Question about removing wisdom teeth

[happi duck]

Has anyone ever been told to have their wisdom teeth removed, not had them removed and then been fine?

 

dd is very anxious about having her wisdom teeth removed, most are impacted. She really wants to leave them alone but they do bother her from time to time.

 

She is very, very anxious. :crying:

[Ellie]

If her wisdom teeth are impacted, she needs to have them out ASAP. They will migrate into her other teeth and cause them to be crooked, and they could eventually press on the nerves which are in her neck, so that she'll have lots of pain there. Ask me how I know. :glare:

[I.Dup.]

I have only had 1 of my wisdom teeth removed (recently) because there was a gum flap that kept getting irritated and bothering me. I don't have a reason to remove the other 3 at this point. The removal itself was horrific but I think that's because I was older, was not under anesthesia other than local, and my tooth was literally hooked around my jaw bone. I definitely won't be in a rush to get the others removed.

 

They did cause my teeth to become crooked after getting my braces off, though. :( Not too badly, but it ruined the perfectly straight appearance I had after braces.

[Joker]

Dh did not have his removed when told and two became infected. He was in a lot of pain and was told he was 24 hours away from being admitted to the hospital because the infection was so bad. They pulled them out immediately and it was extremely painful. If he had done them when told, he would have spared himself all the pain.

 

I had mine out at 15 because they were going to cause nerve damage. I was out completely, didn't feel a thing, and healed well.

[MercyA]

I *really* dislike going to the dentist, but I'm glad I had my wisdom teeth out. If they're bothering your daughter, she's going to be much more comfortable without them.

 

Just have her put under; it'll be done quickly and she won't know a thing about it! Seriously, if she's extremely nervous, sedation dentistry is the way to go! [Edited to add: I mean actual IV sedation. The little pills did nothing for me.]

[milovany]

Agreeing with Mercy -- just have her get sedated out and she won't feel any pain or remember what happened. I just did this about two months ago.

[Sandsam]

I kept my non-impacted wisdom teeth into my 40s. They didn't bother me, and I was too chicken to have them removed. As a result, they caused my lower teeth to shift forward and I no longer had the straight teeth I had after braces. Eventually, my jaw wouldn't close correctly. I had them removed in my 40s and then had 2 years of braces to correct the shifting. With hindsight, I most definitely would have had them pulled.

 

I would take your dd to an oral surgeon, and have her put under for the extractions. I felt nothing; I wasn't there. :)

[MommaOfalotta]

:lurk5: Stalking this thread.

 

They have been trying to take mine for years. Nothing is wrong with them they just see it as a precaution I guess. Ive had 12 teeth pulled due to an overcrowded mouth and Im scarred for life. Horrible experiences.

 

I told them they aren't gonna take me alive :tongue_smilie:

[Mommy22alyns]

Mine all grew in just fine and I had/have no problems with them. My dentist wants to remove them now just because as you get older, the teeth get weaker and more prone to breakage & decay. I've had two out so far. Spring for sedation, it'll be okay.

[TravelingChris]

If they don't fit or won't fit, get them removed. Now I think they often take them out before they cause a problem. I think that is a good idea. Most people don't have the jaw space for them. My middle kid just had all of hers out this December when she was 19. It wasn't bad for her at all= she was sedated and then had pain medications that she took for a few days. She did it after her college classes got out.

 

Now when I was in college, I was 19 but almost 20 and traveling back to campus on New Year's Day and places weren't open and I gradually couldn't open my mouth, I had a very miserable few days until I could get the needed surgery. I only had the one tooth out then. I had the rest out in when I was 24 or 25.

[gardenmom5]

if the teeth are impacted, they NEED to come out. that means they are not going to come in "fine", and can potentially cause alot of damage to the rest of her teeth, and possibly even the jaw.

 

2dd was the only one allowed to have hers come in (she has a big mouth) - then before she went to south america for a year and a half, she was told to have them removed because even if they come in fine, there is potential for problems. the rest of my kids (mine were impacted - I was 14) had their wisdom teeth out before they came in. 2dd had normal extractions because they were in. the rest of us had oral surgery and slept through it all.

[SKL]

I am 46 and mine never erupted. Around age 22 I had x-rays and was told that they were in there, all crooked and would need to come out or I'd be sorry. I figured I'd wait and see. Once in a while they bothered me, but for the most part, my life is perfectly normal and happy with my un-erupted wisdoms. (That explains a lot, I'm sure.)

