Should my daughter's 4 2nd molar be removed so the 3rd molar can have space to grow?

Question

X-ray showed that my daughter's wisdom teeth will be growing toward her 2nd molar. Dentist's advise is to have the 2nd molars removed so as to have space for the 3rd molar to grow. She said the third molar can take the place of the 2nd molar since they have more or less the same size. My daughter is still 12 years old and she's not ready for tooth extraction yet. Is it the right thing to do?

Answer 1

To all answerers:

We do not know if the second molars are healthy and caries free. They might be bombed out with decay. This was not disclosed in the question

We do not know if there is crowding in the arches and if this is recommended as part of an overall treatment plan that takes orthodontics into consideration.

There are too many unknown variables to really answer this question.

Answer 2

I just went thru 7 hours of oral surgery this past summer. I had to have years of dentist thinking they knew what was right corrected out of my pocket this time. I went out and paid for the best in the business and I think I got that with the three men that were their for me from reshaing pinning and removing bone and teeth and reshaping the low jaw to what it should have been before having it broken a number of times over 45 years. Im telling you this so you can understand why I say, Get a second opion and a third if your still not sure. you only get the real one once. I have pins now and the best set of new teeth money can buy. I have every tooth in my head where it should have been in the first place. They work great, I can eat steak crack nuts, in the shell and do and eat anything I did before. They gave me back all of the teeth that had been removed to aline my teeth as a young boy of 14, and the parsals put in by the military over the years to cover up work, and then the steel to fit it together. The new set has all of the molars and all of the rest of the teeth. I can't remember eating without pain for years. I can use the ones in the back where you have the greatest jaw pressure to chew and the front to cut and the rest to grind the food. I can't talk or pronounce words or sing again yet like I use too, but I will. Save his teeth tell you can't anymore, or the pain is to a point it doesn't go away, then remove them and see some really good doctors and a denturist that knows how the mouth works and is making teeth that work on the bones and not pie in the ski, one sizes fits all. I saw those too when I did my home work. The guys that fit teeth like your jaw is that of a cows and chewing. Email off of this site if you need names in the Seattle area, good luck, johnny

Answer 3

I agree with the dentist's answer above...but with some caution. The only...and I mean only...reason to take out a second molar to make room for a wisdom tooth is if that 2nd molar is heavily compromised (decayed, impacted, cracked or something) and the 3rd molar stands a great chance of coming in straight. Wisdom teeth are typically smaller, have less chewing surface, and have a complex root system (makes it very difficult to do root canal therapy if it would ever be needed) Without seeing the case I can't say this dentist is wrong but it definitley sounds pretty aggressive. Good Luck

Addition: to the dentist below me...if you haven't seen extreme cases then don't answer...I even recently had a case where #19 and #17 were in perfect plane yet #18 was not only impacted but facing almost completely sideways...patient couldn't afford orthodontic uprighting and therefor I did recommend removal of #18 with oral surgery (granted the patient was older than 12)

Answer 4

If your Dentist has advised that your daughter needs her 2nd molars removed,its best to follow there advice.
Children are usually quite calm when having teeth extracted, and only panic when the parent panics.The space will heal quickly and the teeth will move and close the gap.Don't let experiences you have had,affect your daughter.

Answer 5

In all my years of dental practice, I have NEVER heard of sacrificing functional, intact 2nd molars to save vestigial, non-functional (i.e. useless) 3rd molars.

Nevermind that pulling 2nd molars won't make wisdom teeth come in any straighter-- A mandibular wisdom tooth erupting at an angle most likely will simply tip over into the large space left by an extracted 2nd molar, and will require expensive orthodontic treatment to upright and move.

Your daughter by the way is still growing at age 12. Her bone structure is still elongating to make room for all her teeth. How could your "dentist" not know that? To suggest pulling her 2nd molars at this stage is just ludicrous.

I smell a quack..

Answer 6

Not ready for tooth extraction yet because she is 12? I have seen children as young as 4 have teeth extracted. She's not a baby, it's not a big deal!

Is her 2nd molar heavily filled? If not, I would try having the wisdom tooth removed instead. The wisdom teeth is not as good as other teeth, even if they come in just fine. My dentist pulled four of my molars with the hopes my wisdom teeth would come in fine. All four of them did but since I have had two pulled. The other two have been filled and will probably be pulled eventually. They are just poor quality teeth.

Answer 7

If it is as you say, then NO! The wisdom teeth as a general rule are alot poorer quality teeth. Unless your daughter's 2nd molars are already heavily filled, then it is an entirely different situation. Give it time. If she is only 12 years old, she has plenty of time to see how they develop. the wisdom teeth usually come through between the ages of 18-25. Usually the general course of action is to wait and see if they come through at least a little bit on their own, and if they are stuck, remove the wisdom teeth, not the second molars.

Answer 8

Your specific problem I cannot answer. I would suggest getting a second opinion. Then you have to make the decision.

My sons mouth was small, plus at 10 had to have 6 baby teeth pulled to allow his adult molars to come in (they were fully developed and sideways in his gums.) After 6 years of elaborate orthodontia, He has lovely teeth.

I can only say that you should maybe see another dentist or trust the one you are seeing, if he is your long term Dentist.

Good Luck. When she is 21 it will be over and forgotten.

Two suggestions, if she has the extraction (and we all have to do difficult things in life and they start sooner or later) This is probably her start. They usually give a Valium to calm a patient and have her take her I pod or what ever type headset she can put on to listen to her music while they are working.
It helps enormously.

Answer 9

I would suggest that you do nothing until about 16-18 years old. At Dr. Joe's office, we extract all wisdom teeth, simple, surgical, partially bony inpacted, and complete bony impacted.

If they are errupting sideways, into her 2nd molar, as long as the gum tissue is completely closed around the third molars(wisdom teeth), it will be okay to wait awhile. If they start to errupt and there is an opening in the gum tissue, then she could get food, sugars, debris into the opening and start to get decay on the distal (back) of her second molars.

Another thing, is she going to need braces? if so then it is a good idea to get the wisdom teeth removed prior to orthodontic work. And still yet, if she does need braces, they may want to extract the bicuspids, which will improve spacing and the wisdom teeth would then be able to errupt (more than likely).

Lots to think about, I would suggest going to an orthodontis for a free consultation, just to see what their opinion is.

Good luck!

Answer 10

I have never heard of removing the 2nd molars to make way for the wisdom teeth. If the wisdom teeth are causing problems, remove them instead.