Wisdom Teeth?

Question

My wisdom teeth have not surfaced and may be impacted I was told that I needed them removed. The thing is that its not really bothering me except when I grind my teeth in my sleep. Should I get the wisdom teeth extracted anyway?
One more thing what are some ways to stop grinding your teeth?

About grinding my teeth. A few times I bit my togue in my sleep because of this.

Answer 1

I think it is wise to remove it now before it becomes more of a problem. Here are some methods to stop grinding your teeth:
Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep.
Avoid or cut back on foods and drinks that contain caffeine, such as colas, chocolate, and coffee.

Avoid alcohol. Grinding tends to intensify after alcohol consumption.
Do not chew on pencils or pens or anything that is not food. Avoid chewing gum as it allows your jaw muscles to get more used to clenching and makes you more likely to grind your teeth.
Train yourself not to clench or grind your teeth. If you notice that you clench or grind during the day, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This practice trains your jaw muscles to relax.
Relax your jaw muscles at night by holding a warm washcloth against your cheek in front of your earlobe.
I hope this will be helpful to you.

Answer 2

Why remove a wisdom tooth?

http://www.members.aol.com/swf08302/wizdk.jpg shows one reason. This is what can happen by the time you are 40 or 50 if you leave a wisdom tooth in place when it is impacted. The red arrows on the x-ray show the grey area that has decayed due to the wisdom tooth being present under the gum. The tooth shown is the exact same tooth shown in the x-ray, but turned so you can see the cavity. Food and bacteria can get down there and you can't clean it out. Eventually, it makes a cavity in the tooth next to the wisdom tooth and makes it so you have to have BOTH teeth removed.

Many people grind or clench their teeth because they do not meet exactly correctly. If your teeth do not meet correctly, they cause your jaw to shift slightly out of the joint to compensate for the mismatch in your bite. A splint - when properly made - will eliminate the influence of the teeth over the position the bones take in the TMJ. It will allow your jaw to rest in the balanced (and comfortable) position where it belongs. After wearing a splint for a while, your dentist might suggest some adjustments to your bite, slightly altering (grinding) the surfaces so that they no longer have any interferences to closing with your jaw in the proper position.

Talk to yuor dentist about a night guard.

Answer 3

It would benefit you in the long run to get them out while still young. the older you get the more painful it can be. Also the older you are the longer the healing time from surgery. As for the grinding, get a night guard made by your dentist. That should help you out.

Answer 4

I have the same problem. I was told my my dentist that i have to wait until they are fully grown until they pull them. Also if they get too big he said that they may make my teeth not strait anymore. Thats why I'm taking action right a way!!!

Answer 5

They may not hurt you now,but later on they can be pain in the rear end.Sooner or later you have to get them out.Before they get infected or irritated it would be good idea to get them out two at a time.Some people do it all 4 of them at once.That is when they end up having dry sockets.Believe me you don't want to have that.Good luck to you.

Answer 6

Leaving them in can cause "crowding" which over time can make your other teeth shift. The wisom teeth are big, I mean really big.

Answer 7

Dont extract them rather, treat them well. The grinding can be taken care of if you make yourself concious before you go to sleep.