Not Removing Wisdom Teeth, Asking Again

I didn't have mine or my daughter's removed until they became a problem. I was 26 when I had mine out and she was 22.
I don't remove organs, tissues, etc that are healthy and functional.

If they have already erupted he won't need general anesthesia to have them removed.

Both my older kids had theirs removed as soon as they started coming in because they didn't want to crowd out and mess up their straight teeth

I still have my wisdom teeth, but I did have my 12 year molars pulled back in my pre-teen years. (From a total hack of a dentist, but that's a whole 'nother story.) I haven't had any issues except that my wisdom teeth came in at a funny angle its really easy for food to get trapped back there, so I have to floss really good after almost every meal.

I was wondering why your question was pulled.

My husband never had braces and has perfect teeth and all 4 wisdom teeth. He has a big mouth though. My girls unfortunately will need their teeth out.

If your son needs to have them out, could he just have gas to relax him and the novicane to numb his mouth? I was put to sleep because all 4 of my teeth were impacted.

I was with my aunt while an oral surgeon pulled 7 of her teeth due to decay. (She had dementia and wouldn't allow the nursing home staff to clean her teeth). I was really surprised how easily the teeth came out but perhaps that was due to her teeth having so much decay.

Our daughter did not have hers removed. There was some pain involved as they came through.

But they have not bothered her since. My husband had the same experience.

I had to have mine removed. I was in great pain, they were also impacted and my mouth was too small.

I had no problems with the procedure.. Had them all out at once.

I go to professionals and follow their advice. They know a lot more than I do about teeth.. If I did not trust them, I would find someone I trusted.

At 44 I still have mine and have never had any problems with them. Probably the only reason I still have mine is because they came in sideways. (Root down and straight, but the roots are facing side to side instead of front to back so there was room for them.) My teeth are very close together however. Dental floss is always getting stuck and I can't get it out.

My brother had his out when he was in his 20s just as a precaution. He was headed to Africa for two years with the Peace Corps. They had him get them out so he wouldn't be stuck in Africa needing oral surgery if a problem developed.

Every person is different. Your dentist or an oral surgeon is the only one who can assess your son.

I still have all four wisdom teeth. They have not been a problem so I have not done anything at all about them.

My husband didn't have his removed because he had room for them. I had mine removed because I didn't have room for them. I'm pretty sure both of my kids will need to have theirs removed. You only have wisdom teeth removed if they need to be removed and your dentist can tell you whether they need to be or not. I've never known anyone who needed to have them removed not having them removed or vice versa.

I did not have them out as a teen because early x-rays said they might come in ok. They tried to come in when I was in my mid 20s. But they came in sideways (early x-rays were wrong), ruined the straightening my braces had done, and were very painful. I ended up having to get them out anyway. They were all at least partially erupted though so it was just getting them pulled and not surgery. It was done under twilight anesthesia.

My mom is 72 and she still has her wisdom teeth. She wore braces when she was in her 50's.

I got mine out right after high school. There is no way they would fit in my small mouth and if I had left them alone, I would have had crazy crooked teeth. I wore braces AFTER my wisdom teeth were out and I've had no problems.

Our daughter got her wisdom teeth out right out of high school as well. She has a perfect set of teeth with no cavities and if we allowed the wisdom teeth to come in, she would have had over crowding and would have been facing orthodontics. She had no issues and her teeth are still perfect.

I understand your concern but I don't think getting wisdom teeth out is a completely unnecessary procedure. I believe in being proactive with my health and practice preventative measures.

I am sorry you went through some scary things, that is never fun and is very stressful but I would never, not have a medical procedure that my Dr. suggested (get 2 opinions) due to a fear of the unknown, for me or my child. I OWE my child proper medical care.

Also weigh the options that you may be spending money on orthodontics if his teeth do come in and he gets overcrowded. Your mouth is not something to mess with when it comes to health because there are many bad illnesses that can come from bad teeth and gums.

