Wisdom teeth-- AGH!!

L

lrhollid

Cathlete
My one and only wisdom tooth that came in has cracked!!! No pain, just a hole in the side of the tooth, which I'm freaking out about waiting for the pain to kick in. I went to the dentist to see if she could just fill it in, and (of course!) it has to come out. While they're at it, she recommended that the other three come out also. Is that necessary? I had a dentist tell me over 10 years ago that all of my wisdom teeth needed to come out pronto because they were going to cause problems; I guess I'm kinda under the impression that it's standard operating procedure to remove them.

My problem is I don't have dental insurance and don't want to shell out that much money if it isn't absolutely necessary. There's no question that I'll get the bad one pulled ASAP, but the others. . . I'm thinking it can wait until I get decent insurance.

Oh, BTW-- I also was given a quote for other 'necessary' things that needed to be done: $1150 worth! Ha!

L
 
I'm sure that someone knows more about this than I do, but I thought that if you have one wisdom tooth removed that you should also have the other wisdom tooth on the same side also removed. So, if your right bottom tooth is the problem, then the right top tooth would also be removed. But, I don't see why they would need to remove teeth that aren't causing problems. Especially if you don't have dental insurance.

I still have 2 of mine and they are a major pain, but my dentist hasn't recommended removing them yet.

Good luck!

Erica
 
I had all of my wisdom teeth pulled approx. 6 years ago. Two were impacted, one was partially in, and the other all the way in. I was finding it very difficult to brush the ones that came in and ended up with decay in both of them. As a result, I was put under to have them all removed.

If you don't have insurance and you are only having problems with the one with the crack then I would have it removed on its own. I believe they can extract it pretty easily and just numb you up a little.

Most dentists recommend having impacted teeth removed because they can often cause problems with your other teeth. But I have known lots of people who have never had them removed and have never had any issues.
 
I have had dentists for 20 yrs. to tell me that I need to have all four wisdom teeth out. They never hurt me so I would say what the heck! Well now they have crowed my teeth to where I don't even bite down on top and bottom teeth. all of them have come through and causing problems on the tooth in front of each one. They have grown at an angle and pushing on those teeth. I have had a root canal on the tooth in front of one and got to have a root canal on the other tooth. So in a nutshell, if they tell you they need to come out they are telling you that for a good reason.

I would though with it being so expensive to only have the most crucial one done first.


Hope this helps!:)



kim
 
I would truly only get the one removed for now. The last (and BEST) dentist I've gone to is the one who removed my wisdoms. I wanted them finally removed as after years, they had started moving my teeth around... no likey. But, he only removed one first - the one I was most concerned about. He said that as long as they weren't causing real problems, I could have the others done when, and only when, I wanted. My previous dentist told me before they even came in that all 4 HAD to come out immediately - and had even scheduled me for it - but I didn't like the guy so never went through with it. My new dentist x-rayed me and told me I only had 3 to begin with :|. So don't always trust what your dentist says.

From my situation, the best time to remove them is when they have just started to poke through. I had one like that, and it was a breeze to get out and healed very, very quickly. The other two that had been in for a few years were more difficult.

My BF has also had all of his in forever. They cause him no trouble, except that they're a pain to clean, and has no intentions of getting them removed.

My personal opinion is that your dentist just wants the money.

Sara
 
First of all, there is no point in keeping the opposing wisdom tooth on the same side since that tooth would no longer serve any purpose and it will most likely cause problems later on.

Check with the dentist as to why he/she recommends you have the other two extracted now and explain your financial concerns. For example, is this something that can wait while you get other necessary work done?

Recommending extraction can also be due to the position of wisdom teeth. If they are "butting" into the teeth in front of them you could have problems and lose more than just the wisdom teeth. They can cause decay on adjacent teeth and even cysts which destroy the surrounding bone.

Wisdom teeth-more times than not- are just a hygiene nightmare. The cheeks hold food, plaque and bacteria next to them causing cavities and even periodontal problems. So, if you're already having trouble with one you are probably on the path to having trouble with the others.

