Impacted and partly erupted wisdom teeth
Wisdom Tooth Removal in Turkey
Wisdom tooth removal can help when a wisdom tooth causes pain, repeated gum infection, decay or a cyst. However, healthy wisdom teeth that cause no problems usually stay, and your dentist checks them at routine visits. So a dentist decides only after examining you and your X-rays.
At a glance
- Usual age wisdom teeth appear
- About 17 to 25
- UK advice on healthy teeth
- No routine removal if they cause no problems (NICE)
- Main reasons to remove
- Repeated gum infection, decay, abscess, cysts
- Anaesthetic
- Usually local; sedation for harder cases or anxiety
- Surgery time
- Often a few minutes, up to about 40 minutes (NHS)
- Recovery
- Pain and swelling ease after 1 or 2 days; up to 2 weeks in total
These points come from UK guidance and research reviews rather than from any one clinic. Your dentist confirms your plan after an in-person examination.
How wisdom tooth removal works
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to come through. When there is not enough room, a tooth can get stuck against the tooth in front or stay partly under the gum. Dentists call this an impacted tooth. For most people, though, impacted wisdom teeth cause no problems at all.
Trouble starts when a partly erupted tooth traps food and plaque. As a result, the gum around it can get infected, which dentists call pericoronitis. Decay, gum disease, an abscess or a fluid-filled cyst can also develop.
First, your dentist numbs the area with a local anaesthetic. Then they open the gum if it covers the tooth and widen the socket. Next, they lift the tooth out whole or in 2 or 3 pieces. Finally, they close the gum with dissolvable stitches if needed.
- 1
The X-ray check
Before surgery, your dentist usually takes a panoramic X-ray. It shows the roots and how close they sit to the nerve in your lower jaw. However, UK guidance advises against routine X-ray screening of healthy, unerupted wisdom teeth.
- 2
A 3D scan in some cases
If the X-ray shows the roots close to the nerve, a CBCT (3D) scan may help plan the surgery. Still, UK guidance does not advise it for everyone, because it gives more radiation and does not routinely lower nerve injury.
- 3
Anaesthetic and sedation
Most people have a local anaesthetic, so they stay awake but feel no pain. If the tooth is harder to remove or you feel anxious, sedation or a general anaesthetic may be an option.
When wisdom tooth removal is advised
In the UK, NICE advises against removing healthy, symptom-free wisdom teeth as routine. Instead, removal is for teeth with disease. Similarly, a 2020 Cochrane review found too little evidence to support removing healthy teeth just in case.
Wisdom tooth removal may be advised if
Keeping the tooth may be reasonable if
Keep and monitor, remove or coronectomy
Each option suits a different situation. In coronectomy, your surgeon removes only the crown of a lower wisdom tooth and leaves the roots in place. That way, the roots stay away from the nerve.
Your wisdom tooth removal journey
Most people go home the same day. However, the timeline depends on how deep the tooth sits and which anaesthetic you have. Your dentist will confirm how many days you need in Istanbul.
- 1Online
Remote review
First, you send photos, any recent X-rays and a note of your symptoms. Then a dentist explains whether removal, monitoring or another option looks likely.
- 2Visit 1
Examination and X-rays
Next, your dentist checks the tooth, your gums and the tooth in front. They take an X-ray and, only if needed, a 3D scan.
- 3Visit 1
Agreeing the plan
After that, you discuss keeping the tooth, full removal or coronectomy. You also agree on local anaesthetic or sedation.
- 4Surgery day
Wisdom tooth removal
Surgery often takes a few minutes and rarely more than about 40 minutes. Afterwards, you usually go home the same day. If you had sedation, you must not drive for 24 hours.
- 5First days
Early healing
Pain and swelling usually start to ease after 1 or 2 days. Meanwhile, you eat soft food and rinse gently.
- 6At home
Follow-up close to home
Finally, keep your usual check-ups with a dentist near home. So any late problem, such as dry socket or numbness, gets seen quickly.
Recovery after wisdom tooth removal
Swelling and jaw stiffness
For up to 2 weeks, you may have swelling, cheek bruising and a sore, stiff jaw. However, pain and swelling usually start to ease after 1 or 2 days. Cold packs for short spells in the first days can help, according to one review.
Pain relief
UK guidance finds that ibuprofen with paracetamol gives the best pain relief after surgery. Still, check with your dentist that these medicines are safe for you.
Eating and cleaning
Eat soft food until chewing feels easier. Also, avoid nuts, seeds and crunchy food. Rinse gently with mouthwash or warm salt water, and brush your other teeth with care.
