Wisdom teeth

[maize]

Please share your wisdom regarding wisdom teeth--the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Our dentist is recommending dd18 have hers removed. He says he can do it or we can go to an oral surgeon.

It's not urgent, but maybe better to do sooner rather than later? I don't know.

Edited April 26, 2022 by maize

[EKS]

My son's dentist said that the earlier it is done, the easier it is.  I can't remember why though.  

[happi duck]

4 minutes ago, EKS said:

My son's dentist said that the earlier it is done, the easier it is.  I can't remember why though.  

Same 

Long ago I had mine done at my dentist's office.  He was also an oral surgeon.  I was awake.

My kids both had theirs done at an oral surgeon's office and we're under anesthesia.  We had a visit for history and questions prior to the removal and we appreciated being walked through everything and asking questions etc.

Not sure if I have the correct terms but impacted or erupted matters too.

 

[bolt.]

It's common to have this done as teenagers in my circles, probably mostly for insurance reasons. Possibly also because it is easier to miss some of high school than to miss days for recovery out of a college or early career scenario.

[prairiewindmomma]

We try to get them done as soon as the root is fully developed but before the bone structure has really locked them into place in the jaw….usually somewhere between age 14-16. We start tracking them around age 12 when we are watching those last molars come in. We have all four removed even if only a couple are impacted. We usually have kids just coming out of braces when it’s done, but we had one kid who needed to have it done early—hence the early tracking.

[athena1277]

If there’s not plenty of space for wisdom teeth, it’s better to remove them before they start to push against other teeth.  You don’t want to need braces because you didn’t remove wisdom teeth.

[Pawz4me]

Both of our boys had theirs removed when they were in the 16-18 age range. Our regular dentist did it. Both came home, consumed a milkshake, took a nap and were pretty much back to normal (of course they followed the usual post-procedure instructions). I had the same relatively easy experience when mine were removed when I was around that age. DH didn't have his removed as a teenager and started having trouble in his early 30's. Our dentist--the same one who had removed my wisdom teeth as a teenager--did his then and it was much more of an ordeal. I don't know if it was just a normal variation (some people have trouble, some don't) or if it was at least partly due to his age.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Pawz4me

[skimomma]

I think this is a somewhat controversial subject.  My dh and I still have ours and there have been no problems.  So, we opted not to have dc's removed.  Our dentist seemed fine either way.

[itsheresomewhere]

We just had DS’s removed earlier this month.  His were sideways and upside down and slowly starting to head towards killing the roots of other teeth.  They were necessary to remove.  Our oral surgeon did his.  After the first two weeks, he was eating normally.  I didn’t have my top ones removed until I was in my late twenties.  They were an easy pull and no issues.  

Edited April 26, 2022 by itsheresomewhere

[Katy]

I was in my 20’s & had 4 dry sockets, so I always say if your jaw isn’t big enough do it sooner than later. 

[wintermom]

All my dc have had their's removed at about age 16.

I've had my wisdom teeth my whole life, and now I'm getting them removed. They are very far back in the mouth, hard to keep clean, and mine are leaning into my other molars, causing spaces between my teeth that are prime areas for cavities. 

We've gone to a dental surgeon who takes them out super fast. I'm going to him, too. I'd recommend a good dental surgeon over a dentist, as they specialize in these kinds of surgeries, they have the anasthetic equipment, personel and recovery rooms. 

[Amethyst]

40 minutes ago, athena1277 said:

If there’s not plenty of space for wisdom teeth, it’s better to remove them before they start to push against other teeth.  You don’t want to need braces because you didn’t remove wisdom teeth.

This is a myth. Wisdom teeth do not cause front teeth to shift. 

[Martha in GA]

Our orthodontist suggested we have my older son's molars removed after he finished with his braces, but when my younger son finished his orthodontia with the same orthodontist (10 years later), the orthodontist said that the recommendations to have the wisdom teeth removed had changed -- I think he said it didn't cause shifting of teeth or problems with the roots of the other teeth as was once thought.

