Health

Taking Out a Wisdom Tooth

Third, molars or wisdom teeth develop at the very back of your jaw.

They are the final teeth in your mouth to erupt. Your wisdom tooth is likely ready to erupt if you feel discomfort or pain in the back corners of your mouth.

Wisdom Teeth with Impacts

Dental discomfort may result from issues with impacted wisdom teeth, which could mean that the tooth does not develop in the optimal upwards direction, does not have enough room to fully penetrate the bone and gums, or grows out at an angle and pushes on other teeth.

Because it is more difficult to clean, this can lead to food getting lodged, increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

The lower wisdom tooth is more likely to be impacted than the upper wisdom teeth. Additionally, upper wisdom teeth are typically simpler to remove.

How soon should I have my wisdom tooth removed?

To avoid further issues like decay on the wisdom tooth and its neighbouring teeth, it is best to visit the dentist for a dental checkup as soon as you experience discomfort.

There may also be issues like pericoronitis, an infection of the gum tissue brought on by an impacted tooth, and abscess formation. Additionally, removing an impacted tooth when a patient is younger is preferable because they tend to heal more quickly and face fewer dangers during surgery.

There are two different ways to remove wisdom teeth:

easy extraction

When your tooth has fully erupted, a straightforward extraction is carried out. The dentist will provide a local anaesthetic, a numbing agent, throughout this extraction operation to ensure a pain-free experience. The dentist will use tools to loosen and extract your tooth once you feel numb.

surgical removal

The surgical removal of wisdom teeth is also referred to as such. It occurs when the tooth is partially erupted, impacted, or under the gums and is more complicated. First, a gum incision may be necessary to medically expose and remove the submerged tooth, sometimes followed by bone removal and tooth division. The gum will then be stitched back together.

The dentist will also offer local anaesthetic for numbing during this extraction operation. Hospitals and some private clinics do provide a sedative or even general anaesthesia for nervous people (GA). While you’ll be unconscious throughout GA, sedation aids in your relaxation.

Where in Singapore Can I Get My Wisdom Teeth Removed?

Both private dental offices and government-run facilities like public hospitals and polyclinics offer extraction services. However, the two have a significant difference in waiting time and price.

Although they sometimes cost less, government institutions typically have lengthier wait times.

Public hospitals (such Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and National Dental Centre) and polyclinics are the two types of government clinics in Singapore.

Since polyclinics are widely dispersed, they are more easily accessible. In Singapore, SingHealth or the National Healthcare Group are in charge of managing polyclinics (NHG).

Simple wisdom teeth extractions in polyclinics typically cost between $25 and $40 per tooth, not including consultation fees. Depending on the region, getting an appointment may take weeks or months. Hospitals are also recommended for difficult extractions or wisdom teeth surgery. An $8 deposit is also needed at some polyclinics covered by NHG.

There may be a 4-month or longer wait in a government dental hospital. In addition, the cost of wisdom tooth surgery can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars per tooth, and they also charge more for extractions.

If you want a subsidy, you can only visit a polyclinic and get a reference letter to see a specialist (such as an oral maxillofacial surgeon) in a government hospital. After that, direct appointments are possible. However, private rates will be charged.