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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 The Mayhill Dental and Specialist Centre 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 The Mayhill Dental and Specialist Centre 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 The Mayhill Dental and Specialist Centre 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 The Mayhill Dental and Specialist Centre 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 The Mayhill Dental and Specialist Centre 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 01600 712020 .

Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to The Mayhill Dental and Specialist Centre. 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…

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Patient reviews

838 Reviews

5.0

30th August 2025

The Mayhill is a superior dental facility. Staff are respectful, facility is spotless and equipment and treatments up to date. I have been with the Mayhill since they opened in Monmouth and cannot recommend them highly enough.

30th August 2025

I’m familiar and comfortable with the dentist and hygienist

28th August 2025

Tall staff are polite welcoming and friendly ! They respect you as a patient and ask about your health . They treat you with care and understand your needs and remember your details and areas of sensitivity.

28th August 2025

Very patient hygienist and dentist

28th August 2025

Treatment was relaxed and pain free

28th August 2025

The consummate professionalism and care of the whole team.

22nd August 2025

The main observation I would make is there seems a disconnect over pricing between reception and the dentist.The reception team seems to think it’s one price and the dentist another.This happened before when I was having my teeth whitened.

22nd August 2025

Tracy is a great hygienist, thorough but very gentle, and I like the new tech you now use

21st August 2025

Reception staff always very welcoming friendly and helpful,high standard of cleanliness,professional approach of dentists and hygienist but always approachable,attentive and concerned to give best care

21st August 2025

Professional and friendly approach

21st August 2025

The team at Mayhill Dental are highly professional as well as being extremely caring. I like fact that the team I deal with are all ladies!

20th August 2025

Everything.

20th August 2025

I saw Catherine Tait - and her ‘new machine’. As a very anxious patient, I was absolutely delighted by the effects of the new machine - as Catherine assured me. I’m so grateful for such a super efficient, professional and friendly dentist. Thank you.

20th August 2025

Excellent care and support by the staff

19th August 2025

The whole experience made me feel comfortable and confident in the people working at the practice.

19th August 2025

Really emphatic to my nerves

19th August 2025

The reception staff immediately facilitate a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere which instantly puts you at ease for the appointment ahead, it’s very rare to find staff who are genuine and down to earth and not judgemental, it makes a world of difference. Beyond that the dentists are also welcoming, they listen and go above and beyond and explain everything. I’ve had many bad experiences with dentists previously and get anxious about going but I know that I will be taken seriously and they will do everything they can to help.

15th August 2025

The professional attitude & friendliness of ALL staff exceptional in a very warm & friendly environment. Exceptional experience & DAVID & his team should be very very pleased with what they have achieved

14th August 2025

I feel that my hygienist really cares about my teeth and wants me to have the best possible oral hygiene

13th August 2025

Professional and friendly staff from the moment you enter the building.

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