Wisdom tooth pain and removal in Blackpool

Partly erupted teeth. A wisdom tooth that is only part-way through leaves a flap of gum over the top. Food gets trapped under it and it is hard to brush. The gum becomes red, swollen and tender.

Pericoronitis. This is the name for an infection of that gum flap. It can flare up for a few days, settle, then come back. You may notice a bad taste, swelling and pain when you bite down on the flap.

Pressure on the tooth in front. An impacted wisdom tooth (one that is stuck under the gum or bone, often at an angle) can press against the second molar. That can cause aching, food packing and decay on a tooth that was otherwise healthy.

Decay and gum disease. Wisdom teeth sit far back and are hard to clean. Decay or gum problems around them can cause the same kind of pain. An X-ray shows us which of these is going on.

Common signs of a wisdom tooth problem are pain at the very back of the mouth, a swollen or tender gum behind your last tooth, a bad taste, and finding it hard to open wide. The pain may come and go over weeks.

Call us the same day on 01253 353759 if you have facial swelling, a fever, or pain that painkillers are not touching. We offer same-day emergency appointments, from £76.16 for a new patient and from £67.20 for a routine patient.

If your face is swelling quickly, you cannot swallow, or you have trouble breathing, that needs urgent medical care. Call NHS 111 or go to A&E rather than waiting for a dental appointment.

We ask where it hurts, how long it has been going on and what makes it worse. We look at the wisdom tooth, the gum around it and the tooth in front. We take an X-ray to see the roots and where the tooth sits in the jaw. X-rays are included in the new patient examination from £79.

If the roots look close to the nerve that runs through the lower jaw, we may need a 3D scan to plan safely. We do not have a CBCT scanner at the practice, so we refer you for that scan and explain why. See our referrals page for how that works.

If you are already a patient, this can happen at a recall examination from £72.80. If it is a flare-up, book an emergency appointment instead and we deal with the pain first.

Keep it. A wisdom tooth that is fully through, easy to clean and not harming the tooth in front can stay. We check it at your routine visits.

Clean it. For a first flare-up of pericoronitis we often clean under the gum flap, show you how to keep it clean at home and let it settle. Antibiotics are only used where there is a spreading infection.

Remove it. We suggest removal when the infection keeps coming back, the tooth has decay we cannot repair, it is damaging the tooth next to it, or it is causing pain that keeps returning. It is your decision. We give you the reasons and the price in writing, and you can take time to think about it. If you are anxious, our nervous patients page explains how we help.

We remove wisdom teeth under local anaesthetic (a numbing injection). You are awake, the area is numb, and you can tell us to stop at any point. We do not offer sedation or general anaesthetic at Tower Dental.

A straightforward removal is a molar extraction from £280. If the tooth needs to be sectioned or some bone needs to be removed to get it out, that is a surgical extraction from £448. Our tooth extraction page covers what happens during the procedure, step by step.

Some wisdom teeth are better removed elsewhere. That includes teeth very close to the nerve, teeth that need a general anaesthetic, and cases where you feel you could not manage awake. In those cases we refer you to a suitable service and tell you what to expect. We confirm who will carry out your treatment at your examination.

After a wisdom tooth is removed a blood clot forms in the socket. That clot is what heals the gum, so the first 24 hours are about protecting it. Do not rinse, spit hard or smoke. Avoid hot drinks and alcohol. Bite on the gauze we give you if it bleeds a little.

From the next day, rinse gently with warm salt water after meals. Eat soft food on the other side. Take the painkillers you would normally take for a headache, following the packet. Swelling is usually worst on days 2 and 3 and then eases.

Dry socket is when the clot is lost early and the bone is exposed. It shows up as a throbbing pain that starts 3 to 5 days after the extraction, often with a bad taste. It is not dangerous, but it is sore. Call us and we dress the socket to settle it. Full aftercare is on our tooth extraction page.

These are the prices from our fee list. Every price is a from-price. You get your exact price in writing before any treatment starts.

If we refer you elsewhere for a scan or for the removal itself, that service sets its own fees. We tell you that before you go.

You can spread the cost with 0% finance over 6 or 10 months via V12, subject to status. Tower Dental is a credit broker, not a lender. See finance and payment for details. New to the practice? Start on our new patients page.

Tower Dental is at 302a Devonshire Road, Blackpool FY2 0TW. There is free on-street parking nearby. We are open Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 17:30.

The practice is on the first floor and is not wheelchair accessible. A stairlift is available if stairs are difficult for you. Please tell us when you book so we can plan your visit.

We see patients from Bispham, Cleveleys, Thornton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Fleetwood, Lytham St Annes and across the Fylde Coast. See our dentist in Blackpool page for more on the area. Our sister practice is Station House Dental Care in Barnoldswick.

Related: Dentures · Dental bridges