[Venia]

There are different types of impaction. Ex. angled towards the front of the mouth, angled back towards the jaw, too short to erupt, fully sideways, etc. I would first find out which type she has then make a judgement from there. Some dentists call any of those, no matter what the severity "impaction" and recommend extraction.

 

In my case, all of mine were slightly angled towards the front and the bottom teeth were too short to fully erupt. I happen to have plenty of space between my teeth, so I chose to leave mine in to help tighten the gaps where I would otherwise use braces. It worked. My top teeth are erupted and fine. The bottom partially erupted only when I had kids. I ended up just having those two removed recently because the partial eruption was leading to infections.

[Joshin]

I had mine out at 34. I only had bottom wisdom teeth, my bottom ones never formed at all. I was told to get them out at 18 but I was broke and uninsured. Fast forward 16 years and my jaw swelled up and I was in horrible pain -- much worse than child birth! It was an ordeal getting them out. The roots had worked into my jaw bone on one side and caused an infection. I was on a strong course of antibiotics so it didn't become a bone infection and had to have checks up with my MD for bloodwork for several months after. They had to drill into my jaw bone to get the tooth out. They were removed at a dental hospital because my dentist didn't feel comfortable doing it at his office. It took me weeks to recover, instead of the 24 hours it took DH to get his normal wisdom teeth out. It served me right, though. I was informed none of this would have happened if I had gotten them out when I was a teenager. Live and learn, I guess!

[SBMama]

I had mine out when I was 30, because they were starting to decay. I have a small mouth, and even the hygienist had trouble getting back there to clean them. I wish I had had them taken out when I was a young and still living with my parents. It is much harder to deal with when you have small kids to take care of.

[magic]

My two eldest sons had theirs out last summer at ages 14 and 15. Our second son needed them removed because they were starting to become impacted and our eldest was mainly precautionary once he had his braces removed. Both our dentist and orthodontist thought it would be smart to get them out before he had another growth spurt. We asked around to find the best. We went with an oral surgeon located 100 miles from our house. I am so glad we went with him. Both boys were put under and were closely monitored the entire time. DS1 was in surgery for about an hour and had no adverse reactions to the anesthesia. DS2 was in for 75 minutes due to the impacting and the anesthesia made him loopy for a couple of days. Both boys had stitches and were put on antibiotics, pain killers, and a third medication for swelling. They both recovered nicely and have had no issues since. No part of the procedure was covered under insurance but it was worth it to us to have the best work on our boys. We are still paying on the surgeries but are relieved to know that they will not have to deal with their wisdom teeth as adults.

[LucyStoner]

My husband was told to, delayed until he was 32 and while he ran into no serious issues, his previously perfectly straight (never seen an ortho) teeth are no longer perfectly straight from the pressure the lower wisdom teeth placed on them.

 

I delayed till I was 30. They were full bony extractions and afterwards my headaches and general jar pain lessened considerably. Another downside of me waiting is that had I done them as a teen, it would have been 100% covered by my insurance. When I did them, after my insurance paid I still paid nearly $800 out of pocket. With 2 kids and a mortgage, bills like that are never fun. I also likely will be wearing the dental braces I have now for longer than I would have had I not waited for those extractions. They messed up my already messed up teeth.

 

Get anesthesia. Do them now.

[MissKNG]

Has anyone ever been told to have their wisdom teeth removed, not had them removed and then been fine?

 

dd is very anxious about having her wisdom teeth removed, most are impacted. She really wants to leave them alone but they do bother her from time to time.

 

She is very, very anxious. :crying:

 

 

I had all four impacted wisdom teeth removed at once when I was 25ish. I was also very, very anxious too. I was knocked out for the procedure and I paid out of pocket for it. It was the best money I EVER spent in my life. Recovery wasn't terrible except when they had to change the gauze and I had slight dry socket.

 

Hands down, get knocked out.

[Corbster98]

If she is very nervous, I can't recommend IV sedation enough. I have been terrified of having teeth pulled for a long time.Years ago, I had one wisdom tooth removed with local anesthetic in my mid 20's and it was a horrific experience. A few months ago, I was told that I needed my 3 remaining wisdom teeth extracted and I was extremely anxious... couldn't eat, sleep, etc...

 

After reading many reviews, I decided to muster up the courage to find an oral surgeon that specialized in IV sedation. I am soooo glad I did. I have no memory of the procedure whatsoever. I wish I had removed the final 3 wisdom teeth sooner as healing when you are in your late 30's takes so much longer :(

[mommaduck]

My husband has sideways impacted wisdom. He has to be extra diligent in keeping them clean. That is all. He's forty and has all of his teeth, including wisdom. His teeth are not crooked (other then the upended wisdom teeth).

