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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

740 Reviews

5.0
JT

john william tarnate

I was extremely impressed by the professionalism and compassion demonstrated by both the dentist and the manager who were present during my treatment. They were attentive to my needs, made every effort to ensure I was at ease, and provided a high standard of care throughout the entire procedure, which made the experience exceptionally comfortable and reassuring.

18th May 2025

I've had invisaligns treatment. Work carried out prior to starting the course was exceptional and so far the past 12 weeks have gone very well. Very happy with my treatment and care.

15th May 2025

This is the best dental practice I’ve ever used and as I’m a few decades old, I’ve been to a lot of them! Everyone is so incredibly friendly and professional. The reception team are always like seeing old friends again because of the warmth of their approach and the building is always spotless. I see Ben Cross for Invisalign treatment and he’s made a huge difference to my life. So many dentist have told me my jaw was the issue and nothing could be done. I would never smile properly for photos and was so conscious when I spoke in meetings or delivered presentations. Yet here I am with my teeth almost perfect. I love the change it’s made, I love how Ben had managed my care and I’m so, so incredibly grateful to have been given my smile back.

15th May 2025

Dr Ben is amazing! He’s so talented, gentle, polite, kind and explained everything with me so detailed and so helpful! The receptionists are outstanding too, very friendly, polite and helpful

CG

Claire Gordon

Wow I can not recommend this practice enough first class treatment from my dentist and the team are so friendly and professional. The manager Chris was also excellent with my scan and talking me through things he was so witty and this put me at ease straight away he also had a lovely smile so I knew I was in good hands. It was all round perfection thanks everyone

SS

Suzie Simpkins

Lovely practice, and friendly team.

13th May 2025

Really satisfying experience — such a lovely team. Everyone was professional without losing the human touch. Warm, kind, and reassuring from start to finish.

12th May 2025

Clinicians excellent knowledge of my dental history and provided excellent treatment

12th May 2025

The hygienist is always efficient and caring. The dentist explained everything I needed to feel satisfied with the check up and provided additional checks that weren't available when I started at the Mayhill.

9th May 2025

The reception staff and clinicians are always polite and efficient and punctual so I’m satisfied with the treatment I receive .

8th May 2025

Keep up the good work.

4th May 2025

Very professional approach but also sensitive to the patient and although my procedure was not the most pleasant, I felt very well looked after and comfortable during the treatment.

4th May 2025

The pain , fear free experience.The professional kindness , approachability and friendliness of the staff what ever their role within the practice.

1st May 2025

I was given careful, well thought out explanations of each step of my treatment. I did not feel patronised and my questions were treated with respect throughout my treatment.

30th April 2025

High quality facilities, equipment and environment plus excellent team

26th April 2025

The people are fabulous and David Guppy is a dental genious

25th April 2025

The reception ladies are amazing, lovely attitudes, always happy to re-arrange/ answer enquiries arrange applicants via emails, super accommodating, we will miss them when we leave.Orthodontist Ben is great, knowledgable and personable, would recommend his services to anyone with children needing braces etc

18th April 2025

All staff are very professional and listen too and answer one's concerns, they are very competent in their work.

17th April 2025

Great staff and very welcoming

17th April 2025

Travel from Cardiff in order for David to continue looking after me as I trust him

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