Wisdom Tooth
Wisdom Tooth

Wisdom Teeth

The third molar is usually called “the wisdom tooth” and appears in the mouth in the late teens but it can appear any time after. They are often removed when there is no space in the mouth to avoid them from becoming impacted, infected or decayed.

A very common symptom of an erupting wisdom tooth is called pericoronitis (the surrounding gums become infected with food particles), which is most commonly found in the lower jaw and presents with redness, inflammation in the jaw and ear, fever and a feeling of being unwell, limitation of the opening of the mouth and sometimes intense pain.

Depending on the grade of impaction, infection or positioning in the jaw these teeth can either be treated or extracted. The extraction of these teeth can be done either in the dental chair, under general anaesthesia or intravenous sedation (conscious sedation).