Protecting the blood clot
A blood clot forms in the socket and helps it heal. So avoid smoking, alcohol and very hot drinks at first. If bleeding starts, press on the area for at least 10 minutes.
Risks of wisdom tooth removal
Every operation carries some risk. For this reason, NICE advises against surgery on healthy wisdom teeth. When a tooth does need removing, your dentist explains the risks for your case first.
Age matters too. Problems and recovery time tend to increase with age, especially after about 25. Also, lower wisdom teeth are more often impacted, while upper ones are often easier to remove.
Dry socket is the most common problem. It happens when the blood clot fails to form or comes away too early, and it is painful. One review put the rate at about 6.7% for impacted lower teeth. In contrast, UK guidance quotes 5% to almost 30%, depending on the surgery.
A nerve near a lower wisdom tooth can get bruised. As a result, your tongue, lip or chin may feel numb or tingly. This usually gets better, although it can last weeks or months.
An infection may develop in the socket. If so, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics. Therefore, seek help if pain comes with a bad taste, fever or feeling unwell.
Some oozing is normal at first. However, bleeding that does not stop needs urgent care from a dentist.
Surgery can sometimes harm the tooth in front. That is one more reason why NICE lists it among the risks of removing healthy teeth.
After a coronectomy, the roots can move or become exposed later. In one review, about 3.6% of people needed a second operation.
What your wisdom tooth removal plan should answer
Ask any clinic, including us, for clear written answers before you book.
- 1What problem is this tooth causing, and what does the X-ray show?
- 2Could I keep the tooth and have it checked instead?
- 3How close are the roots to the nerve, and do I need a 3D scan?
- 4Would a coronectomy suit me, and how would follow-up work from home?
- 5Will I have a local anaesthetic or sedation?
- 6How many days should I stay before I travel home?
- 7Who do I contact if I get dry socket or numbness after I leave?
Wisdom tooth removal: your questions
Usually not. NICE advises against removing healthy, symptom-free wisdom teeth, and a Cochrane review found too little evidence either way. Instead, your dentist checks them at regular visits.
The local anaesthetic numbs the area, so you should not feel pain during surgery. Afterwards, soreness and swelling are common but usually start to ease after 1 or 2 days.
Most people stay awake with a local anaesthetic. For harder removals or anxiety, sedation or a general anaesthetic may be possible. Your dentist will explain the options.
Many people return to normal activities the next day. After a harder removal, you might need 1 to 3 days off work. Mild symptoms can last up to 2 weeks.
In a coronectomy, the surgeon removes the crown of the tooth but leaves the roots near the nerve. Reviews show it lowers the risk of nerve injury. However, it needs easy access to follow-up care.
UK guidance notes that limited access to care, such as a long trip abroad, affects the decision. So ask your dentist how long to stay and who will see you at home if a problem appears.
Related guides
Medical review required before publication · General information only; it does not replace an examination, diagnosis or personalised treatment plan.
- NICE. Guidance on the extraction of wisdom teeth. Technology appraisal guidance TA1 (2000)
- NICE. Wisdom teeth removal: patient notes, TA1 (2000)
- NHS. Wisdom tooth removal (reviewed 2024)
- Oral Health Foundation. Wisdom teeth
- Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England. Parameters of care for patients undergoing mandibular third molar surgery (2020)
- Ghaeminia H et al. Surgical removal versus retention for the management of asymptomatic disease-free impacted wisdom teeth. Cochrane (2020)
- Bailey E et al. Surgical techniques for the removal of mandibular wisdom teeth. Cochrane (2020)
- Kostares E et al. Prevalence of fibrinolytic alveolitis following extraction of impacted mandibular third molars: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2024)
- Robbins J et al. Does the addition of cone-beam CT to panoral imaging reduce inferior dental nerve injuries resulting from third molar surgery? A systematic review (2022)
- Thereza-Bussolaro C et al. Predictive factors in tomographic imaging for inferior alveolar nerve injury during third-molar surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2026)
- Kang FW et al. Coronectomy in lower third molar surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)
- Lira RMO et al. Complications in coronectomy procedures for removal of lower third molars in contact with the mandibular canal: systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)
- Larsen MK et al. Therapeutic efficacy of cryotherapy on facial swelling, pain, trismus and quality of life after surgical removal of mandibular third molars: a systematic review (2019)
Is wisdom tooth
removal right
for you?
Send a few clear photos, any recent X-rays and a short note of your symptoms. A dentist will then review them and explain whether wisdom tooth removal, monitoring or another option looks suitable. Your plan stays provisional until you're examined in person.