Wisdom Teeth Removal in Auckland

With NZ health insurance such as Southern Cross, nib, AIA or Accuro/Unimed, the cost of removing impacted wisdom teeth is usually included under your surgical cover, and we arrange pre-approval in advance. If you are self-paying, the fee depends on how many teeth are removed, whether they are impacted, and your anaesthetic. You receive a written, itemised quote at your consultation that is your final price, covering the consultation, imaging as needed, surgical fee, anaesthetic team, sutures, PRF, and your post-op review.

No referral is needed to request an appointment with OMS Specialists. Tell us a little about your situation and we will be in touch within one business day with available consult times. Dentists and GPs can also refer patients electronically via Healthlink or our online referral form, and we acknowledge every referral within 24 to 48 hours.

Simple, fully erupted wisdom teeth can often be removed by a general dentist. Where a wisdom tooth is impacted within the jawbone, particularly in the lower jaw where it sits close to the inferior alveolar nerve, the procedure becomes a surgical case for an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. At OMS Specialists all three surgeons hold qualifications in both dentistry (BDS) and medicine (MBChB or MBBS), with Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) or Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (FRACDS).

Local anaesthetic is a numbing injection at the site only, leaving you fully awake and able to drive yourself home, and is best for simple, fully-erupted single teeth. Intravenous sedation keeps you awake but deeply relaxed, with most patients having no memory of the procedure, and suits multiple teeth, impactions or dental anxiety; you will need someone to drive you home. General anaesthetic means you are fully asleep, performed in-house at our Auckland Day Surgery Centre with the same OMS surgeon, and is reserved for complex impactions, multiple teeth, medical reasons, or patients who are very young or very anxious. We guide you to the right option at consultation based on case complexity, anaesthetic preference and any medical considerations.

Most patients return to desk-based work within 3 to 5 days. Sports and physical activity can usually resume in 10 to 14 days, and full bone healing of the socket takes around 8 weeks. Soft diet, head elevation and prescribed pain relief are advised for the first few days, with swelling peaking at 48 to 72 hours before settling across the first week. At your pre-operative appointment you are given a recovery plan specific to your case, along with a medical certificate where required.

Dry socket, where the blood clot dislodges and exposes bone around day 3 to 5, occurs in around 2 to 3% of cases; our use of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is associated with lower rates than published international averages of 5 to 10 percent. Temporary altered sensation of the lower lip and chin from bruising of the inferior alveolar nerve occurs in around 3 to 5% of cases and usually resolves within weeks to months. Permanent altered sensation is rare, around 1 to 2%; where the nerve runs directly through the tooth a coronectomy can be considered to avoid this risk entirely. Pre-operative CBCT 3D imaging lets us plan around the nerve before the first incision. We discuss all of these risks with you before consent.

A wisdom tooth that is silent and well-positioned does not need removal, and a watchful approach is often reasonable. Removal is usually recommended when a tooth is impacted in the jawbone, causes recurrent gum infection (pericoronitis), leads to decay on itself or the second molar in front of it, shows a cyst or lesion on imaging, sits close to the inferior alveolar nerve, or has been damaged by trauma. At your consultation we assess your specific case using clinical examination and imaging, often an OPG or CBCT scan.

If a problematic wisdom tooth is left in place, the issues that prompted the recommendation can continue or worsen. A partly-erupted tooth can cause recurrent infection of the overlying gum flap (pericoronitis) with pain, swelling and bad taste, which can result in a serious infection. An impacted wisdom tooth, if left, can damage the second molar in front of it through decay or resorption. An impacted tooth can also be associated with a cyst or lesion forming around it, which is rare but serious. We assess your specific case at consultation and talk through what monitoring versus removal looks like for you.

Temporary altered sensation, a tingling or numbness of the lower lip and chin, comes from temporary bruising of the inferior alveolar nerve and usually resolves within weeks to months. Permanent altered sensation is rare, around 1 to 2%. Where the nerve runs directly through the tooth, a coronectomy that leaves the roots in place can be considered to avoid this risk entirely. Pre-operative CBCT 3D imaging allows us to plan the procedure around the nerve before the first incision.

Yes. Removing all four wisdom teeth in a single sitting is a common scenario, often with the upper teeth straightforward and the lower teeth impacted. Most cases, even four impactions under IV sedation, take 30 to 60 minutes. We discuss whether to remove all four at once or stage the surgery at your consultation, based on case complexity and your anaesthetic preference.

Yes. OMS Specialists is a private surgical practice in Newmarket, Auckland, and we see patients who travel in for wisdom tooth surgery. No referral is needed to request an appointment, and most wisdom tooth surgery is day-stay, so you head home the same day. If you live outside Auckland, contact our rooms and our team will help plan your consultation and surgery around your travel.