Wisdom Tooth Removal
Why Choose Us
We understand the prospect of getting your wisdom teeth out can be daunting. At Daley Street Dental, we offer comfortable, predictable, and affordable wisdom teeth removal to patients in Alstonville, Ballina, Lismore and Byron Bay. This service includes deeply impacted wisdom teeth under various forms of sedation and anaesthesia.
Our Prices
For the convenience of our patients, we offer a complimentary initial consultation and OPG x-ray.
All 4 for wisdom teeth for $1999. If you have private health insurance, the gap will be much less. No interest payment plans are available for Afterpay and Zip Pay.
Our Promise to You
The first question patients often ask us is, 'Will I experience any pain or discomfort during the procedure?' With every patient, we use a strong, long-lasting local anaesthetic to ensure you are completely numb and won't feel a thing. 
Relaxing Options for Patients
We also offer various forms of sedation to help with the stress and anxiety associated with the procedure, such as:
- Nitrous oxide, also known as 'laughing gas' or 'happy gas'
- Oral pre-medications are taken two hours before the procedure
- ‘Twilight’ sleep dentistry, which is available at the dental clinic with a qualified dental sedationist
- General anaesthetic in a local hospital setting
Because wisdom teeth vary in difficulty, we often provide suggestions on what would be the most ideal and cost-effective option for your situation. Ultimately, the form of sedation you choose for yourself or your child comes down to the option you feel most comfortable with.
How To Get Started
Step 1
Please contact the practice to arrange a complimentary examination. At the time of your exam, we will take an x-ray of your wisdom teeth at no charge to you. Alternatively, if you already have an OPG x-ray, please connect with us so we can add it to our records. We can be in contact with you via a phone consultation to discuss your options.
Step 2
During the consultation with Dr McNamara, he will:
- Discuss the findings
- Listen to your concerns
- Provide you with sedation options
- Discuss options for finance
Step 3
The appointment for four wisdom teeth is usually booked for one hour. On average, the procedure takes 20-30 minutes to complete from start to finish or 5-10 minutes per tooth. Once the procedure is complete, you will leave with our post-op pack that contains your medication scripts, aftercare instructions, work cover forms and Dr McNamara after-hours’ contact details.
It is crucial that your dentist has experience in this area and performs this type of surgery on a regular basis to provide you with high-quality service.
About Dr Kieran McNamara
Dr Kieran McNamara is a general dentist with a practice limited to wisdom teeth and difficult extractions, bone grafting, implants and All-on-4 ('teeth in a day') procedures.
He sees most of his patients upon referral from fellow dentists, and gently removes between 50-100 wisdom teeth per week on average, sometimes more!
To provide his service to the local community, Dr McNamara is currently working out of 15 different dental practices and hospitals per month in both regional and metropolitan areas of QLD and Northern NSW. He has travelled extensively to gain further training on wisdom teeth extractions, including Sydney, Burma, California and Miami. He has also trained with some of the best oral surgeons in the world and strives to continue learning the latest, most noninvasive techniques to provide you with the best possible care.
Please review our extensive list of frequently asked questions about wisdom teeth and extractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are third molars located in the back of the mouth and the last adult teeth to emerge. Most people have four wisdom teeth: two in the upper part of the mouth and two in the lower. However, not everyone has four wisdom teeth; some people do not have any, while others only have one to two.
Why are third molars referred to as wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth are formally called third molars because they emerge much later in life than other adult teeth.
Do we need wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth were once essential for the early human diet of hard roots, nuts and meat. Today, humans cook food to soften it, and we can cut our food with utensils instead of using our wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth are no longer essential, and we only remove them if they pose a health risk to a patient.
How do I know if my wisdom teeth need to be removed?
There are several reasons why someone may need a wisdom tooth removed. If a person experiences any of the following symptoms, a wisdom tooth extraction may be necessary:
- Pain, pressure or swelling at the back of the mouth
- A wisdom tooth that appears to be moving up and down but not coming through
- Difficulty opening the mouth due to infection
- Pain in the back of the mouth when closing the gums
- Bleeding and tenderness in the area when brushing
- Tooth misalignment or crowding
- Food packing in the area
Why should I have my wisdom teeth assessed if they only hurt now and then?
There are many benefits to receiving a wisdom tooth evaluation, such as:
- If left untreated, periodic pericoronitis—the inflammation of gum tissue covering the wisdom tooth—can progress to dangerous facial infections and swelling, requiring hospital admission and intravenous antibiotics.
- Cysts, tumours or abscesses are also associated with wisdom teeth that have been left untreated for prolonged periods.
- Food packing and difficulty cleaning the area often leads to tooth decay. The decay usually affects the tooth in front of the wisdom tooth, and both teeth may require extraction simultaneously.
How much does it cost?
We can remove all four wisdom teeth for $1999 or charge $245-$483 per impacted wisdom tooth.
What options do I have for finance?
We offer Afterpay, Zip Pay and DentiCare. We also offer repayment plans for as little as $20 per week or with zero interest. Surcharges may apply that exceed the fixed price offer.
