Root Canal Treatment

Dental Surgery & Wisdom Tooth Extraction in Singapore

Wisdom teeth are our third molars. They usually erupt between age 17 and 25 years. The number of wisdom teeth in each patient can be variable. For some people, these teeth erupt upright. However, for others, wisdom teeth don’t erupt properly and cause gum disease, decay in the wisdom tooth and its adjacent tooth or other pathologies. In such cases, your dentist may suggest to remove the wisdom teeth.

Do we always need wisdom tooth surgery?

For fully erupted and functional wisdom teeth, you don’t have to remove them but you will need to put in extra effort to clean them.

For partially or fully impacted wisdom teeth, you will need to monitor them very closely with regular examination, cleaning and periodic X-rays. If extraction is indicated due to disease, wisdom teeth surgery might be needed to remove them.

At TOOFDOCTOR’s clinics, wisdom tooth removal can be heavily subsidised by Medisave.

What happens after extraction or surgery?

As with any surgery, there is a risk of infection. However, with proper care, the probability of an infection is very low. If you are experiencing continuous or deteriorating pain and swelling around the extraction site and/or increased body temperature (fever), you might have an infection of the extraction site. You should visit your dentist for advice.

For lower wisdom tooth removal, there is also a low risk of nerve injury. You may experience pain, a tingling sensation or numbness of the lip or tongue. However, this is usually temporary and is likely to last only for the first 2-3 days. Very rarely, it becomes permanent.

After any tooth extractions, you should avoid vigorous mouth washing or drinking through a straw, to prevent dislodging the blood clot from the extraction socket. In addition, avoid smoking and drinking alcohol for at least 1 week. The blood clot is needed for healing of the socket. If dislodged prematurely, you might experience intense pain and swelling of the extraction site- a condition known as dry socket. If you think you have a dry socket, consult your dentist immediately.