*this is an article written by Dr Tan Chuan Sien to help answer many of your questions on this topic
Wisdom teeth are third molars which erupt into the mouth at the age of approximately 20-25 years old. However, by the time they erupt into the mouth, the upper and lower jawbones have stopped growing, often leaving no space for their eruption. The wisdom teeth therefore erupt into an impacted position which is malaligned with the other molars. This condition is common among Asians and people with small jaws.
An impacted wisdom tooth often traps food and bacteria due to its malalignment and this causes decay of the wisdom tooth itself and/or the adjacent molar. If detected too late, even the adjacent molar may not be restorable and may need to be removed as well. In rare cases, cysts or other growths may develop around wisdom teeth. Some clinicians also believe that the eruptive force of the wisdom teeth causes malalignment of the front teeth as well.
An impacted wisdom tooth which is not removed may cause any of the problems described above. However, some people go through their entire lives without problems with their impacted wisdom teeth. Regular X-rays are encouraged for patients who choose not to remove their wisdom teeth, to screen for potential problems.
Wide-View X Rays (Panoramic)
The panoramic (wide-view) x-rays of the upper and lower jaws show the common types of impacted wisdom teeth, seen at the extreme corners of the lower jaws.
In the panoramic X-ray above, an impacted upper wisdom tooth is seen at the upper right corner of the upper jaw as well.
Close up (Periapical) X-Rays
The periapical (close-up) x-rays below show the before and after surgery views of impacted wisdom teeth.
In the below X-Ray, notice the large cavity on the adjacent tooth caused by dental decay.
It is unlikely that other teeth will shift after wisdom teeth removal. Removal of wisdom teeth may be done under Local Anaesthesia (LA) or General Anaesthesia (GA). Most cases can be done safely in an outpatient clinic under LA. Complicated cases or patients who are very anxious may choose to have the surgery under GA; however, this is usually much more costly.
Patients who have a Medisave account in Singapore may be pleased to know that Wisdom Teeth Surgery is claimable under Medisave. Many Dental Insurance policies also cover this type of surgery.
All Dental Surgeons trained in Singapore are qualified to carry out Wisdom Teeth Surgery. However, very complicated cases may be referred to a specialist for management.
Dr Tan Chuan Sien
| BDS (Singapore) | FRACDS (Australia) |
Icon Dental Surgeons
805 Bukit Timah Road #01-05 Sixth Avenue Centre
Tel: 6463 5328
hi. after so many yrs since 20 till now then feel pain on my wisdom tooth, by now remove 1 wisdom tooth can it be claim thru medisave? how much it cost for wisdom tooth to remove?
Dear Dr Sien,
The second tooth from right of my upper jaw has broken off within the jaw bone and needs to be extracted on account of infection at the root. Root canal was done 20 years ago. I am aged 72 and have a haert blockage for which dentists would advise caution. Operation may need to be done by LA.
. Could you please advise if nerve damage can be avoided in operation, will the operation be done in hospital, period of hospitalization and approx. costs for the surgery (entire procedure). I am in Dhaka, Bangladesh and need to pre-arrange fund in Singapore. Early reply will be much appreciated.
Thanks : Anwar Ahmed
I know a lot of people who didn’t have their impacted wisdom teeth extracted as soon as they notice it. They only did after it’s already painful and a lot more difficult to extract.
Hi Dr Tan,
I don’t know if this is a foolish question but I’ll just ask anyway. Does wisdom tooth surgery & its medications in any way affect pregnancy?
Hi Would like to find out how much is it roughly to remove a wisdom tooth? The consultation costs as well. Thank you.
Yes can claim medisave.
I went to polyclinic for consultation $20 and got a referral letter to national dental centre in apr 2010.
2wks later delivered baby and went for consultation at NDC in jun for about $80 with x-ray.
2wks later got all 4 teeth out (impacted, removal of bone without division of teeth) at 1shot with local anesthesia. This costed $1536 minus $687 government grant (need ref letter) so total $850 all deducted from medisave. Just bring IC and the staff will let u sign a CPF $$ release form (bring ur whoever to sign if u’re using other ppl’s CPF)
I guess the extraction surgery is not good if u’re pregnant. I had pain from 1st trimester and endured till after delivery. The consultation in apr also showed that surgery+anesthesia is not good.. medication (anti-biotics, mouthwash, panadol) should be fine, but u’ll probably do it after delivery.