Wisdom Teeth Removal Adelaide | 542a Main South Road, Old Noarlunga SA 5168 | Phone: 08 8185 0024 | Monday to Thursday 8 am – 5 pm | Friday 8 am – 3 pm

Our Old Noarlunga clinic provides tooth extractions and wisdom teeth removal for patients across Adelaide's southern suburbs from Reynella, Happy Valley, and Christies Beach to Aldinga, Victor Harbor, and Goolwa. No referral is needed. Consultations include a clinical examination and OPG panoramic X-ray on-site.

Address: 542a Main South Road, Old Noarlunga SA 5168. Phone: 08 8185 0024. No referral required. All major health funds accepted. HICAPS on-the-spot claiming. Free onsite parking.

What We Do

Our clinic focuses on tooth removal and oral surgery. We provide:

• Wisdom tooth removal: assessment and removal of erupted, partially erupted, and impacted wisdom teeth. All four wisdom teeth can be removed in a single appointment where clinically appropriate.

• Surgical tooth extractions: Removal of teeth that cannot be extracted without a small incision, including impacted teeth, broken teeth, and teeth with complex root shapes.

• Simple tooth extractions: Removal of teeth that are visible above the gum and do not require a surgical approach.

• Pre-extraction assessment: Evaluation for retained root fragments, residual infections, and bone anatomy for patients planning dentures or other future dental work.

• Oral biopsy: Minor biopsy for unusual lesions or tissue changes that need pathological investigation.

Why a Tooth Sometimes Needs to Come Out

A tooth may need to be removed for several reasons. The most common are:

• Severe decay

• Advanced gum disease that has caused the bone supporting the tooth to break down 

• Tooth fracture that cannot be repaired

• Recurring infections, pain, damage to the adjacent tooth or cyst formation

• Orthodontic treatment (braces)

• Infected or abscessed tooth where other treatment options are not appropriate

Not every painful or troublesome tooth needs to come out. The consultation is the point at which your dentist assesses the tooth and discusses what the options are, with a clear written treatment plan before any procedure is agreed upon.

Wisdom Teeth: When Removal Is Worth Considering

A study reviewing dental X-rays from 414 patients found that more than one in three had at least one impacted lower wisdom tooth (Pradhan et al, 2023). 

Removal is generally worth discussing when:

• The wisdom tooth has only partly come through the gum and the area keeps getting infected this is called pericoronitis, and it tends to come back repeatedly until the tooth is assessed and managed

• The wisdom tooth is damaging or causing decay in the tooth next to it

• A cyst has formed around an unerupted tooth

• The position of the tooth on the X-ray suggests it will cause problems in the future, even if there are no current symptoms

There is also a practical case for earlier assessment. Research on post-operative outcomes found that procedure complexity and recovery time both increase with patient age a wisdom tooth removed at 19 is generally a simpler procedure with a faster recovery than the same tooth removed at 35 (Gojayeva et al, 2024).

What the Consultation Includes

The consultation is an assessment only and includes:

• A clinical examination of the teeth, gums, and jaw

• A full OPG panoramic X-ray taken on-site this shows all four wisdom teeth, their root shape, and how close the lower teeth are to the jaw nerve

• A plain-language explanation of what was found and what the options are

• A written itemised quote with Australian Dental Association item codes before you leave take these codes to your health fund to confirm your exact out-of-pocket costs before you decide on anything

Cone Beam CT imaging a three-dimensional scan is available at the clinic for cases that need it, no additional cost. It is only recommended when your specific clinical situation requires it.

Anaesthesia Options

Your dentist will recommend the most appropriate one based on the procedure and your preferences. There is no obligation to choose any option before your consultation.

1. Local anaesthetic the area around the tooth is numbed. You stay awake. You can drive yourself home.

2. Intravenous sedation (twilight) a sedative given through a small cannula produces a deeply relaxed state. Most patients have little memory of the procedure. A responsible adult must drive you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. A specialist anaesthetist is present. Additional facility and anaesthetist fees apply, charged directly by those providers.

3. General anaesthetic at a day surgery for patients who prefer to be fully asleep, or where this is clinically the most appropriate approach. A specialist anaesthetist is present. Additional facility and anaesthetist fees apply, charged directly by those providers.

After intravenous sedation or general anaesthetic you cannot drive, operate machinery, drink alcohol, or make legal decisions for the rest of that day. A responsible adult must take you home and stay with you. This is a mandatory requirement.

What It Costs

As a general guide: How Much Does It Cost 

All major health funds are accepted including Bupa, Medibank, HCF, NIB, and AHM. HICAPS on-the-spot claiming is available at treatment appointments. Take the item codes from your written quote to your fund to confirm your rebate before booking treatment.

Oral Health and Your Overall Health

Research has established that chronic oral infections including persistent infection around an impacted wisdom tooth are associated with elevated inflammatory markers in the body. 

This does not mean every wisdom tooth problem will cause heart disease or diabetes the relationship is an association, not a straightforward cause and effect, and the research is ongoing. What it does mean is that a chronic, unresolved source of oral infection is worth addressing on its own merits, quite apart from the local pain and inconvenience it causes.

It also means that if you have been told a tooth is infected but it is not currently painful, that is not a reliable signal that everything is fine. An assessment and X-ray give a clearer picture than symptoms alone.

When to Go to Emergency

If you develop rapidly increasing facial swelling, difficulty swallowing, or difficulty breathing alongside dental pain, go immediately to Flinders Medical Centre emergency department at Flinders Drive, Bedford Park, or your nearest hospital emergency. These can indicate a spreading dental infection that requires urgent medical care. Do not wait for a dental appointment.

For significant pain or swelling that does not involve difficulty swallowing or breathing, call 08 8185 0024. We can help you work out whether your symptoms need emergency care or a planned appointment.

Serving Southern Adelaide

Our Old Noarlunga clinic is accessible from across the southern corridor. Patients attend from Reynella, Happy Valley, Woodcroft, Morphett Vale, Christies Beach, Noarlunga, Seaford, Moana, Aldinga, Port Willunga, McLaren Vale, and the Fleurieu Peninsula including Victor Harbor and Goolwa. Free onsite parking is available for patients and accompanying persons.

Book by calling 08 8185 0024 or ONLINE

References

Gojayeva, G., Tekin, G., Saruhan Kose, N., Dereci, O., Kosar, Y. C., and Caliskan, G. (2024). Evaluation of complications and quality of life of patient after surgical extraction of mandibular impacted third molar teeth. BMC Oral Health, 24(1), 131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-03877-8

Pradhan, B., Gyawali, R., and Shrestha, A. (2023). Mandibular third molar impaction among patients visiting outpatient dental department of a tertiary care centre. Journal of the Nepal Medical Association, 61(267). https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.8130