The day of your wisdom teeth removal
On the day you'll usually have a local anaesthetic injection to numb the area, or a sedative if you're anxious. If the tooth hasn't come through, the dentist makes a small cut in the gum, may remove a little bone or cut the tooth into pieces, then closes it with stitches. It takes from a few minutes to 20 minutes or longer. Under a general anaesthetic it's done in hospital, usually without an overnight stay.
From the chair to the first night at home.
Free to send, no obligation. One registered dentist rings you, not five.
- Localanaesthetic, usually
- Minutesa few to 20 or longer
- Stitchesoften dissolvable
- 24 hoursno rinsing or hot drinks
Step by step
- Before: an examination and an x-ray, and any infection treated first.
- Numbing: a local anaesthetic injection, a sedative if you're anxious, or a general anaesthetic in hospital.
- The removal: a small cut in the gum if the tooth isn't through, sometimes a little bone removed or the tooth in pieces.
- Stitches, which may be dissolvable.
- Home: you can drive straight after a local anaesthetic; wait 24 hours after sedation and 48 hours after a general anaesthetic.
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.
The first 24 hours
- Don't rinse, spit or have hot drinks.
- No alcohol, no smoking.
- Rest, and no high-effort activity or exercise for a few days.
- Use the painkillers your dentist recommends, and follow the dose.
Then: the recovery, day by day.
Questions people ask
How long does wisdom tooth removal take?
Anything from a few minutes to 20 minutes or longer.
Will I be awake?
Usually, with a local anaesthetic. A sedative can help you relax, and a general anaesthetic, in hospital, means you're asleep.
Can I drive home?
After a local anaesthetic, yes. Wait 24 hours after sedation and 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.