I went to the dentist because the tissue around one of my wisdom teeth in the top of my mouth became inflamed. Over the years, once every couple of years, it would become a bit sore but always went away. I went to the dentist this time because it did not, and it turned out there was an infection which cleared right up with antibiotics and the inflamation went away. The dentist told me I should probably have it removed or it may flair up again. I have heard nightmears about wisdom tooth extraction and really don't want to go through this unless it is absolutely necessary. My wisdom teeth have never really been a problem before, and my thinking is that if it's not broke, don't fix it until it's necessary to do so. I just had all kinds of dental work done, planing & scaling, crowns, root canal, 5 cavities filled, etc. (I had not been to the dentist in 15 yrs) I really don't feel like I'm up to any more dental misery. Anyone else still have wisdom teeth that act up? Thanks!
2006-07-20 04:50:12 · 9 answers · asked by nice guy 2 in Health ➔ Dental
I'm 43 years old - if they were going to come in I would think they would have done so my now. And there is plenty of room for them to come in - and the rest of my teeth are perfectly straight.
2006-07-20 05:04:31 · update #1
I had a similar experience with my wisdom teeth. They never really bothered me, but I always had trouble reaching them when I brushed my teeth. One of them got all messed up so I had them removed because the one was causing me a LOT of pain. I say if they never really bother you - don't worry about it, but I think eventually you'll want to get them out of your mouth.
As for the procedure - it went beautifully. I didn't have hardly any pain and didn't even have to have any stitches because I waited so long that they had all grown in and the oral surgeon didn't have to cut into my gums to get them out. The only issue I had was that I ate something I shouldn't have eaten after I took my pain meds and it had to come back up.
2006-07-20 05:08:13 · answer #1 · answered by ♥Melissa♥ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had 2 wisdom teeth removed. The teeth were removed because they were pushing the teeth in front of them out of alignment. The procedure was not a big deal. I went to the orthodontist, he gave me gas, I woke up later. It was tender for awhile, but nothing terrible.
Some people make a big deal out of their problems because they think that whining and complaining is the way to get attention in their lives. Others do it to compete or get sympathy - "My problems are worse than your problems". A few actually have complications. But a dentist is trained to look at the situation, and make a rational and informed judgement on what should be done.
If it was me, I'd go to the dentist on my next regular visit, and ask him for more details about the teeth. Are they causing problems with the other teeth? Are they coming in normally where they are? Is there room for them? Will I have problems flossing and brushing them? How will removing them improve the situation? Is the occasional inflammation something to worry about? If I don't have them removed right away, will things get worse? Stay the same? Get better over time? Can I wait a few months, a year, or more, without causing problems?
The best advocate for your health should be you.
2006-07-20 04:59:33 · answer #2 · answered by Ralfcoder 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would recommend that you have the tooth removed, however, if you're going to have one removed, you should also have the one on the other side removed as well, otherwise your teeth could shift. Balance is important when it comes to teeth.
As far as having a problem with the extraction, make sure to ask the oral surgeon if the root has a hook on it, or is wrapped around the bone. If he can clearly see that it has a straight root , that's great, if it doesn't, then he will have to be very careful when removing it so that he does not do any damage to the nerves in your face.
Since the tooth is exposed and not impacted (below the skin and bone), I wouldn't worry about having it extracted (removed). You will not have the swelling, bruising and soreness that goes along with having one removed that is impacted.
Keep up with your dental work, otherwise the experience could be unpleasant and cost you much more in the future.
2006-07-20 06:01:07 · answer #3 · answered by Healthnut 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Be careful with the wait approach. I had similar instances of the tissue getting sore over my wisdom teeth, but slowly, as my wisdom teeth became more and more impacted, they pushed the rest of my teeth forward and caused me severe migraines for the 3 months before I was able to schedule an appointment to get them removed. I don't really need braces, but before my wisdom teeth started coming in, I had naturally perfect teeth. Getting them removed sucks. I had to have mine basically drilled out in 4 peices per tooth. It always will suck. I had a horrible experience coming out from under the anesthesia, I was 16 and screamed and wailed and cried for no apparent reason, even though I wasn't in pain. Everyone reacts differently to anesthesia. There's always risks associated with any type of medical procedure. But I would do it again if I had to. I still would have had my wisdom teeth removed.
2006-07-20 04:57:48 · answer #4 · answered by sovereign_carrie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi,
I'm like you...I HATE dentists. But just yesterday I had one of my wisdom teeth pulled. I didn't even feel it!! The next day(today) its a little tender but nothing tylenol won't fix. I've heard the storys too, also seen it happen to some, but I found a great dentist which makes all the difference. I've never really had a problem with them but apparently they are what is messing up my other teeth so its worth it to save all the other teeth.
2006-07-20 05:02:39 · answer #5 · answered by dmpls25 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would suggest that you take the courage and have it removed. As you said, it gets inflamed once in a while but then it goes away eventually. However, many dentists I have talked with advised me to have it removed as there is no other reason of keeping at, but it can cause a lot of damage in the long run (teeth infection due to difficulty in maintaining it clean and healthy, etc.). It is better to prevent it than wait for cure when it turns out bad.
2006-07-20 04:55:48 · answer #6 · answered by Joy RP 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your wisdom teeth continue to play up then i would recommend that you have them removed as they will only continue to do this and may cause other problems (particularly if there is no room for them to come through). I had to have all four wisdoms out at once under general anaesthetic, this is because they were constantly painful and were impacted in the bone. It is very painful and took me two weeks to recover, but in my case it was worth it, i have had no problems since.
2006-07-20 04:56:20 · answer #7 · answered by Pam E 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my boyfriend just had his wisdom teeth out on monday. he never had any problems with them until may of this year, and he is 29 years old. in may, one of his wisdom teeth finally pushed through to the point that it broke one of his molars...so he had to have all 4 wisdom teeth out, plus have the molar pulled.
looking at what he is going through, i think it is better to have them out BEFORE you have any serious problems. the broken tooth on top of the wisdom teeth extraction has made it intensely worse for him.
2006-07-20 04:56:06 · answer #8 · answered by Jamie C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had all four of mine removed when I was in my early 20s and never regretted. You're a bit overdue and having problems now, I'd get them removed.
2006-07-20 10:54:54 · answer #9 · answered by Lake Lover 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