Wisdom Tooth Removal | Pain, Advice and Cost

Author: Team Smileworks Smileworks are Liverpool's most popular dental practice.

Wisdom tooth removal:  The facts

Wisdom tooth removal is having one or both of your third molars (wisdom teeth) taken out by a dentist.  Removal is required when the erupting wisdom teeth become impacted, or something is blocking them from coming through.  Wisdom tooth removal is also called a ‘surgical extraction‘ by dentists and you can read about it by following the link.

This can lead to toothache and sometimes an inflammation or infection of the gum.  This is what dentists call pericoronitis.  When the impacted wisdom tooth is removed, the pain, swelling and infection will go away and there will be no risk of damage to the surrounding teeth.  Wisdom tooth removal is a routine and popular dental treatment and because we use local anaesthetic you can expect the treatment to be painless and cost around £200-495 depending on the complexity.  Upper and lower teeth are different and can be more or less complicated depending on the circumstances.

To book your consultation, use our 24/7 online booking system or get in touch by calling 0151 236 5166.

Wisdom tooth removal cost uk

The wisdom tooth removal cost here in the UK depends on a number of factors.  The cost of a wisdom tooth extraction depends on the treatment required.  Different 3rd molars (upper and lower) have different anatomy and the stages of eruption, how much the tooth is impacted and whether there’s infection can mean the cost varies.  The best thing to do is to speak to an expert at the practice who can give you more advice depending on your particular situation.

It’s like when you take your car to the garage after a bump.  Sometimes it’s just damage to the bodywork that can be easily fixed without it costing too much.  Other times the radiator or chassis might be damaged and the cost will be more.  So we can never say with certainty how much it will cost.

What we can say with certainty is that if you come for a £110 emergency appointment you will leave knowing precisely the cost, risks and implications of treatment.  It’s more than likely that your case will be simple and we can get it fixed as a simple wisdom tooth extraction.  If it’s more complicated then you’ll probably know about it because of the severe pain and other more serious symptoms outlined below.

To see all our Smileworks prices follow the link to Dental Prices.

If you need an appointment for wisdom tooth extraction then just call the office for an emergency appointment on 0151 236 5166.  We have specialist oral surgeons and general dentists who carry out this treatment daily so you can be sure that you will be in the best hands.

What are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth (also called third molars) grow at the back of your gums.  Most people have four —one in each corner of the mouth—and they typically emerge during our late teens or early twenties.  Sometimes you’ll need a special wisdom teeth removal procedure from your dentist if you’re experiencing wisdom tooth pain – and here’s why.

When the wisdom teeth come through or ‘erupt’ the mouth is usually full of adult teeth and there isn’t always enough room for four new teeth. Because of this, wisdom teeth often surface at awkward angles, or only partially emerge due to overcrowding.  Teeth that grow abnormally are known as impacted and it’s these impacted teeth that can give you pain and problems.  Surgical extraction is something your dentist or oral surgeon can do to fix the problem.  Read on for more or scroll down for our video outlining the procedure in detail.

If you have painful wisdom teeth and need an emergency dental appointment visit our emergency dentist page here:  Emergency Dentist Liverpool. If you have uncontrolled bleeding or severe pain following a wisdom tooth extraction procedure then you can get help by calling NHS 111.

Here at Smileworks we have a Specialist oral surgeon, Dr Drew Travers who will perform complex extractions and oral surgery.  He has a wealth of experience working in hospitals and private practice and can effortlessly handle even the most difficult impacted wisdom tooth cases.

Wisdom Tooth Pain Symptoms

Impacted wisdom teeth can cause complications as the condition worsens, such as damage and realignment of the surrounding teeth, gum disease, and cysts.  You should make an appointment to see your dentist if you’re experiencing severe discomfort from your wisdom teeth. Common symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth are throbbing pain in the back of the mouth, swollen or bleeding gums, swelling around the jaw, swollen glands in the shoulder or neck, and headaches.  These symptoms can often be mistaken for Gum Disease.  If you think you might have gum disease take a look at our main gum disease treatment page here.

How to relieve wisdom tooth pain

Some impacted wisdom teeth need extracting and this is the only way to get you out of pain.  However, if there are minor flare-ups at the back of your mouth, follow this advice to help relive pain.A simple home remedy for the pain is gargling with salt. This naturally antiseptic compound helps reduce inflammation in the gums, and even has the potential to fight infection.  However, if pain and oral distress persists, you may need to consider an extraction or removal of the teeth.