[Loowit]

I had all four of mine removed at 16 by my dentist.  I got gas and local anesthetic.  It went fine, I recovered quickly.  DH waited and ended up with an impaction and bad infection.  He had to have them removed under sedation.  His recovery took longer but he was in his early 30's at the time.

DD got hers out a year ago, so she was 20.  She went to an oral surgeon and had sedation.  Her dentist doesn't do wisdom teeth.  It was expensive even with insurance.  Her recovery was smooth.

What I don't recommend is getting them out at boot camp like DS did.  We should have had his done when he was around 16 but put it off.  He had to have two removed during boot camp, and got one day of bed rest, then back into training.  They only did a local anesthetic.  He recovered fine from what he told me, but it was not the best experience.

I should ask youngest's dentist about his wisdom teeth next time he has a check up.  So far they haven't said anything, but I think that recovery is easier when they are younger.

[rutheart]

21 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

This is a myth. Wisdom teeth do not cause front teeth to shift. 

I had 3 wisdom teeth erupt in my teens, no problem. All of my teeth were textbook straight.

Right after my first semester of grad school, the 4th one erupted and in the space of 3 weeks (the time it took to see the specialist and get a date for the surgery), one of my front teeth started turning. I now have a gap in my smile between my upper central and lateral incisor. If the wisdom tooth didn't cause it, that is a crazy coincidence.

ETA: The tooth stopped moving after the wisdom teeth extraction.

Edited April 26, 2022 by rutheart

[Twolittleboys]

My 17 year old son just got his taken out last week (all 4). We went to the same oral surgeon I used when I was his age (well the same office anyway). It wasn't pleasant - mostly ds was shocked how brutal the process is - but so far no complications and at least it is done.

My son is just finishing with his braces - his teeth are fairly big and his mouth rather small so they wouldn't have fit (at one point the orthodontist thought we might have to pull regular teeth because of the space issue but luckily not). It was done with local anesthesia.

Edited April 26, 2022 by Twolittleboys

[mind the gap]

DD19 just got hers removed a few weeks ago. She decided to go with an oral surgeon, she did not want to be awake for ANY of it. Our out of pocket was about 1/4 of the entire cost. She had gotten her braces off at Christmas '21 and we really didn't want wisdom teeth to force any shifting after 2 years of ortho..and she was having some pain in both sides of her lower jaw as well. The actual procedure was very fast, maybe 35 minutes from IV placed to when they wheeled her out. 

The oral surgeon sent us home with printed prescriptions for ibuprofen 600, amox antibiotic, and 18 count hydrocodone (!!!). We alternated the ibuprofen and 1000mg tylenol for the first 3 days and totally skipped introducing the hydrocodone (need to find an unused drug drop off for that!!). Used ice packs the first 24 hours and then warm packs after that (Amazon sells these head wrap things that hold the packs on the cheeks). Her pain was average, she was able to sleep through the night without any discomfort but did sleep through the 2nd night completely and woke up sore b/c she had missed a dose. 

Bruising within the first 48 hours, looked like a goatee on either side of her mouth but she healed so quickly. The bruising faded to nothing within 5 days (so jealous!!). No problems with dry sockets, the doctor sent her home with this syringe of something called Sock-it (?) and it's a clove-based ointment to shoot into each socket 4-5 times a day. I think that really helped. 

DD is very happy she got it done, she had been having some pain even before she got her braces off. Personally, I had my wisdom teeth removed before age 22 due solely to the fact that I was soon to be off my parents' dental insurance. DD bounced back faster than I remember healing. 

[BlsdMama]

We've had DD26 and DS23's wisdom teeth out when they were seniors. We have not yet had DD20 & dd18 out and I regret that. Why? They're SO busy! Their schedules are less flexible. Also, our son in law didn't get his out and they need to be removed. Who wants to shift that expense onto young adults? So we are encouraging both DDs and DS to have theirs out. We've always used an oral surgeon. None of our dentists do tooth removal.

 

[Zebra]

I had my wisdom teeth out when I was 22, with an oral surgeon.

