<p>When I was in my early 20s I had my wisdom teeth removed. They did it in a hospital so the operation would be covered by my medical insurance. I was put under, and when I woke up my face was bruised and my jaw was puffy. I had huge holes in my gums. I mean HUGE. I was told to use a water pik, etc. I was probably down and out for at least a week, with a longer recovery before those huge holes closed. It was a really horrible experience. </p>
<p>Many years ago I met a dentist who told me that wisdom teeth removal was a dental marketing scam. He pointed to the fact that our parents and grandparents obviously had wisdom teeth and didn’t get them automaticaly removed. He told me never to listen to dentists who told me that my kids needed to have their wisdom teeth removed, unless I had a second opinion AND had asked them to show me on dental xrays that the wisdom teeth were actually moving or infected.</p>
<p>I’ve taken notice when some of my kids’ friends have had their wisdom teeth removed, but haven’t asked for details. A young coworker just had his wisdom teeth removed. He was miserable and missed a few days of work. He wasn’t having any pain or problems with them, but he told me that his dentist said they were impacted.</p>
<p>My kids have been going to the same dentist for years. They are different schedules for cleanings, so one of them goes in every few months or so. The kids range in age from 18 to 24. We do have dental insurance, but it’s fairly limited to $1500/yr. Suddenly, over the last six months, each of my kids has come home from their dental cleanings saying that the dentist told them that they have to get their wisdom teeth removed since they’re impacted. </p>
<p>What do you think? Marketing scam? Good dental practice? Get a second opinion? I hate to put my kids through unnecessary dental surgery as a precaution. It feels a little too much like scheduling an appendectomy just in case an appendix might cause problems later in life…</p>
<p>Two of my kids have had their wisdom teeth out and I am sure the third will as well. The orthodontist recommended it. She said according to the X-rays there was no room for the wisdom teeth to come in and likely if they did they would mess up the thousands of dollars in orthodontia that we just spent. I actually had a friend whose daughter had her wisdom teeth come in and all her teeth went back to where they were before the braces. The oral surgeon says it is easier to do them when the kids are young because then you don’t have to worry about roots. It was miserable for them. We have dental insurance, but it is $1000 per year maximum for dependants so I think I ended up spending about $1500 for each kid. I knew about it ahead of time so I had the money taken pre-tax out of my paycheck through a flex-elect Medical plan. They both were miserable for about a week. I don’t think it is a marketing scam because the dentist or orthodontist (who actually both recommended it) sent them to an oral surgeon (unless they get a kick-back from him).</p>
<p>Most people will have to have them removed. You can have it done at a convenient time (like over Christmas break) or opt not to and then have to have them done years later at an inconvient time (like when on a business trip in a foreign country). The later happened to my brother when he was 35.</p>
<p>Once infected, they act up during times of stress in your life, like during finals week. </p>
<p>My dentist doesn’t believe all wisdom teeth need to come out and waits until they are causing a problem unless you ask otherwise or unless it is very likely from x rays that they will be problematic. </p>
<p>I am 21 years old and just had my top two out. He has been following my x rays and thought they probably would come in straight with enough room and so wouldn’t recommend taking them out unless they were bothering me, but it turned out that they were VERY slightly impacted and one was hyper erupted, so I just had them out. If they had been bothering me before then we would have removed them earlier, but they weren’t. </p>
<p>Because we were able to wait until they came in before they caused problems (and because in my case the problems were minor), I had the procedure in the dentists office with laughing gas, no surgery required, totally no big deal, and no pain. I did not even take the vicodin I was prescribed because it was totally no big deal. I went engagement ring shopping at the mall two hours later and demanded ravioli for dinner. Procedure was on Saturday, I wrote a paper on Sunday, went back to school on Monday. No swelling or bruising. The only pain at all was from the numbing shots. </p>
