How Much Is Emergency Wisdom Tooth Removal?
Toothache is one of the most debilitating pains that can make it hard to carry on with your normal life, so if you’re experiencing it for any length of time, you should see your dentist for a check-up. There can be several different causes of toothache, but if you’ve broken, damaged or lost a tooth, you should make an emergency appointment with a dentist as soon as possible.
In most cases, we know when our wisdom teeth need removing so it’s not an emergency procedure, but if you’ve broken or damaged your wisdom tooth or have unbearable pain that won’t go with painkillers, you should see a dentist for an emergency appointment and you may have to have a wisdom tooth removed.
So we’ll explain what the procedure’s like, how much it costs and everything else you need to know about emergency wisdom tooth extractions so you can get ready in case the worst happens.
How is a Wisdom Tooth Removed?
There are two main ways to remove wisdom teeth depending on whether they’ve grown out of the jaw and show in the gum, or whether they’re still in the gum. Also, upper teeth tend to be easier to remove than lower teeth. After you’ve had an x-ray to see what condition your teeth are in, your dentist will explain what needs to be done to remove the tooth.
Usually, you’ll have a numbing gel applied, followed by a local anaesthetic which will block all of the pain of the procedure around the affected tooth and gums. You will be awake during the procedure, however, in some practices, you can have a sedation as well to help you relax more if you’re nervous about the procedure.
In rare cases, you can have your wisdom teeth extracted in a hospital under a general anaesthetic, which will put you to sleep during the procedure. However, this is not common, and even more unlikely for emergency tooth extractions.
When the local anaesthetic is working, the dentist will use some small tools to wobble your tooth out of position to be gently pulled out, or if the tooth is still in the gum, they will make a small incision, break the tooth away from the jaw and use a couple of stitches to close the wound.
Does a Wisdom Tooth Extraction Hurt?
As you’ll have a local anaesthetic for your wisdom tooth extraction, you won’t feel any pain in the area of the tooth being removed or surrounding gum. However, as you have to keep your mouth open wide for the dentist to easily access the tooth, it can be a bit uncomfortable at times.
After the procedure, you will feel an ache in the area where the wisdom tooth has been removed from as the anaesthetic wears off. This can be eased with ice packs and painkillers such as ibuprofen, but it’s natural to have swelling and even bruising in your cheek for a few days after the procedure.
How Much Is Emergency Wisdom Tooth Removal?
When having dental work in the UK, you can choose to either see a private dentist or an NHS dentist. However, due to the shortage of NHS dentists and some NHS practices refusing new patients, it can be much more convenient to visit a private dental practice.
The price can vary, however, so if you’re lucky enough to get a dental appointment at an NHS practice, you will pay less than if you visit a private practice in most cases.
For emergency tooth extraction, the prices are:
- £70.70 on the NHS including consultation and post-op check-up
- £50 – £450 in a private dental practice, including consultation and post-op check-ups
- £200 – £450 at Didsbury Dental Practice including 24-hour access to emergency care
Finding an out-of-hours NHS dentist can be even more difficult than getting a regular appointment at times; fortunately, Didsbury Dental Practice is open 24 hours a day for urgent appointments including emergency tooth extractions.
When is a Wisdom Tooth Removal an Emergency?
Usually, wisdom teeth come through, or erupt, between the ages of 17 and 25, so if you start to feel pain in your teeth around this time, you should have a check-up and potentially an x-ray to check they are growing through normally and won’t result in a dental emergency. Not everyone has them, however, so if you have no pain and no sign of new teeth in your late teens, there’s nothing to worry about.
But wisdom teeth are often extracted because they can cause numerous problems in our mouths, most commonly pushing the other teeth closer together to make room, causing our teeth to become cramped, crooked and harder to clean. This is not a dental emergency but can be arranged in a regular dentist’s appointment.
When a wisdom tooth becomes a problem it causes extreme pain in your gums and jaw which can be due to a few different causes and requires emergency extraction:
- A cyst in the jaw bone under the wisdom tooth
- Injury or damage to the tooth such as a break or fracture
- Severe, untreated tooth decay which has rotted the tooth and caused an infection in the gum
The best way to prevent your wisdom tooth from becoming a health risk is by having regular check-ups with your dentist and dental hygienist, however, sometimes, accidents happen that are beyond our control. An elbow in the face during a football match or something as simple as biting down on an olive stone or toffee can cause serious damage to our teeth, fracturing or causing them to come out completely. If your tooth is damaged in such a way, you should have an emergency dentist appointment as soon as possible for a tooth extraction or restorative care to prevent risking further damage.
Can You Go to A&E for Toothache?
For most dental issues, the emergency room is not able to help you and you will be asked to visit a private emergency dentist or call your NHS dentist’s office or 111 to find out about emergency dental services open near you. However, in extreme emergencies, you should go to A&E right away.
Dental emergencies requiring an urgent hospital visit include:
- Swelling around your eye or neck
- Swelling in your mouth or neck that causes difficulty breathing, swallowing or speaking
- Heavy bleeding from your mouth
It is very unlikely that they will remove a tooth or perform any other dental procedures, however, they will be able to stop any bleeding and offer potentially life-saving surgery or medication, as needed.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction Aftercare
After your emergency wisdom tooth extraction, your dentist will give you a leaflet with all of the guidance you need to follow after your wisdom tooth is removed.
You should use ice to reduce any swelling on the same day after your tooth extraction and take painkillers to ease the pain as the anaesthetic wears off. Ibuprofen is excellent as it is also an anti-inflammatory medicine. Do not go over the recommended dosage.
You can eat and drink one hour after your tooth extraction, but you should avoid food and drinks that are too hot, too cold, crunchy or crumbly, or have bits that can get stuck in your wound. Soft foods like soup are a good choice, as long as they have sufficiently cooled down. Avoid dairy right away to avoid infections.
You should not spit for 48 hours after the extraction as this can disrupt the blood clot that forms to help the wound heal. After 24 hours you can brush your teeth gently.
Don’t smoke or drink alcohol for at least 5 days after your procedure as these can majorly disrupt the healing process.
Swelling and bruising on the cheek surrounding the wisdom tooth that was removed is perfectly natural although it may be alarming at first. Keep using ice on and off to reduce blood flow to stop the swelling and taking ibuprofen to stop the pain and help the swelling go down.
If any problems arise, you should contact your dentist as soon as possible.
Didsbury Dental Practice – Emergency Dentist in Manchester
At Didsbury Dental Practice, getting an emergency wisdom tooth extraction has never been easier. Just give us a call and we’ll book you an appointment as soon as possible.
