Some wisdom teeth never emerge in the mouth, but remain in the jaw and can stay there without causing damage. These wisdom teeth do not need to be removed.

However, sometimes, perhaps without you realizing it, various problems can occur with hidden wisdom teeth. For example, they can grow crooked and damage the front tooth.

A cyst can also form around the wisdom tooth. In these cases, the tooth will need to be extracted. It is therefore a good idea to have your dentist check the condition regularly with X-rays

Often there is only room for part of the wisdom tooth to erupt into the mouth. If the partially erupted wisdom tooth is not causing any damage, there is no need to remove it.

However, if a deep gum pocket develops between the wisdom tooth and the front tooth, which impairs the condition of the neighboring tooth, the wisdom tooth must be extracted.

Inflammation can also easily occur in the gums around a partially erupted wisdom tooth, as cleaning is difficult. Inflammation can manifest as pain, redness, swelling, bad odor and pus. You can treat the inflammation with rinsing and possibly antibiotics, but often the inflammation will return and the tooth will need to be extracted.

If your wisdom tooth has erupted all the way into the oral cavity and is not causing any discomfort, it should not be removed.

However, the fully erupted wisdom tooth sometimes sits crooked and can interfere with your bite or cause sores in your cheek. In this case, it will need to be removed. If there is a cavity in the tooth or in the neighboring tooth, it is also often necessary to remove the wisdom tooth.

If your wisdom tooth is fully erupted in your mouth, the dentist can often remove it with a simple tooth extraction, the same way any other tooth can be removed.

If your tooth is partially erupted or completely hidden in the jawbone, it will need to be extracted. The dentist will often perform the surgery themselves, but in some cases you will be referred to one of our jaw surgery specialists.

During surgery, the dentist makes an incision in the gum and pushes it aside to reach the tooth. The tooth is then removed. Sometimes it may need to be divided into smaller pieces to make it easier to remove. The wound is sewn up with a few stitches that need to be removed after a week or so.

Once the wisdom tooth is removed, the wound needs to rest. Therefore, you should avoid being physically active for the first 24 hours after surgery. It's a good idea to keep your head up when you sleep the first night.

Sometimes there is a need to remove several or all four wisdom teeth. In this case, it is least uncomfortable if they are removed one side at a time. This allows you to chew with the non-operated side during the healing phase.

The risk of complications after wisdom teeth removal is generally low.

The cost of having one or more teeth extracted depends on how easy it is to perform the treatment.