Wisdom teeth removal
Wisdom teeth removal (third molar surgery) means taking out one or more wisdom teeth at the back of the mouth when they are impacted or causing problems. Read more about wisdom teeth removal →
If symptoms are sudden, severe or getting worse, contact your dentist, GP or NHS 111.
Where are you up to?
The NHS reports waiting times by specialty, not by individual condition, so this is the oral surgery wait, updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
oral surgery waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust | Kensington and Chelsea | 8 weeks |
| Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust | Lambeth | 8 weeks |
| The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn, NHS Foundation Trust | King's Lynn and West Norfolk | 8 weeks |
| Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust | Reading | 9 weeks |
| Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust | Westminster | 10 weeks |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | Cornwall | 10 weeks |
| North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | Cumberland | 10 weeks |
| Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust | Tameside | 10 weeks |
About wisdom teeth removal
Wisdom teeth are the last teeth to come through, usually in your late teens or early twenties, at the back of the mouth. There is often not enough room for them, so they can come through at an angle or get stuck (impacted). This can cause pain, swelling, repeated gum infections, tooth decay or damage to nearby teeth. Wisdom teeth that are not causing problems are usually left alone; ones that are causing trouble may need to be removed.
How it is treated
A dentist or GP can refer you to have a problem wisdom tooth removed, often by an oral surgeon in hospital. Simple extractions can be done under local anaesthetic (the area is numbed); more difficult or impacted teeth may be removed under local anaesthetic with sedation or, less often, a general anaesthetic. A dental X-ray, often a panoramic (OPG) X-ray, is taken first to see the tooth and its roots.
After treatment
After the tooth is out there is usually some swelling, soreness and stiffness of the jaw for a few days, which painkillers and cold packs help. You will be given advice on keeping the area clean and avoiding dislodging the blood clot (for example, not rinsing hard or smoking) so it heals well. Most people are back to normal within a week or two. Contact the clinic if you get worsening pain, bleeding that will not stop, or signs of infection.
Sources: NHS: Wisdom tooth removal. Last updated October 2026.
General information only, not medical advice. Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. Your GP decides what care, if any, you need.