During the procedure of wisdom teeth removal 

Your oral surgeon or the anaesthetist overseeing your procedure is likely to use one of the three types of anaesthesia below. The type chosen will depend on your medical history, the expected level of complexity of the surgery, your surgeon’s preferences and your level of comfort.

These anaesthetic options include:

• Local anaesthesia – Your oral surgeon will administer a local anaesthesia by injecting the sites of extraction one or more times. Before receiving the injections, your surgeon may apply a topical cream or gel-like substance to the gums to numb the pain. You will be awake during the wisdom tooth extraction and will feel some pressure and movement, but you should not experience any pain.
• Sedation anaesthesia (conscious sedation) – Sedation anaesthesia will be given to you by your oral surgeon intravenously through an IV line put into your arm. This form of anaesthesia will result in your consciousness being suppressed for the procedure. You will not experience any pain during the procedure and will not be able to talk and are likely to fall asleep. Your anaesthetist or oral surgeon will also give you a local anaesthesia to numb the gums.
• General anaesthesia – This form of procedure is often the preferred method of anaesthesia as it will allow you to lose all consciousness. You may have an IV line put into your arm for the anaesthesia to be administered or you will inhale the medication in through a mask that will be placed over your mouth, you may also have both the mask and the IV line. The surgical team will closely regulate and monitor your temperature, breathing, blood pressure and the administration of the medication. You will not remember the procedure at all and will not experience any pain. A local anaesthesia will also be given to aid in any post-surgical pain.

During wisdom tooth extraction, your oral surgeon will:

1. Make an incision (cut) in your gum tissue in order for the bone and tooth to be exposed
2. Remove any bone that is blocking access to the root of the tooth
3. Divide the wisdom tooth into various sections to make it easier to remove the tooth in pieces (this is not always necessary)
4. Remove the tooth
5. Clean the site from which the tooth was removed and remove any debris from the bone or tooth
6. Stitch the wound site closed in order to allow for healing to take place (this is not always necessary; however, your oral surgeon will typically use dissolvable stitches that will dissolve as the wound heals if it is)
7. Place gauze on the wound in order for bleeding to be controlled and promote the formation of a blood clot

All of the above is normally done in less than two hours.