When it comes to wisdom teeth removal, people in Melbourne have a dentist they can trust. Coming to our Richmond dental practice means you know you’ll receive professional and attentive care through all stages of the wisdom teeth extraction process.
What are wisdom teeth?
Another word for wisdom teeth is third molars. They don’t appear in all people, but if they do, it is usually at about 18-24 years of age. People are meant to be smart at this age, hence the term ‘wisdom teeth’.
Because the third molars are at the end of each row of teeth, some people don’t have enough room for them to come through. This reason is usually the first time a person might know they have problems with their wisdom teeth.
Common wisdom teeth problems
You or your dentist will know when your wisdom teeth need to be removed because:
- you may have crowding issues, where the wisdom teeth don’t have room to come through and cause existing teeth to become crooked
- you’ve developed an infection in the gums because the wisdom teeth have partially erupted (appeared)
- you’re experiencing pain because of crowding, impaction or infection issues
- cysts have developed around the wisdom teeth. These sacs of fluid can damage other teeth and destroy bone
- you may be developing sinus function problems because of unerupted or impacted wisdom teeth, putting pressure on the sinus.
The wisdom teeth removal procedure
Before the extraction, your dentist will assess your mouth and oral cavity with our OPG full mouth X-ray machine and then develop a treatment plan.
You will be in our comfortable dental chair while your dentist extracts your tooth or teeth. You’ll receive a local anaesthetic, which we administer with an initial injection with a very fine needle. This fine needle minimises pain and discomfort.
Your dentist will then extract each tooth one at a time. You may feel pressure at times, but you won’t feel pain.
In under 45 minutes, the entire procedure will be complete.
Aftercare & Recovery
Immediately after the surgery, you may experience some bleeding at the site. The bleeding will cease within 15-30 minutes, and we will give you gauze to bite upon, to manage the bleeding.
Your face will be swollen after the wisdom teeth surgery, so we recommend keeping your head elevated and applying ice to reduce the swelling. Peak swelling usually occurs 48–72 hours after the procedure, so we recommend planning your schedule to minimise strenuous activity.
You may need pain relief after the extraction. We recommend you take over-the-counter medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, using the directions on the packet. We can also provide advice and instructions on how to best manage pain.
From an eating and drinking perspective, for the first 24 hours after the procedure, you’ll be limited to eating foods that don’t require chewing. Think yoghurt, smoothies, soup and of course, ice cream. The chilled temperature of ice cream actually helps to reduce swelling. After 24 hours, you can introduce soft foods like mashed potatoes, pasta, rice and scrambled eggs.
After 3–4 days, most people have recovered from their wisdom teeth removal surgery. Please contact our dental clinic if you encounter any recovery problems.
Frequently asked questions
Some patients may only need the wisdom teeth at the top or at the bottom extracted, while other patients may only need the removal of one wisdom tooth.
We treat many people coming in for wisdom teeth removal with the extraction of all four teeth at once. The process depends very much on each patient’s individual presentation.
Some patients experience no pain, crowding or impaction when their wisdom teeth come through. These patients won’t need any wisdom teeth extracted. And up to 35% of people don’t have wisdom teeth at all.
In prehistoric times, early humans and our ancestors had diets much richer in uncooked vegetables. But these diets required our teeth to do much more grinding, which is why the third molars (or wisdom teeth) were very much needed.
The modern human diet does not rely as much on eating raw vegetables, so the need for the extra grinding power is much more reduced.
If you suddenly experience terrible pain, we pride ourselves on being able to manage the situation quickly.
We will be able to see you on the day at our Richmond dental clinic.
Being nervous about dental procedures is completely normal, and our Richmond Fine Dentistry staff will do all they can to reassure you. We explain each step calmly and involve you throughout the whole process.
Most patients find watching television or listening to music in the dental chair a great way to get through the procedure.
You can also choose to have your wisdom teeth extracted under sedation, under the care of our qualified partner professional.
We may refer you to our oral surgeon in Melbourne if your case is complex and causing you anxiety.
The cost of wisdom teeth removal at our Richmond dental clinic will vary from patient to patient. Some patients may only need one tooth extracted, while others will need more.
Our personalised service offering means we have personalised and unique payment options. The amount payable will also depend on whether you have sedation dentistry for your extraction.
To find out about our payment arrangements, speak to our friendly and knowledgeable office staff. They will be able to provide you with all the information you need when it comes to health insurance rebates and payment plans.
Disclaimer: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
On average the recovery time for a tooth extraction is 1-2 weeks. However, most people can back to their normal routine within 3-5 days.
Your dentist will provide post-operative instructions to keep your comfortable while you heal.
Dry socket is a complication that can occur after any tooth removal. When teeth are extracted, a blood clot forms over the extraction site. This clot protects bones and nerve endings. If the clot doesn't form or later becomes dislodged, a dry socket can result.
Dry socket typically occurs 1-3 days after your wisdom teeth are removed, and symptoms include:
- Severe pain that gets worse and is not lessened by medication.
- Pain radiating on the same side of your face as the extraction.
- Bad taste or odour in the mouth.
- Seeing visible bone.