<p>The jury is still out on my bottom wisdom teeth. They also appear to be coming in straight, and if they do not cause problems my dentist will not recommend removing them. If they do bother me, he will. Had I needed the top two surgically removed we would have gone for all four at once just to save me the trouble, but the top two were non-surgical and the bottom two haven’t come in yet and don’t really seem to be moving much, so it wasn’t convenient to do them together anyway. If these teeth come in without problems I won’t have them out, not worth the money to me. With any luck if they are going to be problematic they will wait until they come in so I don’t have to endure the surgical procedure, but if the teeth start hurting me or causing infections I’ll do it. Right now there is no reason to rush.</p>
<p>Both of my kids had their wisdom teeth pulled during freshman college Christmas break. I do NOT think this is a scam at all. I’m an adult. My wisdom teeth have started to “move” and are causing all kids of problems with my bit and teeth. One has already been pulled and the other three will be as well. I wish I had had them pulled MUCH earlier…I’m now dealing with issues with my teeth BECAUSE of my wisdom teeth.</p>
<p>That’s what my brother said. So he kept them. Until he was on a business trip and they spontenous got severely infected and he had to go in for emergency dental work.</p>
<p>I think the thinking about wisdom teeth among dentists might be changing. D was scheduled to have all four of hers removed, but we insisted that the dentist take another look in a few months. He said three were not impacted, they were aligned, and that she had room in her mouth. The fourth was barely erupted and it was still too early to tell how it might come in. He said we could wait another 6 months before deciding. He only told us this after I raised questions and let him know my reservations. Otherwise, she would have had them pulled last week.</p>
<p>I highly recommend getting them removed at a young age.</p>
<p>All four of mine came in, pushing my front teeth and making them crooked. Plus, it took about 4 years of pain and infection before they came in completely.</p>
<p>The dentist recommended my older son get his removed because they were laying sideways. They can start to push on the root of the tooth in front and damage it if they are laying down. My co-worker recently had to have six teeth removed as a result of her delay in taking care of her wisdome teeth, for this very reason.</p>
<p>Although my younger son’s wisdom teeth were most likely going to come in straight, I couldn’t see risking the $6,000 I’d already spent fixing the rest of his teeth to see if they caused a problem. The oral surgeon we used said when he was younger he recommended a “wait and see” attitude. However, he says he’s now seen that it rarely ends well, and that more teeth often have to be removed when it does cause problems.</p>
<p>Perhaps back in the old days our forefathers let their wisdom teeth come in…however, I doubt if you to go to a nursing home you’ll see many of the residents with their natural teeth!</p>
<p>I trust my dentist more than secondhand stories about your brother, no offense meant. Several different dentists have seen my xrays and don’t think there is any reason to worry about these teeth, I am not about to have an elective surgical procedure with no insurance coverage. If there is any evidence of the teeth moving in a way that will cause a problem I will have them removed, but they are aligned and there is more than enough room. I have a big mouth. :P</p>
<p>Scroll down to : Should wisdom teeth be pulled immediately or only if they cause trouble? Dentists disagree.</p>
<p>Last line: Dr. Joy also noted that healthy, normally positioned wisdom teeth can be “very valuable additions to a person’s mouth” and should not be removed. If nothing else, one might be used later as an implant to replace a molar that has been removed.</p>
<p>I had all 4 out at the same time. I didn’t want them out, but realized that at least one was very mildly bothering me…not bad, just a mild irritation.</p>
<p>Had huge, gaping holes in my mouth. You could just about run a semitruck through them in the beginning. They gradually filled in over about six months time, and by June the holes were completely gone.</p>
<p>I took one pain killer. Other than an hours experience, I felt absolutely no pain whatsoever. </p>
<p>I had all 4 removed (surgically) at the same time when I was 20. They were impacted, high above the gum line, and threatened the orthodontia I’d had. Brutal weekend. Lots of vicodin.</p>
