Time off after wisdom teeth removal
Your dentist may suggest 1 to 2 days off work. Plan the same for school or college, and no sport or high-effort exercise for a few days. You can drive straight after a local anaesthetic, but wait 24 hours after sedation and 48 hours after a general anaesthetic.
Work, school, sport and driving, by the type of anaesthetic.
Free to send, no obligation. One registered dentist rings you, not five.
- 1 to 2 daysoff work, as your dentist may suggest
- A few daysno sport or exercise
- 24 hoursno driving after sedation
- 48 hoursafter a general anaesthetic
Work, school and college
Your dentist may suggest 1 to 2 days off work. If you have a physical job, or you're having all four out, ask them about your own. Swelling can last 7 to 10 days, so plan around anything important that week.
Check what your removal involves
Four quick taps. You see the likely type of removal, the likely cost, the tax relief and your recovery time. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want an assessment.
Say one lower wisdom tooth is stuck under the gum: that's usually a surgical removal, typically €250 to €420 at Irish practices, plus €50 to €83 for the x-ray, with 20% tax relief back.
How this is worked out
The likely type of removal comes from what you tell us: a tooth that's stuck under the gum, or partly through in the lower jaw, usually needs a small cut in the gum; one that's through and easy to reach usually comes out whole. The prices are the range Irish dental practices publish for a wisdom tooth, per tooth, plus a panoramic x-ray and, if you pick it, IV sedation. Tax relief is 20% of the removal when it's a surgical extraction of an impacted wisdom tooth. The recovery times are the HSE's. It's a guide to plan with, never a diagnosis or a quote: the dentist decides after an examination and an x-ray.
Driving
| After | When you can drive |
|---|---|
| A local anaesthetic | Straight away |
| Sedation | After 24 hours |
| A general anaesthetic | After 48 hours |
Sport and the gym
No high-effort activity or exercise for a few days after the removal.
Questions people ask
How many days off work after wisdom teeth removal?
Your dentist may suggest 1 to 2 days off work.
Can I go to school the next day?
Plan 1 to 2 days at home, and no sport for a few days. Ask your dentist about your own removal.
When can I drive?
Straight after a local anaesthetic, 24 hours after sedation, 48 hours after a general anaesthetic.
Check what your removal involves
Four taps to the likely type, cost and recovery, then one Dental Council registered dentist or oral surgeon who covers your county rings you.