Introduction
Typically, a young person’s wisdom tooth may begin to emerge at the age of 17 to 25. Your wisdom teeth are the third and last molar at each side of your mouth on each jaw (Colgate, 2010), meaning most people have 4 wisdom teeth in total.
If you have impacted wisdom teeth, it is advised that you should seek dental help as soon as possible. Impacted wisdom teeth refer to the very common condition where your wisdom teeth are unable to fully erupt and grow in your mouth, possibly due to them growing at awkward non-vertical angles, or having a lack of space in the mouth to grow.
In many cases, your dentist may advise you to undergo wisdom teeth removal. This is a fairly common practice, and it is likely that there will be little to no complications if you needed to go through it.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
If you suspect that you may have impacted wisdom teeth, it is extremely important that you seek advice on it from your dentist as soon as you can. This is because leaving it untreated could result in decaying in the surrounding teeth due to them blocking the growth of a wisdom tooth.
Symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth include swollen or reddish gums, gums that bleed easily, unpleasant breath or pain in your jaw. It could also be a reason for suspicion if you feel sharp pain in your gums where your wisdom tooth is growing, or you are suddenly experiencing unusual sensitivity to foods that are hot or cold.
Wisdom Teeth Removal at Vivid Dental Surgeons
Depending on your situation and the way your wisdom teeth are erupting, your dentist may suggest extracting your wisdom teeth more often than not, to avoid future complications. This can involve a simple wisdom tooth extraction, or for some cases, if your impacted wisdom teeth have not fully erupted, extraction may involve surgery.
But fear not, as it is a simple procedure with relative low risks involved. Your dentist should also inform you that there is a very small chance of complications such as nerve damage, which can be easily mitigated with an experienced dental surgeon. Would like to know more about wisdom tooth removal ? here.
When surgery is required, wisdom teeth removal patients at Vivid Dental Surgeons would be under sedation during the procedure, so as to numb the area and ensure that the patient will not feel any pain during it.
Following wisdom tooth surgery, it is vital that you follow a diet of soft foods and avoid very hot or cold food and drinks. It will usually take a few days before the pain can subside and you can start transitioning your diet back to normal.
Your dentist will probably also prescribe painkillers to suppress any discomfort you might be feeling post-surgery. You might also experience swelling around the jaw, so prepare an ice pack to soothe the area near the site of the wisdom tooth removal if needed.
Wisdom Tooth Removal Costs
At Vivid Dental Surgeons, simple wisdom tooth extraction costs about S$150 to S$250 per tooth. For complex cases requiring surgery, it would cost about S$350 to S$1250 per tooth. You may be able to use MediSave to cover part of the cost, claimable for up to a maximum of S$300 per day for day surgery (CPF Board, 2020).
If you liked this article, please click here to read about other oral health related articles posted on our blog. Additionally, if you have any questions regarding wisdom teeth or other oral health related matters, feel free to drop Dr Ryan a message here. Also can visit our website here.
