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Looking for a caring and professional dental practice? We’re excited to welcome new patients to our clinic! Whether you’re due for a check-up, need treatment, or are looking to enhance your smile, our friendly team is here to help.
Contact us today to book your first appointment—we look forward to meeting you!

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth are molars which are the last adult teeth to develop in the mouth. Most people have four wisdom teeth at the back of the mouth — 1 in each corner.

They usually start to appear in gums in late teens, early twenties, but it can also be quite common to appear later. By this time, there are already 28 adult teeth in the mouth and so the development of wisdom teeth can often be impacted by restricted space, causing problems as they grow. Wisdom teeth can sometimes emerge at an angle or get stuck and only partially emerge. Teeth that grow through like this are known as impacted.

When to see a Titchfield Dental Health dentist

Impacted wisdom teeth don't always cause symptoms. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth becomes infected, damages other teeth or causes other dental problems, you may experience some of these signs or symptoms:

Red or swollen gums
Tender or bleeding gums
Jaw pain
Swelling around the jaw
Bad breath
An unpleasant taste in your mouth
Difficulty opening your mouth

As with any teeth problems, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms it's important to book an appointment at Titchfield Dental Health to see a dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for routine dental health review.

What can I do to help relieve the discomfort of wisdom teeth?

A mouthwash of medium-hot water with a teaspoonful of salt will help to reduce gum soreness and inflammation. Swish the salt water around the tooth, trying to get into the areas your toothbrush cannot reach. Do this several times a day.

An antibacterial mouthwash containing chlorhexidine can also reduce the inflammation. Pain-relieving tablets such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can also be useful in the short term, but talk to us at Titchfield Dental Health if the pain continues.

Why are wisdom teeth removed?

If your wisdom teeth are impacted but not causing any problems, you don't usually need to be remove them. This is because there's no proven benefit of doing this and it carries the risk of complications.

Sometimes, wisdom teeth that have become impacted or haven't fully broken through the surface of the gum can cause dental problems. Food and bacteria can get trapped around the edge of the wisdom teeth, causing a build-up of plaque, which can lead to several problems in the mouth:

  • Damage to other teeth. If the wisdom tooth pushes against the second molar, it may damage the second molar or increase the risk of infection in that area. This pressure can also cause problems with crowding of the other teeth or require orthodontic treatment to straighten other teeth.
  • Cysts. The wisdom tooth develops in a sac within the jawbone. The sac can fill with fluid, forming a cyst that can damage the jawbone, teeth and nerves.
  • Decay. Partially impacted wisdom teeth appear to be at higher risk of tooth decay than other teeth. This probably occurs because wisdom teeth are harder to clean and because food and bacteria get easily trapped between the gum and a partially erupted tooth.
  • Gum disease. The difficulty cleaning impacted, partially erupted wisdom teeth increases the risk of developing a painful, inflammatory gum disease in that area.

Many of these problems can be treated with antibiotics, antiseptic mouthwash and a good oral hygiene regime.

Wisdom teeth removal is very common, but usually only recommended when other treatments haven't worked.

How are wisdom teeth removed?

If your Titchfield Dental Health dentist recommends removing your wisdom teeth, they'll take an X-ray of your mouth to help them determine who should carry out the procedure. Your dentist may remove your wisdom teeth, or they may refer you to a specialist surgeon for hospital treatment.

Before the operation, we’ll fully explain the procedure to you.

A local anaesthetic injection is usually given to numb the area around the tooth. You'll feel some pressure just before the tooth is removed, as your dentist or oral surgeon needs to widen the tooth socket by rocking the tooth back and forth.

A small cut in the gum is sometimes necessary, and the tooth may need to be cut into smaller pieces before it's removed.

It takes anything from a few minutes to 20 minutes, or sometimes even longer, to remove a wisdom tooth.

After your wisdom teeth have been removed, you may have swelling and discomfort, both inside and outside your mouth. Occasionally, some mild bruising is also visible. This is usually improves after 3 days, but it can take up to 2 weeks. If this continues for longer, or progresses, please get in touch with the team at Titchfield Dental Health as soon as possible.

Prevention

You can't keep an impaction from occurring but keeping your regular dental appointments for cleaning and reviews enables your dentist to monitor the growth and emergence of your wisdom teeth. Regularly updated dental X-rays may indicate impacted wisdom teeth before any symptoms develop.

If you have any concerns about your wisdom teeth, or are experiencing any pain, give us a call on 01489 581158.

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Titchfield Dental Health. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

765 Reviews

5.0

9th May 2025

The hygienist personally came to collect us. Linda was welcoming, friendly, interested and knowledgeable. She confirmed my comfort level frequently. She kept me informed at every stage. You should be proud to have her represent your practice.

7th May 2025

Very friendly and welcoming staff who know you personally

2nd May 2025

I attended with my 2&4 year old, the staff are so good at engaging with the children whilst also attending to my care. The children always feel comfortable coming to the dentist (2 year old isn’t always so sure!) but the staff go above and beyond to ensure they feel comfortable and make it not a scary place.

1st May 2025

Excellent service from the hygienist. There wasn’t a dental nurse present hence the score

1st May 2025

Everyone is efficient friendly & capable. My only issue is that, bearing in mind I complete 1 of these surveys each time I attend the dentist could we as patients have fewer surveys to do - if I was unhappy with the service I would complain!

26th April 2025

Greeted by the reception staffI felt very comfortable with the treatment & the hygienist.

26th April 2025

Everyone very professional and friendly

25th April 2025

Carmen was highly professional and I felt completely happy with each progress of my implant . So understanding to put me at ease

24th April 2025

Friendly, efficient staff.

SJ

SAM JOY

Titchfield Dental Practice is everything I’ve been looking for in a dentists. The staff are kind and friendly, take plenty of time to explain their procedures, and treatment plans. All options were discussed with me in a calm and relaxed manner. I didn’t feel rushed out the door, so they could see the next person, as I have in other places in the past. I have complex dental issues, and Anya has taken time and trouble to explain her decision making processes to me. Whilst I am not a fan of going to a dentist, because I’m a nervous patient, if you need a dentist, I can highly recommend this practice. I have a full on treatment plan coming up over the next few weeks, (May 2025) so I will post before and after pictures so you can get a good idea of what my experience has been.

17th April 2025

Great dental practice. Organised, calm & friendly service. Visiting the dentist is no problem when using Titchfield & would highly recommend.

JM

John Mansfield

All staff are always very friendly and the treatment is excellent.

DN

Deb Neil

I was very nervous before my Hygienist appointment , but Linda was so kind, gentle and understanding Along with new equipment means that I shall no longer be nervous of future appointments . Excellent service from Rick too Excellent service from all the team

10th April 2025

The friendliness and efficiency of all members of staff.

9th April 2025

All the staff are welcoming and friendly and put me at ease. Been a patient for many years and I'm confident I receive the best treatment and advice.

8th April 2025

It’s a super practice. Excellent staff and high patient consideration. I’d recommend anyone to go there if they can afford it.

4th April 2025

Everything was explained, time given compared to other practises very good (still expensive) but makes me feel better!

4th April 2025

Fantastic, well run practice where you are made to feel valued and respected. Great clinical skills and good explanation for everything means you feel at ease throughout.

29th March 2025

Everyone so friendly and hopeful. Lots of smiles

28th March 2025

Ruth is brilliant. Receptionists are wonderful always smiling extremely helpful. Overall the whole team are wonderful

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