Wisdom teeth removal - pros and cons

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

You had absolutely nothing wrong with your appendix, but your doctor removed it anyway? That is bizarre to me and I would question any doctor who would willingly do that.

Why not? An appendix does absolutely nothing positive for you, and can certainly cause major problems in the future. It is no different that taking out "healthy" ovaries during the hysterectomy. Avoids future problems....

 

[SpecialK]

You had absolutely nothing wrong with your appendix, but your doctor removed it anyway? That is bizarre to me and I would question any doctor who would willingly do that.

The appendix doesn't serve any function, so I don't see anything wrong with that.

I just made my son's appointment to have his wisdom teeth out. Two of the four are impacted. The two that aren't impacted are coming in at an angle toward his molars and will move his other teeth if they don't come out.

 

[LisaR]

Why not? An appendix does absolutely nothing positive for you, and can certainly cause major problems in the future. It is no different that taking out "healthy" ovaries during the hysterectomy. Avoids future problems....

I guess we just view things in a very different way. I wouldn't purposely take my daughter in to have wisdom teeth removed because they are useless when there isn't anything wrong with them to begin with. I don't believe in having medical procedures done for the heck of it, but to each their own.

 

[Cinderella94]

I had mine out when I was 15, in May of my junior year of high school, because one of them started coming in sideways and was very painful.
I had planned on getting them out over the summer anyway, this just caused me to do it sooner. I had always expected to get them out at some point and honestly the procedure isn't that big of a deal and could save me from big issues later with teeth shifting, etc.

 

[WVMomof3]

My husband had his removed in his 30s. They were impacted and he was getting headaches. His teeth that were perfectly straight before the removal are now terribly crowded. He really needs braces again, as they are so crowded in they are bothering him. I don't really understand how removing teeth made them crowded. But just to let you know, it doesn't always prevent crowding, as his removal caused the crowding. On the plus side, his bad headaches did go away.

 

[runsandjumps]

I waited to have mine out and when I finally got around to it - I was in pain. Not only that but my teeth shifted and I was clenching (wearing down my teeth).

My wisdom teeth were taken out as an adult - if I could do it again I would have oral surgery prior to working and supporting myself. Surgery is costly, time off work is better spent enjoying yourself and it's easier to recover if you have someone to take care of you.

They may or may not be bothering her now- and they may not ever. Mine were impacted, so that does make a difference. The key is if the are positioned to grow in straight and if she has the room for them. Many people don't which is why the recommend getting them out Before they start causing issues.

 

[zoemurr]

I got my first wisdom tooth at the age of 28. I had mine removed because my perfectly straight teeth (braces) were starting to shift. My dentist said they were healthy, but my teeth would get crooked - no thanks!

Dd16 is having some trouble with hers. She didn't have any permanent teeth removed with her braces (palate expander - I had 6 removed), and there is some crowding. She will have them removed over the summer (she has such a perfect smile).

but I never got them out. I had 5k worth of braces in the 80s and we didn't take the wisdom teeth out. (I believe it had been discussed.) They came in and pushed everything forward and now my teeth are a mess again.

My kids are both in braces now and I'm planning to have theirs out if/when it is recommended. Otherwise the braces are a huge waste of $ and time. I will also make sure they wear a retainer much longer than I did.

I was told the other day that most kids have them out during a summer in HS.

 

[rigs32]

but I never got them out. I had 5k worth of braces in the 80s and we didn't take the wisdom teeth out. (I believe it had been discussed.) They came in and pushed everything forward and now my teeth are a mess again.

Same thing happened to me. Braces for 3 years in high school. Wisdom teeth started coming in at 22 or 23. Got them out, but the damage had already been done. My teeth were shifting. My top two teeth were slightly overlapping for years because no dental insurance covers orthodontics for adults. I rarely smiled with teeth in photos. I *finally* had the money to get it taken care of and I am in my refinement period of invisilign. I could have possibly gotten traditional braces sooner, but I am a trial lawyer and it's hard enough to do a trial with clear invisilign trays on.

 

[Southernmiss]

but I never got them out. I had 5k worth of braces in the 80s and we didn't take the wisdom teeth out. (I believe it had been discussed.) They came in and pushed everything forward and now my teeth are a mess again.

My kids are both in braces now and I'm planning to have theirs out if/when it is recommended. Otherwise the braces are a huge waste of $ and time. I will also make sure they wear a retainer much longer than I did.

I was told the other day that most kids have them out during a summer in HS.

I agree with this. My 4 wisdom teeth are still impacted 30 years later. I occasionally feel them there (kind of like sinus pressure). I could use braces again on the bottom.

As my kids come out of braces I will have their wisdom teeth out if recommended.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

but I never got them out. I had 5k worth of braces in the 80s and we didn't take the wisdom teeth out. (I believe it had been discussed.) They came in and pushed everything forward and now my teeth are a mess again.

My kids are both in braces now and I'm planning to have theirs out if/when it is recommended. Otherwise the braces are a huge waste of $ and time. I will also make sure they wear a retainer much longer than I did.

I was told the other day that most kids have them out during a summer in HS.

Another one here with the same problem. After 4 years of braces, I don't even look like I had anything done. The kicker was we had been telling the dentist all along that my wisdom teeth needed to come out. We knew they were impacted and his stand was "Let's just wait and see if they will be a problem." As both my grandmother & mother had impacted wisdom teeth that were not taken care of until they started causing problems, the odds were mine would too. And they did. They were laying straight sideways under the gum and when they started growing, they grew straight into my teeth and jammed them all together causing pain and crooked teeth!

