Call me back

We’re Accepting New Patients!

Read More Next

Looking for a caring and professional dental practice? We’re excited to welcome new patients to our clinic! Whether you’re due for a check-up, need treatment, or are looking to enhance your smile, our friendly team is here to help.
Contact us today to book your first appointment—we look forward to meeting you!

Wisdom teeth

Wisdom teeth are molars which are the last adult teeth to develop in the mouth. Most people have four wisdom teeth at the back of the mouth — 1 in each corner.

They usually start to appear in gums in late teens, early twenties, but it can also be quite common to appear later. By this time, there are already 28 adult teeth in the mouth and so the development of wisdom teeth can often be impacted by restricted space, causing problems as they grow. Wisdom teeth can sometimes emerge at an angle or get stuck and only partially emerge. Teeth that grow through like this are known as impacted.

When to see a Newcastle Dental Practice dentist

Impacted wisdom teeth don't always cause symptoms. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth becomes infected, damages other teeth or causes other dental problems, you may experience some of these signs or symptoms:

Red or swollen gums
Tender or bleeding gums
Jaw pain
Swelling around the jaw
Bad breath
An unpleasant taste in your mouth
Difficulty opening your mouth

As with any teeth problems, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms it's important to book an appointment at Newcastle Dental Practice to see a dentist as soon as possible, rather than waiting for routine dental health review.

What can I do to help relieve the discomfort of wisdom teeth?

A mouthwash of medium-hot water with a teaspoonful of salt will help to reduce gum soreness and inflammation. Swish the salt water around the tooth, trying to get into the areas your toothbrush cannot reach. Do this several times a day.

An antibacterial mouthwash containing chlorhexidine can also reduce the inflammation. Pain-relieving tablets such as paracetamol or ibuprofen can also be useful in the short term, but talk to us at Newcastle Dental Practice if the pain continues.

Why are wisdom teeth removed?

If your wisdom teeth are impacted but not causing any problems, you don't usually need to be remove them. 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 several problems in the mouth:

  • Damage to other teeth. If the wisdom tooth pushes against the second molar, it may damage the second molar or increase the risk of infection in that area. This pressure can also cause problems with crowding of the other teeth or require orthodontic treatment to straighten other teeth.
  • Cysts. The wisdom tooth develops in a sac within the jawbone. The sac can fill with fluid, forming a cyst that can damage the jawbone, teeth and nerves.
  • Decay. Partially impacted wisdom teeth appear to be at higher risk of tooth decay than other teeth. This probably occurs because wisdom teeth are harder to clean and because food and bacteria get easily trapped between the gum and a partially erupted tooth.
  • Gum disease. The difficulty cleaning impacted, partially erupted wisdom teeth increases the risk of developing a painful, inflammatory gum disease in that area.

Many of these problems can be treated with antibiotics, antiseptic mouthwash and a good oral hygiene regime.

Wisdom teeth removal is very common, but usually only recommended when other treatments haven't worked.

How are wisdom teeth removed?

If your Newcastle Dental Practice dentist recommends removing your wisdom teeth, they'll take an X-ray of your mouth to help them determine who should carry out the procedure. Your dentist may remove your wisdom teeth, or they may refer you to a specialist surgeon for hospital treatment.

Before the operation, we’ll fully explain the procedure to you.

A local anaesthetic injection is usually given 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 improves after 3 days, but it can take up to 2 weeks. If this continues for longer, or progresses, please get in touch with the team at Newcastle Dental Practice as soon as possible.

Prevention

You can't keep an impaction from occurring but keeping your regular dental appointments for cleaning and reviews enables your dentist to monitor the growth and emergence of your wisdom teeth. Regularly updated dental X-rays may indicate impacted wisdom teeth before any symptoms develop.

If you have any concerns about your wisdom teeth, or are experiencing any pain, give us a call on 01782 616178.

Dentist

Dr Marcus Charles-Drummond

Dr Marcus practices general dentistry at Newcastle Dental Practice. He is known for his kind and caring approach to his patients. He has a firm belief in adopting a holistic approach to patient care and regularly puts anxious patients at ease. Dr Marcus graduated from the University of Plymouth in 2019. He is passionate about providing a high standard of care in aesthetic and restorative dentistry. ...

Dr Marcus Charles-Drummond
Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Newcastle Dental Practice. In fact, we have built much of our practice on these valued, trusted recommendations over the years. Read our reviews to hear why our patients are recommending us…

Patient reviews

742 Reviews

5.0

27th July 2025

Lovely staff who make you feel at ease and treat you with respect and kindness.

25th July 2025

Staff are great. Dentists and hygienists are caring and are top quality

25th July 2025

Emily and her nurse are very courteous caring and professional

24th July 2025

Lovely place with extremely friendly and helpful staff

24th July 2025

Lovely friendly staff

23rd July 2025

I am a very nervous and frightened patient. The procedure I had today was long an unpleasant for me. However the support I received from Marcus, Molly and also the receptionist was fabulous. It could have turned out to be a lot more traumatic for me if it wasn't for the compassionate and skilled team. Thank you for doing everything you could to put me at ease! I would very much recommend this practise for anyone who is nervous or fearful.

20th July 2025

The clarity of information given, quality of service and friendliness of staff.

20th July 2025

Everyone is polite and helpful. You are put at ease as soon as you enter.

19th July 2025

Efficient, competent and courteous

18th July 2025

The friendliness of the staff

16th July 2025

My appointment was for a check up and cleaning. The dentist advised me that there was a new and less invasive procedure for teeth cleaning which I would find to be much easier to deal with.It took far less time and was far more comfortable than previously. The dentist talked to me all the time and it gave me lots of encouragement and I felt far happier than on past visits for hygiene treatment.I am very happy with my dentist and would definitely recommend him to friends.

10th July 2025

Calming influence of all staff as im a nervous patient

10th July 2025

Being allocated appropriate time for the hygienist to do her work to the highest standard. Dealing with an educated person that properly explains the procedures and my progress towards healthy teeth and gums.

9th July 2025

Reception team are friendly and called the day before to confirm my appointment and discuss treatment options. Claire, who did my appointment, is approachable and explains what my treatment will be. As someone who is a nervous patient, she puts me at ease

9th July 2025

Very friendly, helpful staff. The dentist listened to me & made me feel very at ease. All my questions were answered fully. Cannot rate highly enough. Thank you.

5th July 2025

My experience was really great as I have a fear of the dentist and have health issues so it’s difficult for me but everyone was great as they helped me be calm and get through the appointment.So overall a great experience!

4th July 2025

Friendly

2nd July 2025

-

2nd July 2025

Excellent dentist Chris and Hygienist Simon

SW

Susan Wain

I had a bad experience at another dental practice so didn’t go to see a hygienist for a couple of years .Jen and Casey were amazing ,they understood and I had a pain free experienc and they took their time with me .I came out feeling a different person .I thank them so much .

Prev Previous
Next Next