What are Wisdom Teeth?
Wisdom teeth are the third and final molars in your upper and lower jaw. They emerge from the gums at the back of your mouth during your teenage years and early twenties. Due to their location in the mouth, cleaning wisdom teeth can be a challenge. This makes them vulnerable to gum infections and tooth decay.
When left unchecked, wisdom teeth can cause pain, discomfort and dental complications. Even if you don’t experience pain, visiting your dentist to have your wisdom teeth checked is crucial to avoiding long term dental challenges.
When should I remove my Wisdom Teeth?
If you experience pain at the site of your wisdom teeth, pain in your jaw and jaw stiffness it’s time to remove your wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth can grow outwards at awkward angles, causing pain behind the molars. This growth pressurizes neighbouring teeth leading to tenderness and swelling of the gums. It can cause pain when eating or even speaking.
In extreme cases, wisdom teeth can penetrate the surface of your gums. This exposes the open gum tissue to bacteria and the possibility of infection. In the case your gums are reddening or swollen, be sure to contact a dentist immediately.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO RECOVER AFTER MY WISDOM TEETH HAVE BEEN REMOVED?
This varies for everyone. The speed at which you recover is dependent on the extent to which you’ve been affected by your wisdom teeth. Some can recover in a day. Others may experience pain up to a week after extraction.
TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF AFTER EXTRACTION
Taking care of your mouth and jaw after removal of your wisdom teeth is crucial to a fast recovery. Here’s what you need to do:
- Day 1 – To minimize swelling and pain, apply ice against your cheek on the side where the wisdom teeth were removed. Keep your mouth clean by brushing softly before you go to bed. Do not rinse your mouth on this first day.
- Day 2 to 4 – To prevent infection, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water. To avoid uncomfortable throbbing, keep your head at a 45-degree angle as you rinse. Use Ibuprofen (or another drug your dentist has prescribed) to relieve pain and inflammation.
WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT AFTER YOUR WISDOM TEETH HAVE BEEN REMOVED
The key to recovery is going easy on your mouth. After your wisdom teeth have been removed, your mouth may be tender or swollen.
Avoid hard, crunchy, acidic or spicy foods. You can alleviate swelling with ice cream. To maintain your nutrition levels, cool green smoothies and lukewarm soups are recommended. Coconut water is fantastic as it is sweet, refreshing and packed with electrolytes.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HAVE MY WISDOM TEETH REMOVED
The cost to remove your wisdom teeth will depend on the level of complexity and how many need to be removed.
All health funds are acceptable at Malouf Dental. Our payment plans are designed to ensure flexibility so you can take control and rid yourself of pain fast.
Scenario 1:
A single, upper wisdom tooth, straightforward removal – $300
Scenario 2:
Two lower wisdom teeth, both impacted – $880
Scenario 3:
Removal of all four wisdom teeth, all impacted – $1650
If you are at all anxious about having your wisdom teeth removed speak to our Tingalpa dentist about the sedation options we can arrange for you.
FAQ
Generally you won’t need to have all of your wisdom teeth removed at once, however this depends on the situation.
It depends on the severity of the wisdom. The procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to around 20 minutes. Your dentist will be able to tell you a time frame.
It can take around 2 weeks for the gum to fully heal from wisdom tooth removal. This does depend on how complicated the surgery was and how many teeth were removed.
Make sure that the gauze packs are firmly in the area that the wisdom tooth was removed from. You can remove them after 1 hour if the bleeding has stopped, however if the bleeding continues then place a new gauze in for another 30 minutes. Make sure to keep your mouth as clean as possible, and try to avoid poking the area.
Try to avoid hard food for a few days to make sure that you don’t’ not puncture the area. Also avoid hitting the area where you are brushing your teeth. If you are a smoker, it is suggested that do not smoke for up to 3 days after the surgery. You should also avoid using straws for 3 days to avoid putting mass amount of liquids onto the affected area.
Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
