Wisdom teeth removal in Melbourne

We offer affordable wisdom teeth removal services from our Essendon dental practice. Our experienced team of Melbourne dentists guide you through the process, giving you all the knowledge you need and providing you with all the options available.

Dentists at our practice can manage even the most complex cases. While we perform most wisdom teeth removals at our Essendon dental clinic using a simple local anaesthetic, we offer a range of sedation options in our Essendon surgery as an alternative to hospital treatment. Of course we can refer you to a hospital, where you will receive general anaesthetic for oral surgery.

What are wisdom teeth?

Wisdom teeth are our third molars that most people develop and erupt normally between the ages of 18 and 24. They are called ‘wisdom teeth’ as we are meant to be ‘smart’ and full of wisdom at this age. Wisdom teeth (or third molars) provide extra strength when it comes to chewing tough food. It’s common for wisdom teeth to be impacted, as they don’t have enough room for them to erupt (come through).

The reasons for not having this space for wisdom teeth to erupt may be:

• Our soft diets with cooked food don’t cause sufficient wear on our other teeth.
• We don’t eat raw meats anymore, like our ancestors did. Along with the raw meats, they also ate a lot of roots & nuts, which required a powerful biting mechanism.
• The lower jaw has not grown enough to accommodate the wisdom teeth.

What are the symptoms of wisdom teeth problems?

Wisdom teeth can cause problems and often need removal. There are several situations where removal is the best option.

Infection from impacted wisdom teeth

When an impacted wisdom tooth starts to push through the gums, an infection can start around the top of the tooth. Infection and inflammation (swollen red gums) can cause pain, swelling and jaw stiffness.

Wisdom teeth crowding 

A wisdom tooth may push nearby teeth out of their correct position and may help to cause crowding of front teeth. The pushing can be painful for some patients.

Cysts around wisdom teeth

Sacks of fluid called cysts can form around a wisdom tooth and may displace it. The cysts can destroy bone and damage other teeth and gums. Sometimes, cysts can be treated with antibiotics but extraction of the wisdom tooth (and cyst) is a sensible option in most cases.

Damage to nearby molars by a wisdom tooth

An impacted wisdom tooth may keep pushing against the second molars next to it. This often leads to a serious damage to both teeth, as well as pain for most patients.

What happens if you don’t get your wisdom teeth removed?

In some people, their wisdom teeth may have enough room to completely come through with no issues. However, other people don’t have enough space in their jaws, causing wisdom teeth to become impacted. Not removing these teeth can lead to an increased risk of tooth decay and gum infections. Nearby teeth can be damaged and the jawbone can also get affected if an impacted wisdom tooth forms a cyst.

Do I need all four wisdom teeth out?

The impacted tooth causing problems needs to be extracted but so does its opposing tooth. This is because teeth keep moving until they hit something. As the opposing tooth moves, it causes food and bacteria to accumulate around it. So having the opposing teeth out at the same time saves another future procedure and consequent healing time occurring twice.

The cost of wisdom teeth removal

To assess the situation and give you options, we need to conduct an initial consultation. If you have a recent X-ray you can bring it in (or ask for it to be sent to us), or we can take a new image from the convenience of our Essendon dental practice.

We charge an initial consultation fee. During the initial consultation we will give you information about final costs and all available options. You may need additional imaging; we can discuss relevant options and costs at the time. We assess the difficulty of the extraction; the cost for the removal will vary per tooth depending on the complexity of each extraction.

What if I’m scared or nervous about wisdom teeth removal?

This is perfectly normal and our team at FirstBite Dental will help reassure you and walk you through the steps involved.

• Most people will be fine having their wisdom teeth removed in the dental chair while watching TV or listening to music.
• We offer Sleep Dentistry in our practice at an additional cost.
• We can organise a referral for the wisdom teeth extraction procedure to be done in hospital, under a general anaesthetic at an additional cost. This is where a general anaesthetic is used under the supervision of a dental anaesthetist. In Australia, only qualified anaesthetists can perform IV sedation.

Your FirstBite dentist can discuss your options with you. It is also important to know the complications associated with the procedure, so please ask. You can view our consent form here.

How long will it take to recover from having wisdom teeth removed?

Everyone responds differently, and will depend on the difficulty of the extraction. For the first 48 to 72 hours, you will experience swelling and mild discomfort. Your mouth may need a few weeks to recover, though most people are back to work and normal activities within a few days of the surgery.

There will be dietary requirements such as cold liquids and soft foods following a wisdom teeth removal procedure. Read our Wisdom Tooth Removal Survival Guide for more details.

What other things should I expect while having my wisdom teeth removed?

There are a lot of different things to weigh up when having your wisdom teeth removed. So that’s why we’ve written The Wisdom Tooth Removal Survival Guide. We hope we’ve made it quick and easy to read and hope it puts you at ease over the whole process.

All minor and major dental treatment has their own risks and benefits. The removal of wisdom teeth is a surgical or invasive procedure that carries risk if not done in a hygienic environment. FirstBite Dental is QIP Accredited which means that we have been assessed and certified against six National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, applicable to dentistry. Please seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified dental health practitioner.