Experiencing trouble with wisdom teeth is very common, particularly in the early stages of development – when they first begin to grow through the gum’s tissue layer and out into the mouth. For most patients, after the early stages the problems tend to settle down and they can continue on with life as normal, but for some, their wisdom teeth go on to give them discomfort, infections and trouble. This is when our dentist in Chiswick might need to remove them. Here’s all you need to know about wisdom teeth removal.

What are wisdom teeth?

Your wisdom teeth are the four teeth that grow right at the back of your gums, most people tend to have four – one for each corner of the mouth. It’s most common for people to have their wisdom teeth start to come through in their late teens and early twenties. We would expect most patients to have all wisdom teeth through by the age of twenty-five, but in some cases they won’t come at all and in a few they could even come as late as thirty. They really do have a mind of their own!

Wisdom teeth can, in lots of instances, get stuck or start to grow through at funny angles, causing them to get stuck and only ever come through partially. When wisdom teeth do this they are referred to as impacted. This is why it’s so important that when you do believe your wisdom teeth are coming through you book in to see our dentist in Chiswick for a check-up. They will be able to take a full set of X-rays to see how and where the teeth are coming up and this will give you a clear idea of the process moving forward.

When extraction is on the cards

The team at Strand on the Green Dental Practice will only turn to tooth extraction when it’s absolutely necessary. With wisdom teeth it can be a tricky call to make, sometimes repeated pain and infection is only caused because the tooth is coming through slowly and so our dentist in Chiswick might not be keen to remove them too soon.

However, if you are frequently having infections after the tooth has come through, it’s possible our dentist could refer you to have it removed. Usually problems occur because the tooth has grown at an angle that is causing food and debris to be repeatedly stuck and this causes infection. Now this will cause inflammation which will cause pain and discomfort, but more than this it will cause tooth decay and gum disease, which obviously we want to guard all patients against.

How they are taken out

Either we will be able to remove patients’ wisdom teeth at the practice or it may be we need to refer you to a specialist surgeon at your local hospital. You’ll likely be given a local anaesthetic to numb the area prior to operating. You might feel some pressure, but shouldn’t experience any pain. The process can take a few minutes, possibly twenty minutes or in rare cases longer, it’s all down to the individual.