When DD & DS got braces, their wisdom teeth were pulled. No question.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

Another one here with the same problem. After 4 years of braces, I don't even look like I had anything done.

I think I must be the only person that had the opposite happen....too much room left in my mouth and gaps in front teeth. I could never understand why he had the four extra (non-wisdom) teeth pulled. I heard you can "rubber band" them together to shift them a back little. Sometimes I consider braces again, but geeze, I got them the first time in my 30s!

As to my wisdom teeth, I kept on "cutting" them over & over. They'd come through, then the skin would grow back over them. I could understand why babies get so cranky and drool!!

I had a dentist once look at my xrays and tell me I needed to get my wisdom teeth pulled. I was shocked and told him I already had them removed. His comment "Oops, I'm looking at old X-rays"

 

[nephthys43]

I had mine pulled as soon as they started pushing through. I went though 5 years of braces and I wasn't chancing them messing up my teeth. Not with all the money my parents spent.

 

[MrsPete]

Your daughter's the right age for it. I teach roughly 125 high school seniors every year, and I have perhaps 20 seniors every year who have their wisdom teeth pulled. That's a pretty big percentage.

The most common reason: I just got my braces off, and the x-rays show that my wisdom teeth are impacted (meaning they're coming in sideways and will never errupt through the gums). I want to get them out before they ruin my perfectly aligned teeth.

Other reasons I hear on a regular basis:
My wisdom teeth HURT -- not constantly, but for a couple days every other week or so. This happened to me the summer after I graduated from high school, and it was painful.
My parents don't want my wisdom teeth to start coming in /hurting /causing a crisis while I'm away at college.
I'm about to go off my parents' dental insurance when I turn 18 /graduate, and my dentist recommended I do this now.

Personally, I say if they're impacted, go ahead and yank them out. Do it now while you can choose the time. If you "wait and see", the child's teeth are likely to start growing /hurting at an inconvenient time.

My oldest's orthodontist recommended that her wisdom teeth come out (and he had x-rays to show that they were going to be a problem at some point), so we scheduled her to have them out over a school break. In the meantime, they began to hurt her. Our insurance covered it completely, and she was over it in one day.

I assume we'll do the same with our youngest . . . wow, probably next year.

 

[lsyorke]

Most dental insurance won't cover fillings in wisdom teeth, so it is OOP or have them pulled later.

I'm not sure this is true. DS has his wisdom teeth, no crowding came in perfectly straight. Dental insurance covers these teeth the same as all the other teeth.(this was Delta and now Horizon, no problem at all)

 

[erincon23]

DS17 is getting his two bottom ones out soon. We keep scheduling it and cancelling -- he's in the school shows, taking ACT and AP tests coming up -- I think it will be shortly after school gets out now. One started hurting, the dentist recommended they all come out; now the other bottom one is hurting, so we're going to have both bottoms out. The tops feel fine so far. Only good news is that we changed insurance a month ago, and with the new insurance, the dentist is in network, so it's going to cost us only $120 out of pocket for both, instead of $280 for one.

DS20 was told four or five years ago that he should have them out -- they've never hurt, so we never did it. He says one is coming through, but it doesn't hurt still,so we're leaving it alone. Neither boy ever needed braces.

 

[handinpocket]

Common sense dictates you should be asking an oral surgeon this, not the DIS. Not one person here knows your daughter's oral health or dental condition. I would gander if the dentist referred you to an oral surgeon, that he saw on x-rays that there would be a problem with the wisdom teeth.

 

[LisaR]

Common sense dictates you should be asking an oral surgeon this, not the DIS. Not one person here knows your daughter's oral health or dental condition. I would gander if the dentist referred you to an oral surgeon, that he saw on x-rays that there would be a problem with the wisdom teeth.

Oh give me a break! At no point did I ever suggest that I was going to decide whether to have my daughter's wisdom teeth removed or not based on the advice of the Dis. I have already spoken to the dentist office. I didn't get the answers I needed, but by the time I came up with more questions, they were already closed until Monday. I have stated that I will call them, but IN THE MEANTIME I wanted OPINIONS on why others would have these teeth removed if they aren't impacted or causing any problems. Sorry that was apparently so complicated for you to understand.

 

[Luv'sTink]

You can see on the x-ray that my sons are coming in at an angle that they will impact at some point. I actually seen it without anyone telling me. He needs them out soon.

 

[handinpocket]

Oh give me a break! At no point did I ever suggest that I was going to decide whether to have my daughter's wisdom teeth removed or not based on the advice of the Dis. I have already spoken to the dentist office. I didn't get the answers I needed, but by the time I came up with more questions, they were already closed until Monday. I have stated that I will call them, but IN THE MEANTIME I wanted OPINIONS on why others would have these teeth removed if they aren't impacted or causing any problems. Sorry that was apparently so complicated for you to understand.

Again you should consult with a D-O-C-T-O-R. No one here on the DIS knows what exactly is going on with these teeth. You even admit not talking with the dentist but the hygienist. Most people are not qualified in the slightest to give an opinion....but hey, disregard professionals and go with your gut or DISer's that know next to nothing about dentistry!! Sounds like a plan to me!!

 

[LisaR]

Again you should consult with a D-O-C-T-O-R. No one here on the DIS knows what exactly is going on with these teeth. You even admit not talking with the dentist but the hygienist. Most people are not qualified in the slightest to give an opinion....but hey, disregard professionals and go with your gut or DISer's that know next to nothing about dentistry!! Sounds like a plan to me!!

You're ridiculous! Yes, that is exactly what I said. Sorry reading comprehension seems to be an issue for you tonight. Try and have a good rest. Maybe it will be clearer in the morning.