Not everyone needs their wisdom teeth out. Some people don’t have any at all, and other people have just one, two or three. Most people do have four though, and sometimes the wisdom teeth come through just like any other normal tooth, straight and healthy. Sometimes when there is discomfort, it’s caused because they haven’t been cleaned very well;  so  you might just need to be shown how to brush and look after them properly. Other times, they don’t come through at all, so you could just keep them under close watch until they cause a problem.

However, if they break through the gums and look like they are going to be stuck, half in/half out, then you’re probably better off getting them out, to avoid any problems in the future.

Most wisdom teeth that are stuck will need to be surgically removed. That sounds pretty scary, but it doesn’t have to be. During the procedure to remove your wisdom teeth, the surgeon usually makes a small incision in your gums, and divides the tooth into two or three pieces and removes them before putting one or two stitches in to put everything back where it’s supposed to go, minus the tooth of course! The procedure can be done under a local anaesthetic, with sedation, or a general anaesthetic, and takes about an hour to complete.

Every surgical procedure has risks. The main risk with having your wisdom teeth out is the risk of infection afterwards. You might get some food stuck, or if you had an infection there already, you might get it again. This is pretty common though and fairly easy to treat. Sometimes, the nerves under the tooth can be knocked around during the surgery which might cause you to have a tingling or numb sensation in your lips or tongue after the procedure.  This is pretty rare though and most of the times, it’s temporary and comes back to normal after about a week or two. There are extremely rare times though when the numbness can be permanent, but your surgeon should be able to tell you what your specific risks are when you see them.

Sometimes, the blood clot that is supposed to form and act as a bandage around the wound gets disturbed and can give you a very painful condition called a ‘dry socket’. This happens mostly in people who smoke and drink and do silly things after the surgery. It’s easy enough to treat though, you just need to keep an eye out for any potential problems and alert the surgeon as soon as possible if you’re concerned about anything afterwards.

You’ll probably be in a little bit of discomfort for two to three days afterwards, but nothing that shouldn’t be able to be managed with some pain medicine and some mouthwash. It does get a little bit worse though, before it starts feeling better. If you take your medication as directed, avoid smoking, alcohol and excessive physical activity then by about a week, you should feel about 70% better and about 90% better after two weeks.

You can eat anything that you can manage. It’s definitely not advisable to go a steak straight off though! Maybe some soup, ice-cream and custard for the first few days, then, as you are able to manage, perhaps some scrambled eggs, fish, pasta or you might even try some chicken as you get better and better. See our video on how to look after yourself after wisdom teeth removal.

The exact cost of wisdom teeth removal depends on the difficulty of the teeth being removed. The ADA item codes are listed below:

Thus the typical cost ranges between $900 to $1800 for removal of all four wisdom teeth and includes as many reviews as required until you are recovered. You should receive a benefit from your health insurance provider on top of this. If you require happy gas, sedation or general anaesthetic services, these are extra costs which need to be considered. Removal of your wisdom teeth in Darwin requiring a general anaesthetic is performed at either the Darwin Day Surgery or the Darwin Private Hospital. Please call us to discuss these options if you require them and we can provide you with a comprehensive quote.