How long does a wisdom tooth take to come in

Your dentist says it’s time to remove your wisdom teeth. They may refer you to an oral surgeon, who will do the procedure in their office. It should only take a few days for you to heal and feel back to normal.

Why Take Them Out?

Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars in the back of your mouth. They usually come in between the ages of 17 and 25, and they're spotted on X-rays. Most people have them removed for one of these reasons:

• They’re impacted. Because they're so far back in your mouth, wisdom teeth may not come in normally. They can be trapped in your jawbone or gums, which can be painful.

• They come in at the wrong angle. They may press against your other teeth.

• Your mouth isn’t big enough. Your jaw has no room for an extra set of molars.

• You have cavities or gum disease. You may not be able to reach your wisdom teeth with your toothbrush or dental floss.

Before Surgery

You’ll meet with the oral surgeon to talk about the process. At this appointment, make sure you:

• Talk about any health problems you have.

• List any drugs you take on a regular basis.

• Ask any questions you have about the surgery.

• Discuss what type of anesthesia you’ll have. You can either be numb or asleep during your surgery.

• Plan time off from work or school to have your surgery and rest afterward at home. Set up child care, pet care, or a ride home if needed.

During Surgery

Your surgery should take 45 minutes or less.

You’ll get one of these types of anesthesia so you don’t feel pain during the removal:

• Local: Your doctor will numb your mouth with a shot of local anesthetic such as novocaine, lidocaine or mepivicaine. You may also breathe nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to relax or even doze during surgery. You should feel alert again shortly afterward. 

• IV sedation: The surgeon will numb your mouth and also give you drugs through a vein in your arm to make you drowsy. You might sleep during the whole procedure.

• General: You’ll either get drugs through a vein or breathe gas in through a mask. You’ll be asleep the whole time and might not wake up for an hour or so after the surgery.

Your doctor may have to cut your gums or bone to get the teeth out. If so, they'll stitch the wounds shut so they heal quickly. These stitches usually dissolve after a few days. They may also stuff gauze pads in your mouth to soak up some of the blood.

After Surgery

Everyone responds differently to anesthesia. If you had a local anesthetic and feel alert, you might be able to drive home to begin your recovery. You might even be able to go back to work or do your normal activities. If you had general anesthesia or still feel drowsy, you’ll need someone to drive you home.

Most people have little to no pain after surgery. You'll likely have swelling and mild discomfort for 3 or so days. Your mouth may need a few weeks to completely heal.

Follow your doctor’s instructions for a quicker recovery. Here are some tips for the first 3 days after surgery:

Dos:

• Use an ice pack on your face to curb swelling or skin color changes.

• Use moist heat for a sore jaw.

• Gently open and close your mouth to exercise your jaw.

• Eat soft foods like pasta, rice, or soup.

• Drink plenty of fluids.

• Brush your teeth starting the second day. Don’t brush against any blood clots.

• Take the drugs your doctor prescribes to ease pain or swelling.

• Call your doctor if you have a fever, or if your pain or swelling doesn’t improve.

Don’ts:

• Don’t drink through a straw. Sucking may loosen blood clots that help your mouth heal.

• Don’t rinse your mouth too harshly. Your doctor may suggest rinsing gently with saltwater.

• Don’t eat hard, crunchy, or sticky foods that may scratch your wounds.

• Don’t smoke. Smoking can slow your healing.

The removal of wisdom teeth (or third molars) is one of the most common surgical procedures carried out in the UK.

The wisdom teeth grow at the back of your gums and are the last teeth to come through. Most people have 4 wisdom teeth (1 in each corner).

Wisdom teeth usually grow through the gums during the late teens or early twenties. By this time, the other 28 adult teeth are usually in place, so there isn't always enough room in the mouth for the wisdom teeth to grow properly.

Because of the lack of space, wisdom teeth can sometimes emerge at an angle or get stuck and only partially emerge. Wisdom teeth that grow through like this are known as impacted.

When to see a dentist

You should make an appointment to see your dentist if your wisdom teeth are causing severe pain. They'll check your teeth and advise you whether they need to be removed.

If your dentist thinks you may need to have your wisdom teeth removed, they'll usually carry out an X-ray of your mouth. This gives them a clearer view of the position of your teeth.

As with any teeth problems, it's important to see your dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for your regular dental check-up.

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Why are wisdom teeth removed?

Your wisdom teeth don't usually need to be removed if they're impacted but aren't causing any problems. 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:

• tooth decay (dental caries)
• gum disease (also called gingivitis or periodontal disease)
• pericoronitis – when plaque causes an infection of the soft tissue that surrounds the tooth
• cellulitis – a bacterial infection in the cheek, tongue or throat
• abscess – a collection of pus in your wisdom teeth or the surrounding tissue as a result of a bacterial infection
• cysts and benign growths – very rarely, a wisdom tooth that hasn't cut through the gum develops a cyst (a fluid-filled swelling)

Many of these problems can be treated with antibiotics and antiseptic mouthwash.

Wisdom teeth removal is usually recommended when other treatments haven't worked.

How wisdom teeth are removed

Your dentist may remove your wisdom teeth, or they may refer you to a specialist surgeon for hospital treatment.

Before the operation, the procedure will usually be explained to you and you may be asked to sign a consent form.

You'll usually be given a local anaesthetic injection 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 worse for the first 3 days, but it can last for up to 2 weeks.

Read more about how a wisdom tooth is removed and recovering from wisdom tooth removal.

Possible complications

As with all surgery, there are risks associated with removing a wisdom tooth. These include infection or delayed healing, both of which are more likely if you smoke during your recovery.

Another possible complication is "dry socket", which is a dull, aching sensation in your gum or jaw, and sometimes a bad smell or taste coming from the empty tooth socket. Dry socket is more likely if you don't follow the after-care instructions given by your dentist.

There's also a small risk of nerve damage, which can cause a tingling or numb sensation in your tongue, lower lip, chin, teeth and gums. This is usually temporary, but in rare cases it can be permanent.

Read more about the possible complications of wisdom tooth removal.

Dental costs

Dentists charge depending on the treatment required, unless you're under 18 or otherwise exempt from NHS charges.

If hospital treatment is required, it will be provided through the NHS free of charge.

Read more about dental costs.