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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 Sturminster Dental Care 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 Sturminster Dental Care 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 Sturminster Dental Care 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 Sturminster Dental Care 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 Sturminster Dental Care 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 01258 473397.

Dentist

Ian Mercer

Ian joined {{ practice_name() }} in January 2016. lan-qualified from Guys Hospital Dental School in 1991 and has spent much of his professional career in the Royal Army Dental Corps including operational commitments in many countries. lan left the army in 2012 after serving for 21 years. Ian is really enjoying being part of the team and providing the best care to all of our patients.

Ian Mercer
Patient Reviews

People are talking about us

The biggest complement we receive is when our patients refer their friends and family to Sturminster Dental Care. 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…

Patient reviews

720 Reviews

5.0

27th September 2025

Staff that I see are very experienced, competent and friendly. Waiting room very comfortable and up to date magazines available to read whilst I waited for my wife, who also had an appointment following mine.

26th September 2025

It is the overall excellence of all aspects of the practice.

26th September 2025

good quality dental care in a well considered surrounding

25th September 2025

Emmanuel was looking at making my denture to make it more comfy...the appointment wasn't about the lost crown. He spotted that and came up with another option themat Gowtham had not offered. This was frustrating and upsetting as it was quite by chance that I saw Emmanuel!

EC

Emma-lee Chaney

Don’t even hesitate to join them — the level of professionalism and skill at Sturminster is exceptional, and it’s incredibly rare to find that these days. Your expectations of dental care will completely change. They truly care about you and your health, not about how much money they can make. Here’s my story if you’d like to read it (it’s a long one): A few years ago, Ian removed my wisdom tooth quickly and painlessly. Afterwards, I had a few hygienist appointments and honestly, they worked miracles. My teeth had never looked or felt that clean before — and the best part was that it didn’t cost me a fortune. When I later moved to Bournemouth, I started a long and frustrating journey trying to find a practice that matched the same standard of care. I ended up registering with four different practices, each time spending money and leaving disappointed. Most recently, I had trouble with my other wisdom tooth. After paying high fees at several Bournemouth practices, I was left feeling hopeless. One hygienist even stopped cleaning after just 20 minutes — unless I agreed to pay double to have my top teeth done too! The practice quoted me a staggering £1,500, claiming that only a specialist could remove my tooth. Eventually, after months the pain returned. I gave up and returned to Sturminster to see Ian — the same dentist who treated me years ago. Ian didn’t even charge me for the initial appointment, since it was just a quick check to confirm he could remove the tooth. And of course, he could. I wasn’t surprised at his skill, only at the fact that other dentists couldn’t (or wouldn’t) help, and that they tried to charge me £500, while Ian quoted me just £122. On top of that, Sturminster Dental Practice even posted antibiotics to me in Bournemouth to help with the pain while I waited for my treatment, since they’re understandably very busy. No other practice has ever treated me with such genuine care, without judgement, and with a real willingness to help. Since I last saw them in 2022, I’ve been to at least six different dentists and hygienists — and none have come close and some didn’t even help me a little. They just wanted money. When Ian greets you, you feel as ease. Excited to be there, and look forward to your problems going away. A massive thank you to this practice!

23rd September 2025

Professional friendly good clean environment. Felt totally at ease throughout my experience.

22nd September 2025

The service. The team. The cleanliness of the whole building. I cannot fault my experience with Sturminster Dental Care. I have been using this dentist for a few years after a period of not attending the dentist. They have made the experience smooth and pain free.

19th September 2025

Great communication. All staff so lovely make you feel part of a big family.

19th September 2025

Until Ian became my dentist I never liked going to the dentist, he is the only one I can honestly say I have complete confidence in.

18th September 2025

Extremely professional team and immaculate cleanliness of the facilities

18th September 2025

Perfection across the board. All the staff are exceptional.

18th September 2025

Expertise and friendlyness

17th September 2025

Had prepped my paperwork ready, thorough in making sure I knew the next steps

16th September 2025

Friendly staff nice waiting room with television,

15th September 2025

Professional and caring team.

12th September 2025

I have complete trust in my dentist and the other staff are always extremely helpful.

10th September 2025

I was very satisfied with the treatment and care I received at my appointment, as I always have been.

9th September 2025

Excellent prompt response to a broken tooth requiring a filling/crown although the initial timescale for completing the work was delayed. The timescale was subsequently improved following replacement of a a temporary filing.

9th September 2025

The dentist is extremely professional and puts patients at ease.

8th September 2025

This was an extra appointment which was made for me between my regular checkups because à tooth was sensitive and I wanted it checked.I saw Ian as always and he was very kind and supportive. He explained that the filling is shallow and may need more work in the future, but he applied a cover and we agreed to monitor it. Problem solved. Thanks Ian!

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