Will my health fund cover this?
Yes, we accept all major health funds. Once you attend our complimentary consultation and we have reviewed your x-rays, we can give you the item numbers for each tooth so you can see what your health fund will cover. You can then calculate the remaining out-of-pocket gap, and the gap amount will depend upon your level of coverage and the difficulty of the impaction. The usual item numbers for wisdom tooth extractions are 311, 322, 323 and 324.
How do I know if my son or daughter is covered under my policy?
As a parent, it is often good to check when your son or daughter is no longer eligible under your policy. It's usually safer, easier, and more cost-effective to remove a dependent at an earlier age. The age that a dependent is eligible for coverage under most health funds is 24 or 25 years old.
Will it hurt, and how long will it take?
We use a strong, long-lasting local anaesthetic to ensure you are completely numb and relaxed during your procedure. The average treatment time for all four wisdom teeth is usually booked for one hour, but it usually takes 20-30 minutes from start to finish.
Once you are comfortable and the site is completely numb, the tooth or teeth will be uncovered and sectioned into smaller parts for gentle, predictable removal. Finally, the area will be closed with one or two stitches that will dissolve in about a week.
What is the recovery like, and how long do I need off work or school?
We have a comprehensive aftercare protocol that outlines the food to eat and those to avoid after the procedure. If you follow our advice and take the medication as instructed, the pain will rarely exceed 4/10.
Can I be asleep for the procedure?
Yes. There are two options for sedation if you do not want to be awake for the procedure: 'twilight' sedation in the dental practice or general anaesthetic in a hospital setting. Both methods use the same anaesthetic medications, just a different dose. 
Who will be taking my wisdom teeth out?
Dr Kieran McNamara is the general dentist who will be removing your wisdom teeth. He specialises in wisdom teeth and difficult extractions, bone grafting, implants and All-On-4 ('teeth in a day') procedures. Dr McNamara sees the majority of his patients upon referral from fellow dentists, and he removes between 50-100 wisdom teeth every week.
Do I need to get all my wisdom teeth taken out at the same time?
No. You can get them taken out one at a time if you wish, but there are several advantages to getting them all done at once, including:
- Because there can be a ~3-5 day recovery that involves regular pain medications, mouth rinses and time off work, it's often preferable to choose to only go through this once in your lifetime.
- The recovery experience from four wisdom teeth extractions is more or less the same as the recovery from one wisdom tooth extraction.
- If you choose to undergo 'twilight' sedation or general anaesthetic, it is an added cost, and most people may prefer not to have to experience the procedure more than once. We feel so strongly about this that if we assess there is a tooth with pathology or at high risk of complications, we will refer you to an oral surgeon so you can have all four taken out at once.
Do all wisdom teeth need to come out?
No. We only take out wisdom teeth if there is an indication they should be removed. Some wisdom teeth do not need to be taken out at all, such as deeply impacted or submerged wisdom teeth that are not exposed to oral germs, and when there is enough room in the mouth for wisdom teeth to safely and fully erupt. This can sometimes occur when someone had extractions before they started braces.
Can a dentist take out my wisdom teeth?
Absolutely! Although all dentists are trained to take out wisdom teeth at dental school, and most dentists take out teeth every day, some dentists prefer to develop their skills in other areas of dentistry and do not offer this service.
Dr McNamara has done further training in atraumatic wisdom tooth removal and assessing and diagnosing wisdom teeth with a high risk of complications or when pathology is present. In instances like this, it may be in your best interest to see an oral surgeon who is both a doctor and a dentist. They are trained to perform surgery on the head, neck and jaw in a hospital setting.
My dentist said my wisdom teeth are deeply impacted. What does that mean?
It means that something prevents the wisdom tooth from erupting into its normal position, and it becomes either fully or partially stuck under the gum and bone. It can be impacted on the tooth in front, the bone behind, or the gum around the tooth.
The further under the gum the tooth is located, the more deeply impacted it is. Although this is a common term and people imply it will make the extraction more difficult, other factors such as the tooth's angle, the curve of the roots and the patient's age play an equally significant role.
What is the best time to get my child’s wisdom teeth removed?
According to research, the safest time to have wisdom teeth removed is before they come through the gum, between ages 17-24. The roots are not fully formed during these ages, and there is less risk of them hooking or curving around important structures. In the US, it is a standard of care to have your wisdom teeth removed as a teenager before the roots are fully developed.
What will happen if I don't have my wisdom teeth removed?
The longer wisdom teeth are left and the older the patient is, the more difficult wisdom teeth are to remove. Besides being more difficult to remove, you are also more at risk of cysts, tumours and pathology developing around the unerupted tooth, leading to bone resorption or fracture.
Over time, the pain and swelling symptoms associated with infections return every six weeks to three months. Each time these symptoms return, they tend to get worse. This can lead to dangerous facial infections and swelling, requiring hospital admission and intravenous antibiotics.