 

I had mine pulled one by one after they have gone bad following pregnancy. I was sedated with only one of those. The rest were with normal numbing. No more wisdom teeth and I just had a molar pulled and need another molar pulled...both bottom, which means the top ones will soon follow for lack of bottom ones. But I've had eleven pregnancies and three of those with hyperemesis (takes a toll on the teeth).

[Ewe Mama]

I had all four impacted wisdom teeth removed when I was 16. Easy peasy.

 

I attempted to watch Gone With The Wind for the first time as I recuperated from the surgery and the effects of the sedation. I don't recommend trying that one. I ended up having very bizarre dreams about some plantation that was on fire and this goofy guy named Rhett being chased around by an oral surgeon who was waving large pliers around in the air, screaming, "Come back! I'm not done yet!"

 

I never have been able to watch that movie.

 

[happi duck]

Thank you for replying...these are all very helpful.

[Maela]

I agree they need to be removed. I was in pretty much the exact same situation last year (I've always had my teeth come in late). I was super nervous, as I have never been put under. That's what I was afraid of most. I asked them if I could be awake and they said they didn't recommend it with the way mine were (they were going to be tough to get out). I put it off for a couple of years and then started to develop gingivitis. So out they came. The day of the surgery was actually very pleasant. I had really good dreams during the surgery and woke up feeling so happy. LOL And then with the pain medication and *having* to take it easy for a couple of days, I was in heaven! ;)

 

I was in pretty bad pain though for the next couple of weeks. I didn't want to continue Vicodin forever, so I stopped it and boy did it hurt. But everything's fine now, and no more gingivitis. Totally worth it.

[G5052]

Yes, get it done. Particularly if you can afford it and the schedule works for you. Impacted teeth won't get better, and it will be easier than if you wait.

[J-rap]

It depends on the reasons, but they have the potential to cause a lot of problems if left in. If they're just telling her to remove them simply because she has them, she might not need to. Some people do have the room for them and that's fine. But I'd guess they have a reason for telling her that: impacted, crowding her other teeth, growing in at an angle, etc. Being sedated can increase the price quite a bit. We don't have dental insurance, and our daughter was able to have all four of hers pulled recently with no sedation and at our regular dental clinic. It cut the price in half. However, hers were easy to remove and she has a high pain tolerance. Another daughter was just told she should have hers out, but one of them is growing in crooked with the roots wrapped around a bone, or something like that. The dentist is encouraging her to be sedated so we'll probably do that.

[Night Elf]

My oral surgery wasn't wisdom teeth but I had very bad anxiety about the procedure. My oral surgeon offered an anxiety medicine to be taken before getting to the office.

 

later in the year, my ds16 had all 4 wisdom teeth removed because he's in braces and they were going to do damage as he got older. The procedure was very easy for him because of his age. The teeth had not yet grown roots and they just popped out. I did have him under IV sedation though. It was worth the extra cost. The recovery wasn't fun but it wasn't as bad as some people experienced. He only took 2 pain pills and was fine with ibuprofen after that. He did have to use a syringe to flush out the bottom holes a few times a day for about 10 days. It wasn't bad though.

[PrincessMommy]

I've gone through this with 5 of the kids (and myself of course). Have her sedated and she should be fine. I only had one child who had trouble recovering and that was because she was having a bad reaction to the pain meds. Once we changed that up she was fine.

 

I went out on a date the same day I had my wisdom teeth out and a couple of my kids recovered just about that quickly too. So you never know.

[justamouse]

Yes, I would have had mine out when I had braces in HS, and finally got them out in my late 30s after suffering years of headaches--and all of my bracework being $ thrown out the window.

 

My Dentist was 72 years old, and he told me that I was n his top ten of worst wisdom teeth to take out.

 

It wasn't bad. You really don't feel a thing, and I was awake. Recovery wasn't bad, either.

[happi duck]

Thanks for sharing your experiences...really helps a lot!

[lamolina]

My husband got his out in college and rode his bike home afterward. I had mine out in college also and had a much worse recovery but that was probably because mine had not erupted at all.

 

Any ideas on why wisdom teeth no longer fit in people's mouths? Surely they did at one time?

[happi duck]

My husband got his out in college and rode his bike home afterward. I had mine out in college also and had a much worse recovery but that was probably because mine had not erupted at all.

 

Any ideas on why wisdom teeth no longer fit in people's mouths? Surely they did at one time?

 

I have wondered the same thing!