2 were impacted, they were growing weirdly and constantly trying to push through, and I was in a lot of pain.   

People told me a lot of horror stories before.    People told me I was too old and would have a bad time.   I have never had a surgery (type thing) in my life  without complications.   

The oral surgeon said he had a terrible time getting out 2 of my teeth.   It sounded pretty barbaric.

HOWEVER,  it was the best easiest thing like that I have ever done.   I honestly didn't realize how much pain I was in until I had them out.   Recovery was easy, and I would do it all over again 100 times.  

I think it all depends on the circumstances of the specific situation.

[mlktwins]

DS16 had all four cut out during Christmas break.  We used an oral surgeon.

[Acadie]

Dd19 was referred by our dentist for an eval with an oral surgeon when she gets home from college. If her wisdom teeth need to be removed I want it to be done when she's home and we can care for her--I think it really helps to have someone who can drive, keep an eye on you, and make you soup and smoothies for a few days. 

She's planning to study abroad in the fall and I'll feel better knowing it's squared away beforehand, if she does need them removed. The same oral surgeon did my gum graft procedure and I trust his clinical judgment. 

[Amethyst]

38 minutes ago, rutheart said:

I had 3 wisdom teeth erupt in my teens, no problem. All of my teeth were textbook straight.

Right after my first semester of grad school, the 4th one erupted and in the space of 3 weeks (the time it took to see the specialist and get a date for the surgery), one of my front teeth started turning. I now have a gap in my smile between my upper central and lateral incisor. If the wisdom tooth didn't cause it, that is a crazy coincidence.

ETA: The tooth stopped moving after the wisdom teeth extraction.

I understand. Our teeth shift naturally over the years. People often notice shifting of the front teeth around age 18. Coincidentally, this also the time when third molars are erupting. But association does not prove causation. 

I understand the confusion. Many of us grew up with this thinking. But we have changed our thinking over the years as we gained more insight. Third molar extractions are no longer routinely recommended for extraction the way they once were. And we know now that third molars can't cause  the front teeth to shift. 

 

[Kassia]

2 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I understand. Our teeth shift naturally over the years. People often notice shifting of the front teeth around age 18. Coincidentally, this also the time when third molars are erupting. But association does not prove causation. 

I understand the confusion. Many of us grew up with this thinking. But we have changed our thinking over the years as we gained more insight. Third molar extractions are no longer routinely recommended for extraction the way they once were. And we know now that third molars can't cause  the front teeth to shift. 

 

Ds1 had his wisdom teeth out as preventative due to his insurance changing (have it done now while it's covered situation).  His other molars shifted after the removal, which caused gaps between the molars and a lot of discomfort and hassle for him because food would get stuck there.  A dentist ended up trying to fill the gap but there is still too much space between those molars and he has trouble with that space and has to constantly floss.  He regrets having his wisdom teeth out because of this.  

He doesn't have a normal bite, though.  He has a crossbite and will eventually need surgery - maybe that is the reason for the shifting?

 

[plansrme]

I only have 2 uppers, and my dentist advised me to have them removed at every single appointment for 20 years. I never had a day that I didn't have something better to do than have elective, painful, expensive dental work done, so I didn't. And then I was 50 and suddenly had a very sharp pain in one of them. I was in the dentist's the next day, and he gave me 3 oral surgeons' names. I got an appointment for the next day with the only 1 who called me back. Drove myself (alone) to the appointment, got local anesthesia only, he wiggled around and I said "that's it?" Drove myself home, stopping at Starbucks on the way. No pain, no drama. Cheap. Procrastination was the answer for me.

[Amethyst]

Just now, Kassia said:

Ds1 had his wisdom teeth out as preventative due to his insurance changing (have it done now while it's covered situation).  His other molars shifted after the removal, which caused gaps between the molars and a lot of discomfort and hassle for him because food would get stuck there.  A dentist ended up trying to fill the gap but there is still too much space between those molars and he has trouble with that space and has to constantly floss.  He regrets having his wisdom teeth out because of this.  

