Most people from the age of 18 will develop wisdom teeth. Generally people will have four wisdom teeth, two in the lower and two in the upper jaw.
However, many people will not have enough room at the back of their lower and upper jaw for the wisdom teeth to erupt through the gum and therefore the teeth are not functional. The wisdom teeth often become impacted in the small space or buried in the gum causing pain, infection, and can push and crowd existing teeth. Partially erupted wisdom teeth can also cause food traps and are hard to clean around leading to their decay and the decay of adjacent existing teeth.
The Procedure for Removing Wisdom Teeth
At Mends Street Dental wisdom teeth can be removed in the Dentist’s chair under local anaesthetic, in the Dentist’s chair under intravenous sedation or under general anaesthetic at South Bank Day Surgery in South Perth.
Removal under local anaesthetic usually takes place in the Dentist’s chair and can be performed with or without oral sedatives or intravenous sedation. Local anaesthetic will remove any pain sensation but you will still be aware of pressure and pushing. The oral sedatives will reduce the awareness of the pressure and pushing.
Intravenous sedation is carried out by a specialist Anaesthetist at your dental appointment and while your wisdom teeth are being removed you will be in a ‘twilight sleep’ which will assist with any anxiety and place you in a relaxed state. Your Dentist will still use local anaesthetic at the extraction site for pain control. When you wake up you should have no recollection of the procedure.
The final option we offer at Mends Street Dental is to have the wisdom teeth removed under general anaesthetic at South Bank Day Surgery in South Perth. Many people choose this option so they can sleep through the procedure and be totally unaware of any part of the experience.
Consultation
In order for our Dentist to make a recommendation on whether you or your child should have your wisdom teeth removed, a full mouth X-ray called an OPG will be taken at Mends Street Dental to assess the position, level of development and likelihood of normal eruption of the wisdom teeth. If you have already had an OPG taken please bring it with you to your consultation appointment. Your Dentist will be able to provide you with the appropriate treatment options and provide you with an estimate of the cost for the treatment.
For more information on wisdom teeth removal or to book a consultation please ring us on 9474 5164.
