ADORE DENTAL | KANGAROO POINT, BRISBANE
EXTRACTIONS & WISDOM TEETH.
Nobody looks forward to this one. So here is exactly what happens, start to finish.
Open Monday to Saturday, from 7:30am
GENERAL DENTISTRY
WE ONLY REMOVE WHAT KEEPING WOULD COST YOU.
Sometimes the healthiest thing a tooth can do is leave. Removing one is permanent, though: it doesn’t grow back, and the bone that held it changes over time. That’s why we’re slow to recommend it, and why we go through the risks and considerations with you first.
When a tooth needs to go →
The usual reasons are decay or damage past the point where a filling, crown or root canal will hold, infection that keeps returning, a tooth loosened by gum disease, or a wisdom tooth with no room to come through cleanly that is causing pain, swelling or damage to the tooth in front of it. Crowding before orthodontic treatment is another.
We will show you what we are seeing on the X-ray or scan rather than just describe it, so you can make the decision with the same information we have.
What to expect →
An examination and an X-ray or 3D scan come first, so we know what the roots are doing before anything is decided. On the day, the area is numbed thoroughly and we check the numbing has taken before we start. Straightforward removals are usually done in a single appointment. Surgical cases take longer and are planned separately.
Afterwards, expect soreness, swelling and often some bruising for a few days, more so with surgical cases. You will have written aftercare before you leave. Every case carries its own risks and considerations, and we go through the ones relevant to you beforehand.
Costs and health funds →
Extractions are quoted after we have looked, because a straightforward removal and a surgical one are very different pieces of work. Our starting prices are in the price guide, and you will get a written quote with the item numbers before anything is booked so you can check it against your health fund. Private health extras often contribute.
If you would like to spread the cost, we can talk through payment plan options and their terms. Happy gas is quoted by us as part of your treatment. Twilight sedation and general anaesthetic are quoted and billed separately by the anaesthetic team.
DOWNLOAD OUR PRICE GUIDE →
CURIOUS ABOUT OUR PRICING?
Every smile is different, so every treatment plan, and every price, is too. Our full price and service guide gives you a clear starting point, with starting prices and the payment plan options available.
YOUR VISIT.
Nothing on the day you haven’t already been told about.
01 | A PROPER LOOK
A proper look, plus an X-ray or 3D scan, then an honest recommendation. If keeping the tooth is realistic, that is what we will say.
02 | THE REMOVAL
The removal itself, numbed thoroughly and taken at an unhurried pace. We check the numbing has taken before we start. Sedation is an option for some people and is assessed beforehand. Complex cases that call for a specialist are referred, and we organise that for you.
03 | AFTERCARE
Written aftercare for the days that follow, and a review to check the area is healing as it should. If the space needs a plan, implants or otherwise, we will map it out when you are ready.
NERVOUS PATIENTS
THERE'S NO WRONG WAY TO FEEL ABOUT THE DENTIST.
If visits make you anxious, tell us before you book rather than on the day. We can take breaks, explain as we go, or stop if you need to. Happy gas is available here if it would help. Where more is needed, twilight sedation and general anaesthetic are arranged with an independent specialist anaesthetic team, assessed and quoted separately. You can read more about the sedation options and the risks and considerations that come with them.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ASKED & ANSWERED.
If your question isn't here, please get in touch with us. We're always happy to help.
Do all wisdom teeth need to come out?
No, and plenty never cause a problem. If they have come through cleanly, you can keep them clean, and there is no sign of decay or pressure on the tooth in front, leaving them alone is often the right call. We keep an eye on them at your check-ups instead.
Removal gets recommended when there is decay, infection that keeps returning, damage to the neighbouring tooth, or a tooth angled with nowhere to go.
Does it hurt?
The removal itself should not hurt, because the area is numbed thoroughly and we check it has taken before we start. You will feel pressure and hear sounds, which some people find more unsettling than any discomfort.
Afterwards is a different question, and we would rather be straight with you: expect soreness, swelling and often bruising for a few days, more so with surgical cases. We will tell you what to expect for your case specifically and what to take for it.
How long is recovery?
For a straightforward removal, most people feel much better within a few days and back to normal food within about a week. Surgical wisdom teeth take longer, with swelling usually at its worst two or three days in and settling over the following week.
Some people take a day or two off, others do not need to. We would rather you planned for the longer version and were pleasantly surprised.
Can I be sedated?
Often, yes. Happy gas is available here, breathed in through a small nosepiece, and it takes the edge off without putting you to sleep. Local anaesthetic is used either way. We do not offer oral sedation.
For more involved cases, twilight sedation and general anaesthetic are delivered at our clinic by an independent team of specialist anaesthetists. They assess your suitability, take your consent for the anaesthetic, and quote and bill their fee separately from ours. Sedation is not suitable for everyone, and the risks and considerations are explained before anything is booked.
Do you remove wisdom teeth here, or would I be referred?
Most wisdom teeth are removed here at the clinic. Where a case is more involved than we should be taking on, whether that is the position of the roots, how close they sit to the nerve, or your medical history, we will say so and refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. We organise the referral and stay in the loop afterwards.
What happens to the gap?
It depends where the tooth was. Wisdom teeth generally do not need replacing, since nothing sits behind them. For a tooth further forward, leaving the space can let the neighbouring teeth drift and the bone in that area reduce over time, so it is worth having a plan even if you are not ready to act on it yet.
The options are an implant, a bridge or a denture, and we will talk through what suits your case, including leaving it for now.
What if I would rather keep the tooth?
Then we will tell you honestly whether that is realistic. Sometimes it is, with a filling, a crown or root canal treatment, and we will lay out what that involves and what it costs alongside removal so you can compare properly.
Sometimes keeping it means repeated treatment on a tooth that is likely to fail anyway, and we will say that too. It is your decision either way.
What should I know before I start?
Removing a tooth is permanent, and every extraction carries risks. The common ones are soreness, swelling, bruising and a jaw that will not open fully for a few days, and dry socket, where the area becomes painful several days later and needs to be cleaned and redressed.
Lower wisdom teeth sit close to the nerve that supplies the lip, chin and tongue, so altered sensation in that area is a recognised risk. It is usually temporary, though it can be lasting. Upper wisdom teeth sit close to the sinus.
We will go through which of these actually apply to your case, based on your scan, before anything is booked. You can read our full risks and considerations first.
CONTACT US
GET IN TOUCH WITH US.
Whether you're ready to book or just curious, we'd love to hear from you. We'll get back to you as soon as possible.