He doesn't have a normal bite, though.  He has a crossbite and will eventually need surgery - maybe that is the reason for the shifting?

 

I understand the insurance thing. Insurance in this country is a tragedy. I don't recommend that my patients have their third molars extracted just because they are a certain age - most people never need their third molars extracted. But if there were legitimate reasons for having them out, then having them extracted before they leave parents' insurance is unfortunately a reality that parents have to grapple with. 

 

OP, I can't comment on your child's situation since I don't have the radiographs or having done an exam. I assume that you trust your dentist, and if he is comfortable with doing the extractions, then yes, many general dentists do wisdom teeth extractions. More often, they are teeth that are not impacted. Twilight anesthesia is probably only an option at the oral surgeon. Post-op instructions to avoid spitting, sucking through straw, and smoking are incredibly important. I hope all goes smoothly!

[MEmama]

DS had his out last summer, before leaving for university. We didn’t want him to have problems when he was overseas and would have to disrupt his studies.

I don’t even think he took a nap when he got home. He just ate whatever he was allowed and didn’t need any pain meds. I think he had to take a few days off work as a lifeguard, but he felt completely fine.

[skimomma]

People can obviously do what they want with their teeth and their dc's teeth, but I have found that the people I live around just assume everyone needs this done and then has it done.  And even our dentist broached the subject with "most insured people have their dc's wisdom teeth out, are you interested?"  He does not do the procedure himself so has no skin in the game.  When I asked if he recommended dc have them out, he said no and in fact he thinks most people do not need them removed.  That fits my personal experience since dh, me, and all four of our parents never had them removed.  He said looking as dc's x-rays, he saw no reason to have them done at this time and that is was quite likely it would never need to be done.  I get that there are horror stories about people who opted not to have them removed but my dentist said that if you are getting regular dental exams and are proactive about any changes or pain you experience, it is not likely that it will be some sort of tragic emergency.  If it has to be done later in life, it may be more painful but there is also a much greater chance that it will never have to be done at all.  

That's not to say that nobody needs to have it done, and perhaps the OP is in that boat.  I am sure there is a good subset of people that clearly would benefit from preventative removal.  But I personally would not consent to such a procedure unless there was compelling evidence that it was indeed necessary.  There is risk of complications at any age.

[wintermom]

2 hours ago, Amethyst said:

This is a myth. Wisdom teeth do not cause front teeth to shift. 

Well I'm a 'myth' then. I've seen the x-rays of my teeth, and I can clearly see my wisdom teeth leaning over and pushing my molars to lean over, too. Sure, the front teeth might not be affected, but there are large spaces between my molars that constantly fill up with food chunks and cavities form easily in these kinds of spaces.

I'm 55 and going to have my wisdom teeth yanked out now. They've been a b*tch to try and keep clean all these years, too. They are so far back in my mouth that's it's really tough to get a tooth brush back there. Freedom at last!

Edited April 26, 2022 by wintermom

[gardenmom5]

Have they erupted or are they still beneath the surface?  Does he have room for them to erupt? Are they upright?  (Two of mine were sideways. )  can you wait until they erupt? 

If they're still below the gums, I would not go to the dentist.   Maxillary surgeon. 

They can still do a local.  They can also do nitrous, or general. (Dudeling's ND is very opposed to nitrous as it can mess up the methylation cycle. )

There are pros and cons either way.

Extraction is an easier recovery 

Earlier reduces their impact on jaw and bite development. 

[rebcoola]

I wouldn't hurry unless there is a problem or they are going in the Navy ( maybe any military) since they will remove them for you much less nicely.  

I had mine until last year.  I really only needed one out but got all 4 out to make cleaning easier.  It was not hard and my recovery was easier than my 18 niece's. Though I was told it would be much worse.

[Zinnia2]

I had mine out when I was 18ish.  Last year, they recommended that ds12 have his out.  They told me that they like to take them out as early as possible to make it easier.  He had his out at 12.5, and it was a super easy process and recovery

We were willing to go along with it because DH had his out at 31, after some problems.  His recovery was pretty rough.  He was in grad school then, and I remember that he got local to save money, so even the procedure was rough for him.  

