Wisdom teeth removal: The new tonsils?

[ElkinFencer10]

Mine are all impacted, according to x-rays for an unrelated procedure a few years back, but they don't really bother me. If I do eventually have to have them removed, I'm definitely getting put to sleep - I'm a totally pussy about pain, especially with my teeth - regardless of the extra cost. I also don't have dental insurance, though, since I avoid the dentist like the plague anyway (bad decision, I know, but I hate going to the dentist more than almost anything in the world), so it'll be pricey if/when I eventually need to have them removed.

[isiolia]

Guess it depends on your insurance. When I had mine taken out a few years ago, it cost me almost nothing out of pocket. Needed to get done - two never full erupted, one came in at an angle and wound up getting rotted, and one...came in perfectly fine, just to show off I guess. Actually was what got me back to the dentist in the first place.

Far as I've heard, they're both a common problem later, and less troublesome to remove early. I got put under for mine, because no way did I want to be awake for that. I was happy to have them out.

[samsonlonghair]

Sigh...

Overload, do not make the same mistake I made. When I was nineteen, the dentist told me that I should have my wisdom teeth out. I thought the same thing as you, that it was some kind of racket. That lousy dentist was just trying to make a quick buck with an unnecessary procedure. Afterall, if my wisdom teeth aren't hurting me, why should I hurt them?

I was dead wrong.

Because my wisdom teeth were set so far back in my mouth, I couldn't brush them properly. Over the years, they became infected and awful. By age 27 I had terrible pain in my mouth and jaw. By this time, I was too poor to afford the surgery. I lived with an awful toothache every single day for more than two years before I was finally able to get my wisdom teeth removed. Once I finally got my wisdom teeth out, I came down with a terrible case of dry socket. Apparently, this condition is more prevalent in older patients. If I had my wisdom teeth out when the dentist first told me, I could have avoided years of pain and dry socket.

Do not do as I have done. Learn from my mistake. Go back to your dentist and get your wisdom teeth removed.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I don't have any problems with mine currently, although I'd definitely consider (and probably would) get them taken out if need be. Though, as far as I can tell my wisdom teeth are going to be like my Dad's, and be perfectly fine from now on.

I mean, if they are causing a problem, you probably should get them taken out.

[pepharytheworm]

I was told mine were impacted (I feel a lot of people don't even know what that means). But they never stopped growing and now all of my wisdom teeth are fully grown in. The only pain I ever felt was when they were growing and it would last a few day and never that bad. Unless you have a small jaw or the never emerge there is no reason to get them pulled.

I heard several members talk about overcrowding but on the reserve of that it's also quite common for gaps to form when they are pulled.

How old are you? That could be a determining factor. If you are 30 and they are still impacted maybe you should. But if you are still young start monitering them and see if they are still growing, brush well, and see the same dentist yearly.

[samsonlonghair]

I totally see that logic. I believed in the "wait and see" method myself. It turns out that if you wait until your wisdom teeth are infected, you will incur complications.

[pepharytheworm]

I totally see that logic. I believed in the "wait and see" method myself. It turns out that if you wait until your wisdom teeth are infected, you will incur complications.

You mentioned you couldn't brush properly though. Were you going to a dentist yearly or at least bi-yearly? It seems unlikely a dentist would miss the signs of infection.

[ElkinFencer10]

I totally see that logic. I believed in the "wait and see" method myself. It turns out that if you wait until your wisdom teeth are infected, you will incur complications.

I believe in the "ignore it and it will go away" method. It doesn't have a high success rate for dental problems, but I'm definitely subscribing to the not-so-bright-an-idea "wait and see" method for my wisdom teeth.

[Michi]

I had mine removed in high school before they could even take root. The dentist didn't think my jaw was going to be big enough to accommodate them, and he was right. I can tell now that my mouth is nowhere near big enough for them. Letting them grow in would have cost more and been a general pain in the a$$.

Glad to have had it done when I did. A lot of people I know waited to have it done later and based on the stories I've heard, they were not pleasant experiences.

[laurenhiya21]

I'm really lucky since my wisdom teeth came in with no problems, but if the dentist told me that they needed to be taken out then I would get them out. I know people can have major problems with them if they don't get them out so I wouldn't want to risk that.