Wisdom teeth are the last of our teeth to come through, usually not until we’re well into adulthood. There’s a space at the back of our jaw for them when they finally decide to show up, but sometimes they decide just to be that extra bit annoying and get themselves stuck. When this happens it is called Impacted Wisdom Teeth, and it can be excruciatingly painful. In many cases surgery is needed for wisdom tooth removal, and that’s when you should call Dr. Lance West.

What happens next?

If you come to us for wisdom tooth removal, then the first thing we’ll do is assess at the situation. A quick check of your mouth and jaw, followed by a few x-rays and then we’ll know what we’re up against and the best course of action to take. If we discover an infection then we might treat it first before going ahead with the surgery.

Wisdom teeth removal happens under anaesthesia, and the type of anaesthesia will be discussed with you beforehand. There are different types, and together we will choose the best one for your situation. Local anaesthesia is for more simple surgeries, and will only affect the area we are operating on. General anaesthesia is more typically used for complex surgery, and will put you to sleep. This type of operation is almost always carried out in a hospital. There is also a “middle-ground” anaesthesia which doesn’t knock you out, but puts you in a type of “twilight sleep”.

After wisdom tooth removal.

Following surgery our nursing staff will brief you about the post-operative phase of your wisdom tooth removal. You will be provided with pain-killers (probably), antibiotics (maybe) and anti-septic mouthwashes (definitely). You will also be provided with a written sheet of instructions which our nursing staff will discuss and explain to you and your care-giver.

Dr Lance West is quite simply the best in New Zealand when it comes to wisdom tooth removal. Give him a call today if you’ve any questions about the procedure.