Sometimes health insurance will help cover the expense of having your wisdom teeth at an oral surgeon out depending on different factors so check with your health insurance company and see if they cover oral surgery, etc. (It never hurts to ask.)

Most dentists anymore do not routinely recommend that people have their wisdom teeth out. However, not many people's wisdom teeth erupt properly or the jawbone does not have enough room to accomodate them so their alignment is poor.

I hope this makes sense and helps bit,
Good Luck

(Registered Dental Hygienist)
 
I had all four of mine removed right before I got braces (when I was 22). One was impacted, but the others hadn't even broken through. My orthodontist said that if they did come through some day, they would wreck all his work, and they would most likely be hard to clean and get decayed (which is why dentists often recommend having them removed).

BUT, if you are not getting braces, and only one is bothering you now, I don't see why you need to get the other three out now. Maybe it costs less and is more time-efficient to take all four at once than to take one now, one later, etc.
 
Yikes! I am very lucky. I am either genetically gifted, or genetically a defect ;-) - I don't have any wisdom teeth.

I hope it all goes well for you.

Valerie
 
Thanks everyone!

I asked when I was in the chair about needing to have them all removed and the reply I got was, "Well, you're not using them anyway". . . I suppose the kicker was the other estimate for over a thousand dollars worth of things to be done--yikes!! I wonder if dentures would be cheaper. . .

My other problem is the timing of this. My DH and I are going to a conference out of state tomorrow and I'm going to be speaking on Friday. All the people I've seen who've had their wisdom teeth out are swollen and in pain-- thus I opted to get it removed next week. Now, I'm wondering if this is a bad idea. . . what if something happens when we're gone? But, because this conference has to do with my getting a job, I can't afford to blow it. . . I debating on getting it over with before we leave tomorrow. For anyone who's had their wisdom teeth pulled, was the recovery bad?

Oh, and I checked with my insurance company and they'll only pay if the problem was caused by an injury. Think they'll buy it if I say I punched myself in the face during KPC}( ?

L
 
My 2 top ones were impacted and they removed them w/out a problem. My 2 rear lower molars had to be pulled on the bottom. When that was done, my wisdoms came through and just replaced the 2 teeth that were pulled. When I get work done it takes the dentist 3 times of shooting me up or else I still feel it. He was pulling a bad tooth and he goes "Can you feel it?" I said "Yes". He goes "Do you want me to stop?" I said "NO". I knew that once he got it out it was over w/. I can take a lot of pain. I had my last child Isaac
w/out meds because I wanted to see what it was like.:)
 
I had an easy recovery when I had my wisdom teeth pulled also. But, some people have a lot of pain, swelling - maybe ask the dentist or oral surgeon what to expect?

Erica
 
I had alll 4 wisdom teeth removed about 3 years ago. They were not impacted, but were starting to decay because food kept getting stuck back there. All went well. I has sugery. All I remember is counting to #2 and then waking up (about half an hour later). I had absolutely no pain, and was eaing food hat night. One cheek was swollen a little. It was back to normal in about 3 days.
My dental insurance paid for half. It was about $1100 total.
Whatever you decide, I hope it goes as smoothly as mine did.
Lorrie
 
I had my wisdom teeth all removed over a year ago. They knocked me out and when I woke up my face was all packed with gauge, not pleasant. Over the next week I had pain etc due to dry sockets which I still don't know why I got because I followed their instructions to a T. The final and worst part though is that I am the 1 in 200,000 or so that has a permanent numb lip due to the nerve they damaged taking out my bottom right tooth. It is livable because I have gotten used to it but if I had to make the choice again I wouldn't do it. My teeth weren't bothering me even though they were impacted. I could've waited and had a numb lip later in life after my teeth were actually causing problems and needed to come out. Oh, and my medical insurance covered it because they were impacted and it was considered a surgery. My total cost before insurance was $1500. Vicky
 
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