An experienced dentist will be able to remove your wisdom teeth with no problems thereby preventing inflammation and infection, overcrowding, damage to nearby teeth and cysts. Extracting impacted teeth can improve your dental hygiene significantly and lower the chance of wisdom tooth infection or pericoronitis

Wisdom tooth extraction:  What are the alternatives?

Not all wisdom teeth need to be removed. If they’re not causing pain or discomfort, there may not be an urgent reason to extract them.  Carefully cleaning your teeth can ease the symptoms of impacted teeth, such as soreness and swelling of the gums. Your dentist may offer antibiotics if your teeth become infected. Wisdom tooth pain can come and go over months or even years and varies significantly in intensity from patient to patient and at different times.  What is clear, however, is that the problem rarely goes away and you may need to have them extracted if you are experiencing recurring or chronic pain in your teeth.

What does a wisdom tooth coming through look like?

Signs that a wisdom tooth is coming through are usually:

• Sore, inflamed or reddened gums at the back of your mouth
• Pain or discomfort that might be constant or periodic (coming on and going away from month to month).
• Headaches and neck pain
• Swelling and hot feeling in the gums at the back of your mouth
• Pus or discharge coming from your gum or a bad taste at the back of your mouth.  This can also lead to bad breath.
• In severe cases you can experience difficulty swallowing or opening and closing your mouth – if this happens call NHS 111 or an emergency dentist immediately.
• Swollen or sore lymph nodes or feeling your ‘glands are swollen’ like when you have a cold or flu.
• Fever, shivering or flu-like symptoms.

If you just have toothache and it’s not a wisdom tooth then you might need a root canal.  You can read about this treatment here: Root Canal Liverpool.

Tooth extraction at Smileworks

Before the procedure, you will be administered a local anaesthetic injection to numb the area around the tooth. The dentist or oral surgeon will then widen the tooth socket by rocking the tooth back and forth, in preparation for its removal.  Here at Smileworks we have the most advanced and talented dentists and oral surgeons in Liverpool so you are in the safest of hands.

Sometimes when extracting teeth it’s best to wait a few minutes after wiggling them loose.  This causes the tissue and fluids to build up around the tooth and gently push it out of the socket.  This technique is extremely gentle and also requires a highly experienced surgeon.

Does tooth extraction hurt?

In 2024 with modern techniques, highly skilled clinical teams and advanced anaesthetics, extractions do not hurt:

The days of pulling and pulling and yanking at your teeth are over and now a good dentist will use their skills to ease the tooth out of the socket in a comfortable and pain free way.  During these three or four minutes we can play your favourite song on iTunes and Smileworks dentists have been known to pass these few minutes doing a little dance for our patients in their fancy custom fit uniforms.

In some cases, a cut may be needed in your gum, and the tooth may need to be cut into smaller pieces in order to be extracted. Some procedures take only a few minutes, while others can exceed 20 minutes.  But however long it takes, you can be sure that you are in the safest of hands and that your dentists absolutely have everything under their control.

Will I need a scan?

Here at Smileworks we’re lucky enough to have a 3D CBCT scanner that can be used to identify precisely where your impacted teeth are and more importantly, where the bone, vessels and nerves are before the extraction.  We never go in blind and will have an extremely accurate picture of things before the procedure if it is suspected that there may be complications that need to be considered beforehand.

Aftercare Advice

Proceeding your extraction, you may experience swelling and discomfort. A stiff, sore jaw, tingling or numbness in the face, lips or tongue, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth are also common side effects.  To reduce pain and hasten recovery, use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, and avoid strenuous activity. It can also be helpful to:

• Avoid alcohol and smoking
• Eat soft food and chew with other teeth
• Gently rinse the extraction site with antiseptic mouthwash after 24 hours, and repeat regularly over next few days

Recovery time

The typical recovery period is 3-4 days.  Most people don’t experience problems after the procedure.  However, you should contact your dentist or speak to the NHS direct on 111 immediately if you experience any of the following:

• Bleeding that doesn’t stop after applying pressure, or that lasts for more than an hour or two
• Severe pain or swelling that does not improve
• A high temperature, which may indicate an infection

Best foods to eat

If you undergo wisdom tooth extraction, or are experiencing wisdom tooth pain, knowing what to eat after treatment can lead to a smoother recovery or cause you less pain and discomfort.  Some great foods to eat during this period include:

• Apple sauce
• Soup
• Jelly
• Mash potatoes
• Yogurt
• Instant oatmeal

For more information on our emergency dental procedures such as wisdom teeth removal and surgical extractions follow the link here to our emergency dentist page.  Or call 0151 236 5166 to speak to someone at the practice.

Do you want to know what it’s like at Smileworks?  Take a look at our Video and 360° tour below.

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Where to Find Us

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