Oral Surgery

Extractions and wisdom teeth removal

The reasons for tooth extraction are numerous and although in a perfect world we would keep all of our natural teeth it is not always possible. Factors such as decay, gum disease or badly formed wisdom teeth all may require the extraction of teeth.

Teeth extraction is also common in paediatric dentistry. Some children require the removal of teeth to make room for new teeth and to prevent crowding.

Wisdom teeth usually don’t “erupt” through the gums until we’re teenagers or in our twenties. They are usually the last teeth to come into our mouth. The majority of us have four wisdom teeth. Quite often, there is little space at the rear of the jaw for wisdom teeth to come easily through the gums. If the jaw does not have enough room for the wisdom tooth to come through, the tooth will become wedged or impacted.

Some impacted wisdom teeth remain buried and cause no trouble. However, other impacted wisdom teeth may cause severe problems.

Removal of a wisdom tooth is a common procedure and troublesome wisdom teeth should be removed as soon as possible before the problems get worse.

An impacted wisdom tooth will start to push through the gum and an infection can start around the top of the tooth. Infection and inflammation can cause pain, swelling and jaw stiffness. Swallowing may be painful and the infection can cause bad breath.

An upper wisdom tooth may push sideways out of the gum. It may cause an ulcer where it rubs against the inside of the cheek. Food can also become trapped between the wisdom tooth and the molar next to it. This can cause cavities in both teeth.

It’s always a good idea to ask about the state of play of your wisdom teeth during your check-up.

We are very confident in conducting wisdom teeth procedures and our clinic is well known for dental extraction on the Gold Coast. We guide you through the entire process including how to best manage the recovery stage.