Edited April 26, 2022 by Zinnia2

[Jann in TX]

DD20 was fine with her wisdom teeth intact until she wasn't!

She literally woke up one day during the holiday break with a swollen jaw -- terrible pain too!  Thankfully we found an oral surgeon who had an opening that week...

-

Going back in time-- the week before my 16th birthday I woke up similar to DD-- left half of face terribly swollen and in major pain.  Mom rushed me to the Dr (she thought I had the mumps) and he sent us to a dentist the same day.  Dentist got us an appointment with an oral surgeon the next week-- yep- quite the 16th birthday present!

Both DD and I had impacted wisdom teeth-- no symptoms until the pain hit!

 

[ShepCarlin]

My oldest had his removed when he was 15. Needed to as there wasn't room for the wisdom teeth. He could have put it off but it would have not only messed up his mouth (he has awesome teeth-this kid is so lucky) but as I explained to him, it's better to have this stuff done while you are on our insurance and before you go out on your own. Well, I'm glad we took care of it. It was quite expensive though...turns out our dental insurance barely covers anything in that regard. It was around $4,000! He did have some random weird tooth that was migrating around towards the front of his teeth in addition to the 4 wisdom teeth but holy cow. $4,000 was more than I was expecting.

The actual procedure was fine. He had a great oral surgeon. He was pretty sore and swollen for a couple of days and then fine. 

[kbutton]

Most of the people in my family don’t have room and have impacted teeth. Our dentist was clear that with such a scenario, local anesthesia was likely to be traumatic because of impaction. One of my kids had extra wisdom teeth, which complicated things quite a bit (major, huge holes and lots of carving them out).

My mom either didn’t get all of hers or was missing other molars. Only one came in (in her 30’s), and it was not impacted—local was not a big deal for her. 

[Brittany1116]

One erupted suddenly around 22. Had it pulled with a conservative oral surgeon. Exactly 3 years later to the day, another caused trouble so I made an appointment to have all 3 removed the next day. I was careful and got dry sockets and it sucked. I don't know yet what will happen with the kids. Husband and our parents never got theirs out.

[mmasc]

Oral surgeon for sure. 

[mmasc]

8 hours ago, bolt. said:

It's common to have this done as teenagers in my circles, probably mostly for insurance reasons. Possibly also because it is easier to miss some of high school than to miss days for recovery out of a college or early career scenario.

So true. I had mine removed during spring break my sophomore year of college. My friends went to Mexico. Fun times 🙄

[gardenmom5]

9 hours ago, Zinnia2 said:

They told me that they like to take them out as early as possible to make it easier.  He had his out at 12.5, and it was a super easy process and recovery

 

I was 12.   My brother was 15 and had his out at the same time. 

 

He had a far easier time than me. 

[klmama]

I had mine out by the dentist at 16.  He had to break up the roots, which were adhered to my jaw bone, and I ended up with nerve damage that affected one side of my lower lip and chin for many years before it finally resolved sometime on my 30s. I don't know that it would have been better to have seen an oral surgeon, but I wish I had.  We didn't even know it was an option. 

[Ellie]

22 hours ago, maize said:

Please share your wisdom regarding wisdom teeth--the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Our dentist is recommending dd18 have hers removed. He says he can do it or we can go to an oral surgeon.

It's not urgent, but maybe better to do sooner rather than later? I don't know.

Both my dds' wisdom teeth appeared right after they finished with braces, so yeah, we had them out. Both dds did just fine.

Mr. Ellie's wisdom teeth were removed when he was all grown up, because they developed major cavities. I think removing them sooner would have been better.

My only wisdom tooth came in sideways--impacted; my dentist recommended waiting until it caused problems (!); I wish I hadn't waited, because he could more easily have removed it. By the time it "caused problems," it damaged a nerve; to this day, almost 40 years later, I still have some numbness on on my lower lip. Also, I had to have oral surgery, and then the socket was dry, requiring major drugs for pain and multiple trips to the oral surgeon. Ugh.