Wisdom Tooth Removal
What is a Wisdom Tooth?
A wisdom tooth, or third molar is one of the three molars in human teeth which usually start to come through at the back of our gums at each corner of jaw in late teens and early twenties. By this time, the other 28 adult teeth are usually in place, so there isn’t always enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to grow properly so they may become impacted and require removal.
What is an Impacted Wisdom Tooth?
An impacted wisdom tooth occurs when it doesn’t have enough room to come through the gum and may become twisted, tilted or displaced.
- Soft tissue impaction occurs when the crown of the tooth has penetrated through the bone, but the gum is still covering part of the tooth.
- Partial bony impaction is when the tooth has partially erupted, but a part of the tooth remains submerged in the jawbone.
- Complete bony impaction occurs when the tooth is entirely encased by jawbone.
Wisdom Tooth Referral
We are now offering an Advanced Dentistry Referral Service from dental colleagues or from patients themselves for a complex wisdom tooth extraction. We have the latest CBCT imaging scanner to enable advanced diagnosis for complex procedures and patient care. We aim to see failed extraction patients within 7 days of receiving the referral. Please contact us for further details.
Why should I have my Wisdom Tooth removed?
Impacted wisdom teeth can trap food and bacteria, starting a build-up of plaque, which in return results in further dental complications such as:
- Gum disease occurs when plaque releases toxins that irritate your gums, making them red, swollen and painful, this can also affect the surrounding teeth and the bone around the wisdom teeth.
- Tooth decay develops when plaque begins to break down the surface of your tooth and when more advanced, it leaves cavities in the tooth, which also may affect the surrounding teeth.
- A dental abscess – when pus collects in your wisdom teeth or the surrounding tissue due to a bacterial infection.
- Pericoronitis which is an infection, caused by plaque of the soft tissue surrounding the tooth.
- Cellulitis – a bacterial infection in the cheek, tongue or throat.
- Cysts and benign growths – very rarely, if a wisdom tooth hasn’t emerged through the gum it could develop a cyst or fluid-filled swelling.
Symptoms of Wisdom tooth infection
Make an appointment with your dentist If you experience any of the following symptoms
- Red & itchy gum near the wisdom tooth.
- Feeling Pain.
- Pus coming from the gum.
- Lymph glands under the jaw become swollen and sore.
- Find it difficult to open the mouth.
- Suffering from a fever.
How are Wisdom Teeth Removed?
First of all, your dentist will assess your wisdom tooth and carry out an X-ray of your mouth. This gives a clearer view of the position of your teeth in order to determine if it needs to be removed. We may request a CBCT scan, at an additional cost, to be completed prior to the extraction appointment to assess the full position of the tooth and its proximity to the ID nerve, this is to ensure we reduce the risk of nerve injury.
The extraction procedure will then depend on the type of impaction as you may need to be referred to a specialist dental surgeon. If the extraction is to be carried out at Larkham House you will be given local anaesthetic injections to numb the area so that you will only experience a slight pressure during its removal. Some procedures only take a few minutes, whereas others can take 20 minutes or longer depending on the complexity.
Dr Vivek Giddani
BDS, DDCSc (U.Lon), LDS RCS (Eng), MFDS RCS (Ed), PgCert Perio (U.Plym)
Trust Specialty Registrar Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Specialty Doctor Restorative Dentistry
Nitte University India 2004
Vivek graduated as a Dental Surgeon in 2004 and has a special interest in Oral and Facial Surgery, Periodontology (Gum disease) and Dental Implants. Since 2008 he has been working at Derriford Hospital Plymouth as Trust Speciality Registrar in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery providing complex oral surgical procedures and been involved in facial reconstruction surgeries for trauma and cancer patients. He also works as a Speciality Doctor in Restorative Dentistry where he treats referred complex dental cases and provides rehabilitation for oral cancer patients.
Vivek completed post graduate training in Clinical Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London. During this time he worked at Royal London Hospital where he was involved in major Oral, Facial and Oncology surgeries alongside some of the leading consultants in the country. He has completed his post graduation training in Dental Implants and also completed post graduate masterclass training on CBCT Interpretation, Sinus Lift and Bone Grafting. He is studying for his Masters in Periodontology at Peninsula Dental School in Plymouth. He is also on the Devon Local Dental Council committee supporting providers and performers attached to GDS contracts.
Recently Vivek has been awarded a place in Devon LDC (Local Dental Committee) which comprises of elected dentists from the area and represents all General Dental Service(GDS) providers and performers attached to GDS contracts. He will represent dentists practising in primary care in the area.
Vivek special interests at Larkham House Dental Practice:
- Failed and complex tooth extraction
- Wisdom tooth removal
- Orthodontic extraction
- Endodontic surgeries (Apicectomy)
- Closure of Oroantralcommunication
- Pre-prosthetic surgeries
- Bone and Sinus Augmentation
- Implant retained dentures
Periodontics (treatment of gum disease)
- Non-surgical and surgical Periodontal treatment
- Periodontal problems related to implants (Peri-implant mucositis and implantitis)
- Crown lengthening procedures
- Mucogingival management
Outside dentistry he is currently working hard to introduce his Giddani estate coffee into the local and national market, the family coffee estate was established in 1895.
Vivek is a member of:
- The British Dental Association.
- The British Society of Periodontology.
- The Association of Dental Implantology.
- The British Association of Oral Surgeons.
- The British Society of Restorative Dentistry.
- The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.
- The Royal College of Surgeons England.