<p>My D’s braces just came off last year. Both her ortho and her dentist said they’re up there (2 of them…the other 2 never formed), but don’t look like they’re going to cause any problems. No need to cut them out.</p>
<p>I think each case is different depending on whether you’ve had orthodontia, whether you even have wisdom teeth (often, they don’t form), whether they’re moving, and whether they have room to come in.</p>
<p>If you’re seeing a good dentist/orthodontist, trust him/her.</p>
<p>I just had my 4 wisdom teeth yanked last Tues. afternoon while I was home for Christmas break from school. I’d gone to regular dentist a couple of days before Christmas for a couple of fillings, and the dentist said my wisdom teeth were impacted and I could end up having to take 8 teeth out if the 4 wisdom teeth weren’t removed soon. The oral surgeon last week sedated me intravenously and put me in lala land, then he removed the teeth. I was out of the office in less than an hour. My mom drove me home. I took oxycodone and ibuprofen for pain for 5 days. 5 days was enough drugs for me–stuff made me drowsy–also I am still taking an antibiotic. My stitches disappeared this weekend on their own. Anyway, the wisdom teeth are gone and I’m back at school less my 4 wisdom teeth.</p>
<p>Happydad has all four of his wisdom teeth and never has had any problems with them. Happykid inherited his nice straight teeth, and it looks (so far) like she will also have room for all of her wisdom teeth as well. Our dentist has told her that she will need to pay attention to them because they will be somewhat more challenging to brush and floss than the rest of her teeth are.</p>
<p>My wisdom teeth story is almost word-for-word the same as the OP, except for the advice about using a water-pic. Some 30 years later, I can still feel the dents in my gums from where the teeth came out. But considering that there wasn’t room for them, having them out was probably the right thing to do.</p>
<p>I have to agree with MOSB that each case is different. If you don’t trust your current dentist opinion then take your kids to another dentist or orthodontist and get another opinion. I had mine out when I was 18 because the dentist suggested it be done while I was still on my parents insurance. My son just had his out last year at the advice of his orthodontist. </p>
<p>As far as cost check to see if your medical insurance will pay also. I know ours did. I think it depends on if the teeth are still beneath the gums or not. Once medical and dental (we have $1,000 max/year on dental) paid, my out of pocket was $0 for all 4 of my son’s wisdom teeth removed.</p>
<p>I’m sure there are some scams. I’m also sure that removing them early can be excellent dental practice. Hearing that all of my kids ranging in age from 18-24 all need to get their wisdom teeth out would make me suspicious enough to get a second opinion.</p>
<p>D1 had hers out over winter break at a dental surgeon’s office. Compared to my experience 25 years ago, it’s a much improved experience. She also has the benefit of a DVD player and Pinkberry yogurt. :)</p>
<p>I was very surprised at S’ last check-up when they told me he has no wisdom teeth. So I guess it won’t be an issue in his case. </p>
<p>OP, if it makes you feel better, I would get a look at the x-rays. In my case, 2 of mine were at angles and would have further messed up my already crooked dental work. They removed all 4 in an experience very much like yours.</p>
<p>My youngest had hers out at age 15. They were completely erupted and pushing against her back molars since they came in a bit sideways. She went to soccer practice the next day.</p>
<p>My middle DD had hers out at age 19 for the same issue. She was fine the next day. Neither was put under; they just had gas.</p>
<p>My oldest is 23 and hers are just starting to come in, so who knows how that will work out. </p>
<p>DH had his out when he got braces as a teen. I had all four of mine, but two broke when old fillings went bad, so they were pulled out at the regular dentist after a shot of novacaine. They came in when I was 13 and the dentist said leave them alone since they were straight and there was room.</p>
<p>Well, if you’re going to have them out, at least get all of them taken out at once.</p>
<p>I had two removed during college because they were pushing other teeth out of place and the other two removed a few years later because they didn’t come in fully and the dentist was worried about cavities and infections under the surface. </p>
<p>It was ridiculous to go through the ordeal of looking like a chipmunk and living on painkillers and yogurt for a week twice!</p>