Address your fears..... Example.........I have an intense fear of flying, only for take off and until the bell rings when we hit 10,000 feet and then I am fine. It started a few years ago when we were on take off from Vegas and heading back to Dallas when an engine blew up just as we became airborne. It was scary as hell because attendants were preparing us for a bad landing and it is not fun to watch fire trucks chase you down the runway when you land and wonder if you are going to explode. Thank GOD, there was enough lift that the pilot was able to control the plane, turn around quickly and land. However, I cannot and will not allow that fear to keep me from travel. The hardest thing I did was to get back on another plane about an hour after this experience to travel home.

First and most importantly -- Glad to hear your son is doing fine regarding his TBI!! That's scary stuff and of course was top priority for a long time!

You don't mention why your son was already scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed, back before his injury. If the dentist (was an orthodontist also involved in making that call?) felt it was needed then, that hasn't changed. I find that most dentists and orthodontists don't tend to want to pull anything unnecessarily; what reason were you given back when your son was first scheduled to have these teeth pulled? The usual reason is that the teeth, when they come in, will crowd the rest of the teeth as the child or teen's mouth and skull develop. Was that explained to you? Or did the dentist just blithely indicate "We do this to all kids this age?"

I'm glad you say you would have his dentist weigh in on this and I hope you do it sooner rather than later. I would have your son examined again, ask to see the x-rays and tell the doctor to explain the x-rays to you in detail and talk about the reasoning behind the extraction. If the dentist did not explain it the first time it was scheduled, he or she should do so now -- you are owed that as a paying customer. Like I said -- there is usually a good, long-term reason for this extraction, so get the dentist to walk you through it. If you are not convinced, take the x-rays (you own them, get a copy from the dentist) and get a consultation from an orthodontist. Orthodontists do free consultations and any ortho will be pleased if you walk in with the x-rays so they don't have to take more or order them from the dentist.

If you say no to the extraction but there was reason for it -- and bear in mind, that reason may be some years away and you won't be able to "see" it yet as someone who's not a dentist -- you and your son might regret not getting it done sooner rather than later. Crowding as other teeth come in and the mouth matures can create a lot of problems: Bite issues that have to be fixed (these are not just cosmetic issues, but real medical ones--kids with bite issues can have have jaw pain, irregular wear on the jaws and teeth, etc. that follow them through life and require lots more painful treatment as they become adults).

I know you wanted to hear from people who did not have their kids' wisdom teeth extracted. My kid's were extracted because her mouth is small and she's now in braces, working on a number of issues, and I had my own out as a teenager. It's entirely individual whether the wisdom teeth will or won't be an issue, but if the dentist says they are going to create issues for your son later (even if they're not doing so now), then other people's experiences won't matter much to your son's particular case.

I had two of mine removed. One of them was coming in sideways and was extremely painful. The dentist that removed it wanted to remove all four of them and when I asked him why his response was that "you don't need them". The other three were all in and weren't a problem, and I have no overcrowding. I didn't have insurance, so I told the dentist if he wanted to pull them for free he was welcome to do so. He decided that I should just have the one pulled. I'm certain he just wanted the money. Years later another one cracked and I decided to have it pulled instead of trying to fix it. The other two have never been a problem and I will keep them as long as they don't become a problem.

My daughter is 18 and hers are just starting to come in. She did have one dentist that wanted to pull them, but after the experience I had with my first removal I got a second opinion and that dentist showed me the x-rays and suggested I wait because they looked like they would have space to come in. So far she hasn't had any problems. If she does we'll deal with it, but I am against removal unless absolutely necessary, especially if they haven't erupted through the gum-line. It's more than just pulling of teeth, it's a surgery and it requires anesthesia. It's not something that should be taken lightly.

I have all four of my wisdom teeth. But I am fortunate. I have been told by at least half a dozen dentists over the years, that I simply "have room" for my wisdom teeth.

My understanding is that wisdom teeth can cause crowding and crooked teeth. They can also become impacted and painful. Many years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) got his removed. He was relieved because they had begun to hurt him.

