We assess your wisdom teeth with an X-ray first and only recommend removal when there's a clear reason — not every wisdom tooth needs to come out.
Wisdom teeth are the third molars — the last teeth to come through, usually in the late teens to mid-20s. They often need removing when there isn't enough room and they become impacted, which can cause pain, infection, crowding, or damage to the neighbouring tooth. But not every wisdom tooth needs to come out, so we assess yours with an X-ray first and only recommend removal when there's a clear reason. Simple, fully-erupted teeth are removed in the chair under local anaesthetic — with happy gas available if you're nervous; complex or deeply impacted teeth may need surgical removal or referral for treatment under deeper sedation or general anaesthetic. Whitehorse Dental is at 129A Canterbury Road, Blackburn — consultations are available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Shanghainese and English, and Saturday appointments are available.
| At a glance | What to know |
|---|---|
| When removal is needed | Impaction, repeated infection, decay, crowding, or damage to the next tooth — assessed case by case, not automatically |
| Simple vs surgical | Fully erupted = simple removal in the chair; impacted or under the gum = surgical (a small incision, sometimes removing bone) |
| Recovery | Soreness and swelling usually peak around day 2–3; most settle within a few days to a week, surgical cases up to about two weeks |
| Anaesthetic options | Local anaesthetic for most cases, with happy gas available for anxious patients; complex or impacted teeth may be treated under deeper sedation or general anaesthetic, sometimes in hospital, or referred |
No — and this is where we start. Many wisdom teeth come through in a workable position and can simply be kept and cleaned like any other tooth. Removal is worth considering when a wisdom tooth is impacted (trapped under the gum or angled into its neighbour), keeps becoming infected, has decayed in a spot that's hard to clean, or is crowding or damaging the tooth in front of it. Our approach is to assess before we remove: we take an X-ray to see the position, angle and roots of each tooth, look at whether it's actually causing a problem, and only recommend extraction when there's a genuine reason. If a wisdom tooth is healthy and doing no harm, the sensible advice is often to leave it and keep an eye on it.
Knowing the sequence takes a lot of the worry out of it, particularly if this is your first surgical procedure:
Good aftercare in the first few days protects the socket and lowers the risk of complications like dry socket. We generally recommend:
Australian Dental Association (ADA) item numbers identify each procedure on your receipt and private health-fund claim. They're national identifiers — not fees — so they're the same wherever you're treated, and worth quoting when you check your cover with your health fund. The codes you're most likely to see for wisdom teeth are:
| ADA item | Procedure |
|---|---|
| 311 | Removal of a tooth — simple (fully erupted) |
| 322 | Surgical removal of a tooth — not requiring removal of bone |
| 324 | Surgical removal requiring bone removal and tooth division (impacted) |
More complex cases may attract additional surgical items. Your written treatment plan will list the exact item numbers that apply to your teeth.
The figures below are general indicative ranges across Australian clinics (2025), provided as a guide only — they are not a quote and not a statement of Whitehorse Dental’s fees. Your exact cost is confirmed in a written treatment plan after your assessment.
| Type | Indicative range (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Simple wisdom tooth (per tooth) | $200 – $600 |
| Surgical / impacted (per tooth) | $400 – $1,200+ |
| Hospital + general anaesthetic | $2,800 – $6,000+ |
Indicative Australian ranges (2025) shown as a general guide only, not a quote. If you hold private extras cover, we can help you check your rebate before you commit.
Your cost depends on how each tooth sits. A simple, fully-erupted wisdom tooth is the most affordable; a surgical or impacted tooth costs more because it takes more time and skill to remove; and the most involved cases — done in hospital under a general anaesthetic — cost more again, as they add facility and anaesthetist fees on top of the extraction itself. We confirm which applies after your X-ray and give you an itemised plan before we begin. If you hold private extras cover, wisdom tooth removal usually falls under general or major dental — we can help you check your rebate.
Wisdom teeth are the one dental issue that lands squarely on the younger end of the family. They tend to erupt and cause trouble in the late teens and twenties — often the university-age children still living at home — and it's frequently a parent who books the appointment and comes along. Blackburn is a strongly family suburb: couples with children make up 48.2% of local families, and around one in seven residents is aged 15 to 24, so we regularly see the older teens and twenty-somethings of a household for exactly this. From our Canterbury Road practice we look after patients across Blackburn, Blackburn North and Blackburn South, and neighbouring Box Hill, Nunawading and Forest Hill — with Blackburn and Laburnum stations on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines a short walk away, and on-site parking for the drop-off and pick-up.
