anaesthetics, patients would not feel any pain during the extraction. For very nervous patients, sometimes a single dose of tranquillizers will be prescribed before the procedure to help the patients relax.

If your wisdom teeth are fully erupted from the gum and in place within your mouth, your dentist might be able to remove them in the same manner as extracting any other tooth. (Wisdom teeth are bigger than other teeth, with longer, deeper roots, so sometimes they are a bit more difficult to remove.) But if your wisdom teeth are impacted within the jawbone, you will probably need to have oral surgery performed by a specialist or oral surgeon. This helps to minimise the amount of jaw bone that is affected by the wisdom teeth removal. You might need to have a few stitches; often dentists will use self-dissolving stitches that eventually go away on their own.

What is the recovery process after removing wisdom teeth?

After getting wisdom teeth removed, you will need to spend a few days recovering. Here are a few things to watch out for:

Bleeding: There will be some bleeding for the first several hours; use gauze to place over the empty tooth socket to control the bleeding.
Pain and swelling: You might feel some pain or swelling in your face where the wisdom teeth were removed. To counteract facial swelling, use ice wrapped in cloth and hold it over your face for 10 minutes at a time (followed by 20 minutes of rest). You can also take over-the-counter medications for pain relief such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen; your dentist can prescribe other medications for more severe pain. After the first 24 hours, use heat (like a warm, moist towel) to relieve any swelling or discomfort.
Diet: You will need to avoid solid food and only consume a liquid diet for the first day or until the numbness from anaesthesia is gone. During the following few days, eat only soft foods to avoid hurting your healing mouth.
Tooth brushing: Continue to brush your teeth, but be especially gentle and avoid the areas where your wisdom teeth were removed. You should also rinse your mouth with a salt water gargle – but be careful not to rinse too vigorously or spit, as this can dislodge the blood clots in the wisdom teeth sockets, leading to a painful condition called “Dry socket.”

You should start feeling almost “back to normal” within a week after the wisdom teeth removal – but the amount of recovery time depends on your specific situation and how complicated the wisdom teeth removal process was. Wisdom teeth removal is usually a fairly straightforward and easy procedure, and you’ll be back eating, drinking and brushing your teeth normally before you know it.

For more information on wisdom teeth, or to schedule an appointment to get your own wisdom teeth looked after, please contact Bondi Dental at Bondi Sydney or call 1300 988 010