My BIL is now our dentist. He has warned me several times that if my wisdom teeth get cavities, they will have to come out. Apparently it is too difficult to fill wisdom teeth and it is generally not done.

This is a question for the oral surgeon because the answer would depend on the individual. If you want to be sure, you can always get a second opinion.

I had mine removed in my early 20s under general anesthesia. It was what the oral surgeon recommended because one was coming in sideways and also because I had orthodontic work done in high school, the wisdom teeth would have messed that up.

I had mine all out (plus 4 other adult teeth) at 16 - it was easy and I was eating pizza 3 days later.
My husband had his out in his 20's.
They were impacted and partially emerged - were hard to clean and starting to rot.
He had a longer time recovering than I did but there was no choice to leave them in and let the rot spread.
Our son had expanders and 2 yrs of braces.
So far his wisdom teeth have not emerged but he should have room for them.
If they come in straight and he has no trouble keeping them clean and they are not pushing his other teeth around, then there will be no need to have them removed.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Not bothering him, leave them in.

I asked a couple of dentists a similar question. I didn't have mine removed as a teen and still had them as an adult. The dentists said "are they bothering you?" They didn't begin to bother me until I was 33. I had them removed on my 34th birthday.

It's often recommended to have wisdom teeth removed because they're difficult to keep clean, are often coming in sideways, don't completely erupt causing gum issues, and there's simply not enough room in the mouth for them. So...have the dentist have a look at the xrays and see what they think. :-)

If they aren't sideways, there's enough room in the mouth for them, won't cause a problem in the future, and aren't causing pain, there's no reason to remove them.

Good luck!

My SS has such a big mouth they all came in straight and he's never had a problem. Further, he hasn't had any cavities, ever. So he kept them.

With myself and my SD, we had ours out because they were impacted and painful. I had jaw pain and headaches. I had all 4 out at once because I didn't want to do it again and 3 were impacted anyway. Our dentist suggested we get SD's out before they messed up the alignment of her teeth (after braces) and she and DH have smaller jaws so neither of them have the full number of molars.

The thing I would make sure is that he can brush and floss that area, as it will be more difficult to reach and more susceptible to cavities.

I know people who have not had them out for financial reasons, though they would if they could afford it. If he's not ready for the work, then don't get it done til he's good and recovered. They can wait years for most people.

My dad still has his wisdom teeth. For whatever reason, he has 2 fewer adult teeth than other people (they're not ones you'd ever notice - kind of like how some people have to have teeth removed to make room due to overcrowding? Only his are like that naturally). So his teeth grew in totally straight and he never had to have braces. And when his wisdom teeth grew in, they did so without crowding any of his other teeth, so the dentist advised him to just leave them be. So he did, and has had no problems.

I didn't get so lucky. My wisdom teeth were heading straight for the roots of my molars, and I had no room for them to grow in, so I had to have all 4 out. It wasn't bad.

It depends. If their is room, if they start to move or shift, or if their is an infection, etc. I know of someone who just had theirs out do roam infection, otherwise they were fine.

If the Dentist/ oral surgeon recommends or deems it necessary and if their would be complications if not getting removed now then I'd say remove. If they aren't concerned, I'd maybe wait it out. Considering his recent TBI. His Dr most likely would say their is no rush unless they are painful or their isn't enough room in his mouth,

If they are coming in normally and not messing up his other teeth there may be no reason to remove them at all. I had to have mine removed because they came in sideways and were damaging the roots of the molars next to them. Have the dentist take some X-rays to be sure the other teeth are fine, and if they are talk to the dentist about if there are really any risks to leaving them be.

I and both kids have had our wisdom teeth removed. We waited a little too long with our daughter and her teeth shifted. We made sure that didn't happen with our son

My husband had his wisdom teeth and straight teeth. However, he has had 2 of them pulled in the last 10 years due to wear and them falling apart. He is thinking about having the other 2 pulled. Not sure when.

I'm glad you posted this question again, since the last one got lost. And I'm glad your son is recovering. I'm sure that was so scary for you all.

