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Which wisdom teeth can stay and which four kinds should go · Seongmo Dental Clinic, Sungshin Women’s University Station · Board-certified specialist in Integrated Dentistry
💡 The short answer. Not all of them. A wisdom tooth that has come in upright, bites against its partner above and can be reached by a toothbrush can stay.
One that lies sideways or is half covered by gum with repeated infection, and one that pushes or decays the molar in front, is better removed — that is what protects the tooth in front.
Seongmo Dental Clinic decides after confirming the distance to the nerve canal on CBCT.
Contents
One that satisfies all three of the following stays. It has come in upright and fully above the gum; the upper and lower wisdom teeth meet each other and are used for chewing; and a toothbrush and floss reach it so it stays clean.
Such a tooth is simply one more molar and causes no problem. We do keep checking it for decay and gum condition at regular check-ups.
Even without symptoms, once removal is decided, younger is better. In the early twenties, before the roots are fully formed, the bone is softer and the roots shorter, so extraction is easier and recovery faster.
With age the roots lengthen, the bone hardens and it comes closer to the nerve canal.
Keeping a wisdom tooth that has already swollen several times only repeats the inflammation while raising the difficulty of the extraction.
Inside the lower jaw runs the nerve canal responsible for sensation in the lip and chin, and the roots of a lower wisdom tooth sometimes contact it.
On a panoramic radiograph they overlap, so the distance cannot be told. For lower wisdom teeth Seongmo Dental Clinic confirms the distance to the nerve canal and the direction of the roots on CBCT before deciding the extraction method.
Where the roots contact the canal, the risk is reduced by sectioning the roots or by removing only the crown.
During extraction it is done under painless anaesthesia with a computer-controlled device, so it is more a sensation of pressure than pain.
An impacted wisdom tooth takes 20 to 40 minutes because the gum must be opened and some bone trimmed.
Upper and lower wisdom teeth on the same side are often taken out on one day so that recovery happens once.
What follows is set out in how long it hurts after wisdom tooth extraction.
Wisdom tooth extraction is a covered item under national health insurance, and the copayment varies with whether it is a simple extraction, whether the gum is opened and whether bone is removed.
CBCT may also be covered when taken for the purpose of wisdom tooth extraction, and this is explained at the appointment.
Extraction in general is on the wisdom tooth page and routine extraction and gum care on the general dentistry page.
30 seconds on foot from Exit 2 of Sungshin Women’s University Station, +82-2-922-3966.
If a wisdom tooth does not hurt, can it stay?
If it is upright, meets its partner and stays clean, it can. One lying sideways or covered by gum can harm the molar in front even without pain now, so removal is recommended.
How many wisdom teeth are removed at once?
Two on the same side, upper and lower, are often removed on one day. Taking out all four in a day places a heavy recovery burden and is not recommended.
Can lip sensation change after extraction?
It happens rarely, where the roots of a lower wisdom tooth contact the nerve canal. Seongmo Dental Clinic reduces this risk by confirming the distance on CBCT and choosing the extraction method accordingly.
Is wisdom tooth extraction covered by insurance?
It is. The copayment differs between simple and impacted extraction, and is explained in writing at the appointment.
Related information
Seongmo Dental Clinic opened in 1998. I have held this position as the third director since April 2022, and I have one standard for choosing equipment: if I would not use it on my own family, I do not use it on my patients.
One more scanner must not mean more treatment. If anything, it should mean cutting less, extracting less and finishing in one visit, from a more accurate original.
The goal is not to be first with new equipment, but to offer the better of what is possible today to the patient sitting in the chair.
📍 3rd floor, 2 Dongsomun-ro 20ga-gil, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul
🚉 30-second walk from Exit 2, Sungshin Women’s University Station (Parking: up to 2 hours at Utah Mall)
📞 +82-2-922-3966
📅 Mon/Wed/Fri 09:30–18:30 · Tue 09:30–20:00 (evening clinic) · Sat 09:30–14:30 (no lunch break) · Weekday lunch 13:00–14:30 · Closed Thu, Sun and public holidays
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🟡 Opened in 1998; third-generation director in charge of care since April 2022
⚕️ This article was written for information purposes in line with Korean medical law and the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s medical advertising standards.
Equipment specifications given here come from the manufacturer’s official material and the figures on accuracy and comfort are values reported in academic literature; the outcome and course of individual treatment vary with the condition of the mouth.
Please decide on a specific diagnosis and treatment plan after consulting your treating clinician.
This article was written as of August 2026. Equipment specifications and cost-related content are reviewed and updated every three months.
Peer-reviewed sources supporting the explanations above, selected by Dr. Tae-yoon Jang (Director, Seongmo Dental Clinic). Individual results may vary.