For many younger patients, having a wisdom tooth out is their first surgical procedure, and a little reassurance goes a long way. Blackburn has a large and long-established Chinese-Australian community — 17.7% of residents reported Chinese ancestry in 2021, and across the wider City of Whitehorse it's the single largest ancestry at 26.2%. Around one in ten Blackburn residents speaks Mandarin at home, with more speaking Cantonese. Being able to ask "does this really need to come out?" and understand the answer in your first language — often alongside a parent — takes a lot of the anxiety out of it. Consultations at Whitehorse Dental are available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Shanghainese and English, throughout your care rather than just at the front desk. If you feel nervous about treatment, our approach to dental anxiety applies here too.
Wisdom teeth are a specific kind of extraction — the third molars, right at the back — so if you're weighing up removal of a different tooth, our general tooth extractions page covers that. A partially erupted or impacted wisdom tooth can also flare up suddenly with pain, swelling and infection (pericoronitis). If you're in acute discomfort, contact our Blackburn practice early in the day — you can read more about emergency dental care, and where suitable we'll settle the area first, then plan proper treatment of the tooth once you're more comfortable.
Whitehorse Dental is at 129A Canterbury Road, Blackburn VIC 3130 — easily reached from across the eastern suburbs by train or car, with on-site parking. Because we assess before we remove, the first step is simply an X-ray and exam so we can tell you honestly whether your wisdom teeth need attention at all. Saturday appointments make it easier to fit around study, work and family. Call us on (03) 8838 8820 or book online to arrange a wisdom teeth assessment.
No. Plenty of wisdom teeth come through in a good position, function normally, and can be kept and looked after like any other tooth. Removal is recommended when there's a clear reason — impaction, repeated infection, decay, crowding, or damage to the neighbouring tooth — not simply because they're wisdom teeth. That's why we assess yours with an X-ray first and only suggest taking a tooth out when there's a genuine benefit to doing so.
The removal itself is done with the area fully numbed by local anaesthetic, so you shouldn't feel pain during the procedure — some pressure and movement is normal. If you're anxious, happy gas (laughing gas) is available in the chair to help you stay relaxed while remaining awake. For complex or deeply impacted teeth, treatment under deeper sedation or general anaesthetic can be arranged, sometimes at a hospital. Any tenderness tends to come afterwards as you heal, and we'll go through the pain relief and aftercare that keeps that manageable.
For a simple extraction most people feel much better within a few days. Swelling and soreness often peak around day two or three and then ease. Surgical or impacted removals involve more healing and can take up to around two weeks to settle fully. We'll give you specific aftercare for your case, and it's sensible to plan a quiet couple of days rather than a big event straight afterwards.
A simple extraction removes a tooth that has fully come through and is easy to reach. An impacted tooth sits under the gum or bone, so surgical removal takes more time and skill — it may need a small incision, removal of some bone, and dividing the tooth to lift it out in sections. That extra complexity is reflected in the fee, and the most involved cases done under general anaesthetic in a hospital also carry facility and anaesthetist fees on top.
It depends on how many teeth are removed and how each one sits — a simple, fully-erupted tooth costs less than a surgical or impacted one, and cases needing hospital admission and a general anaesthetic cost more again because of facility and anaesthetist fees. We assess your teeth with an X-ray first and give you a written treatment plan with clear costs before anything begins. The table on this page shows general indicative Australian ranges as a guide only — not a quote. If you have private extras cover we can help you check your rebate beforehand.
Wisdom teeth typically come through in the late teens to mid-20s, so that's the age we most often assess them. Removing a problematic tooth earlier, while the roots are less developed, can make recovery more straightforward — but age alone isn't a reason to remove a healthy wisdom tooth. An X-ray and exam are the way to tell whether and when yours need attention.
Dry socket happens when the blood clot that forms in the socket after an extraction is dislodged or breaks down too early, leaving the bone exposed. It can cause noticeable throbbing a few days later. You lower the risk by avoiding smoking, straws, and vigorous rinsing for the first 24 hours, sticking to soft foods, and following the aftercare we give you. If discomfort worsens rather than settles after a few days, contact us so we can help.
Not necessarily. Whether to remove one, some, or all four depends on how each tooth is positioned and whether it's actually causing a problem. Some people choose to have several done in one visit for convenience; others only need the troublesome one removed and keep the rest. We'll talk through what makes sense for your situation rather than removing teeth that don't need it.
Yes. Consultations at Whitehorse Dental are available in Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Shanghainese and English. For many younger patients this is their first surgical procedure, and being able to ask questions and understand the answers in your first language — often with a parent in the room — makes the whole thing far less daunting.