I'm not sure why you feel that western medicine philosophy pushes all wisdom teeth to come out. That's a pretty broad statement to make. There are plenty of dentists who say it's fine to keep one's wisdom teeth if they aren't going to cause problems, if the mouth is big enough for them, if they can come down and aren't impacted. My husband is one of those - his mouth is plenty big to hold all his teeth, including his wisdom teeth.

My own wisdom teeth were impacted and painful. It was the right thing for them to come out, but yes, I had some complications with one side on the bottom - swollen and infected. Took a second procedure, lancing it, to start the healing. Do I think that this meant that I didn't need to procedure? No. If you research wisdom teeth removal, they explain a lot about this stuff. Dry socket, following exact instructions about eating and being careful not to suck on a straw, etc. Sometimes you do everything right and STILL have trouble.

My older son needed to have his wisdom teeth out because they were impacted and growing into his jaw. We put off having them out for 2 months because of swim meets. In those 2 months, one of the uppers grew into the jaw and they had to break that tooth into pieces to get it out. (Wouldn't have happened if we had gone ahead and done it when the dentist said to.) My younger son had the same problem and we didn't wait. He also had a supernumerary tooth show up in the lower side - that was the 2nd one he had had and quite the surprise. It had to come out so we did it at the same time as the wisdom teeth so that we were only doing one anesthesia. Getting over THAT was harder than the wisdom teeth for him. Thankfully no breaking the teeth and no infection, but that extra tooth incision was painful.

If I were you, I'd go back to the dentist, sit down with those xrays and find out WHY the doc wanted them to come out. Listen and try to discern whether this is just the dentist thinking that it is a good idea, or if it's necessary, and why. And if it IS necessary, remember what I said about my son whose tooth ended up having to be broken to get it out of his jaw.

If they start hurting, if he starts getting more sinus infections, if his face hurts, etc....those are signs his mouth isn't big enough for his teeth. Thousands of years people didn't have dentists. They lived with the pain or found some way to deal with it. I think of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman where she got a tooth pulled by the barber to show she trusted him. It helped the town to trust her. So they found ways to take care of teeth but it was rather barbaric.

If he's okay there's no reason to removed them.

I have the world's (naturally) straightest teeth. I had three of my wisdom teeth removed when I was 35 as they had erupted during my pregnancies, and were hard to clean, so were at risk of decay. Because of the super-straight nature of my teeth, it took on average 30 seconds to pop each one out in the dentist's chair. No pain, no trauma, quick recovery. In fact, it was less uncomfortable than having a clean and scale.

My husband has not had his wisdoms removed, and unless there's risk of overcrowding, pain or decay I wouldn't remove my children's.

I did not have my wisdon teeth pulled until I was over 30. Mine were not bothering my other teeth, were not necessarily impacted to cause pain and the dentist just really saw no reason to pull them. One finally came in when I had the last molar pulled due to decay. I had that pulled only because it was on a bit of an angle and if it decided to push further, it would have pushed against the other molars. I still have my bottom molars--never came in.

all of us have had our wisdom teeth out, except my older son. there's been no need for him to have the surgery, so presumably (he's an adult now) he won't unless it becomes necessary.
i see no need to prophylactically remove them.
khairete
S.

I never got any wisdom teeth (they were never there) so can't go by that.

However, so far my two oldest got their wisdom teeth without a problem. We'll see how it goes for the youngest one. Their dad still has his wisdom teeth also with no problems.

I'm very much a "if they aren't causing a problem ... leave them be" attitude on the wisdom teeth. Your teeth feed your jawbones and help keep them healthy.

I would say if they are not causing pain or causing your teeth to become crooked, i dont think there is any need to remove them. I had all four of mine removed when i was 20 due to crowding and extreme pain! My DH never had any of his come in! My DD who is 17.5 had the two on the bottom pulled due to swollen jaw, gum, cheeks but never got her top two! Weird.
If they bother you, remove them, if they dont, leave them alone.