Is removal of wisdom teeth really necessary?

[LaxMom]

I have all four of mine, at 38. No problems, no cavities, no real issue with cleaning.

 

I do have some crowding in the front, lower teeth. My dentist tells me this is not crowding, it's "aging". :glare: I don't like him. (Meanwhile, I think he's probably right because my mother and grandmother both have/had the same look, and they had theirs removed as soon as they came in.)

[LizzyBee]

I've had 3 dentists tell me mine need to come out because my mouth is too small. Well, they all grew in the correct position and my teeth are not crowded, so why is my mouth too small? I am 45 and still have them. I won't get them out unless they start causing problems.

[Dawn in OH]

My wisdom teeth began coming in at age 16. They never fully came in because my mouth is small. They have pushed a few teeth out of place, lower front (and I'm very self conscious about it). Around age 30 I started getting severe headaches, it was caused by one of the teeth. After the birth of my second child I got my first cavity, in the offending wisdom tooth. They are hard to care for properly because they are only partly exposed. That tooth was removed.

 

I need to have the other 3 pulled. Two of those 3 have developed cavities. I have no, nor have I ever had, cavities in any of my other teeth.

 

I had asked my dentist 10 years ago to pull all 4 teeth and he wanted to wait and see what happen. Well what happen was I got cavities, headaches, and a cracked tooth.

 

I was just talking to my Dad about these teeth the other day. He has a wonderful dentist who I am going to be seeing about the removal of the 3 remaining teeth.