Wisdom Tooth Removal

Medisave funds can be used for wisdom tooth removal, with up to $1250 per tooth, which covers nearly the full cost of the whole procedure.

What are Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth are the last molar teeth to erupt in most people.

When may you need to extract your Wisdom Tooth?

Wisdom teeth are extracted generally due to two reasons:

the wisdom tooth has become impacted (did not emerge properly because of lack of space in the jaws)
the wisdom tooth may become problematic if not extracted.

Problems caused by grown-in wisdom teeth include:

Tooth decay caused by food particles trapped in between the wisdom tooth and the tooth infront of it.
Misalignment causing the wisdom tooth to rub against the tongue or check which causes pain.
Wisdom teeth are often hard to clean with toothbrush and floss. As such plaque can build up around the wisdom tooth and cause gum disease and bone loss.

A decision to remove the wisdom tooth or not is usually made after examining the x-ray of the position of the wisdom tooth and the jaws, and considering the wisdom tooth's relationship with other teeth. Removal of a wisdom tooth will require a minor surgical procedure.

What to expect during your appointment

Before the wisdom tooth's removal, an X-ray would be taken to assess the position and shape of the wisdom tooth.

How is the wisdom tooth removed?

Usually the wisdom tooth is removed under local anaesthesia.
This will prevent any feeling of pain during surgery when the dentist is working on the wisdom tooth.

During the surgery, the gum around the wisdom tooth is cut open and some bone around the wisdom tooth may be removed. At times the wisdom tooth may need to be divided into pieces before removal. The gum is then stitched back in place.

You will come back for an appointment to check on your condition about 5 days later. At this time, the stitches will be removed.

Is it painful?

Removal of teeth these days is usually painless due to effective modern anesthetics. Instruments have now been developed make the procedure as quick and stress free as possible.

What I need to do after the surgery?

After the operation, when the anaesthetic has worn off, you may need to take painkillers. Antibiotics may also be given to prevent infection of the wound. There is usually some swelling of the cheek which may last up to 5 days. The swelling may also cause some stiffness of the jaw. A little blood oozing should be expected. You can stop this by biting on a piece of gauze placed on top of the wound, for about 20 - 30 minutes.

Be gentle while brushing and do avoid the area around the wound.
Inform your dentist if you think the wound does not stop bleeding after 24 hours.
You may want to place an ice-cold towel or ice-pack over your cheek to help reduce the swelling.
Take all the medicines given to you at the proper time. If antibiotics have been given to you, complete the whole course.
Do keep to a soft diet.
Try not exercise vigorously or do heavy lifting. Do not smoke or drink alcohol.
The next day, do rinse your mouth gently after every meal to remove any trapped food at the wound. Continue to brush your teeth.

When can I resume my normal activities?

Most patients can go back to their normal daily activities within 2 hours.