# Let's talk "Wisdom Teeth", shall we?



## katkoota (Feb 25, 2010)

I was wondering about wisdom teeth. 

Do you guys have all your four wisdom teeth? Did you extract them? why do some people take them off?

Mine is in the annoying process of growing. 

I can feel that it is growing and that I will soon have a brand new teeth.

I don't enjoy visiting the dentist, but I am assuming that I will soon have to, but for now, I am curious about that. I've heard that some people take them off and was wondering why. Is it better to have them or don't have them? At this second, I wish that mine weren't in this phase of growing coz that feeling isn't as pleasant. So at this second, I wish that I can take them off. I don't know if the annoying feeling is only the teeth growing phase and once it is fully grown, I will no longer feel it?

What are your thoughts about this?


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

I had all four extracted when I was 18. They were impacted and never erupted. The reason why was because they were growing straight forward, not up. Also I didn't have room for them.

If yours are coming in, you need to go the dentist to make sure you have room. If you don't, they can push your other teeth out of alignement and be really painful.


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## tcollins (May 1, 2011)

It also depends on your age- the older you are the more painful it will be to pull them. I should've had mine pulled back when I was 18, but I didn't. So they ended up (like the last post) growing forward and pushing my other teeth. As it turned out, when I was 31 I had to not only have the wisdom teeth removed (I only got 3-4th one never came in), but also one of the molars on the bottom right that was pushed so hard, it cracked and infected my gums. I already had one bad tooth on that side, so long story short, I had 2 extra teeth pulled or grinded down to nubs and I now have a 4 tooth bridge on the bottom. It looks great! But it was a painful experience and EXTREMELY expensive! 

I'm not quite sure why some people have them, some don't, some grow in just fine, some don't...but if yours are bugging you and you are young(you didn't state your age) I would PULL THEM NOW! It can cause more discomfort (and cost) later on.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I had the same problem as Pam, as did both of my sons. (the younger one, who is 18 now, hasn't had them removed yet, but they will be soon)

The modern human jaw isn't, in many cases big enough to accommodate 4 more teeth. It's a stupid way for humans to be designed, but it is what it is.


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## Lizzie'sMom (Oct 13, 2010)

I had mine out at 18. My brother just had his out last year in his 40's. Funny you mention this because yesterday my 17 year old DD2 texted me from school saying she is having pain and thinks her wisdom tooth is coming in. The orthodontist just told her that he was not sure she had all 4. Evidently she has at least 1. DD1 does not have any-weird.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I only got 3 wisdom teeth and they pulled one (where it didn't have a match on the same side) in order to not throw the jaw out of alignment. My dentist said that around age 25 the jaw bone sets and it becomes a much more difficult extraction after that. I was 25 when I had mine done and it was just done in the office.


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## juliav (Nov 21, 2006)

I only had three wisdom teeth (not quite wise!) and I didn't want to have them pulled. Well, there was no room for them, so all my teeth shifted and became a bit crooked as a result. I had them pulled as an adult. My youngest daughter has no wisdom teeth, she turned 18 in april, so she will never have any according to her dentist. My oldest had all four pulled at 18 as he had no room for his teeth and I wasn't going to ruin all the hard work that was done when he had braces. 

Consult your dentist.


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

All four of mine were badly impacted. No pain, and they didn't push the others out of the way but I had to have them removed (which they did all at once, under general anesthesia) in my early twenties because the gums were open just enough to let food debris in, but not enough so that I could keep them clean, so they would have rotted away in my head if I had left them in for much longer.

I found the recovery process not nearly as bad as they said it would be, by the way...


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## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

All mine are out! I think I took them out at 18 too. I think one side came out, the other side did not. Dentist couldn't just pull one side out and not the other. Mouth/jaw had to symmetrical. 

If yours are coming out fine, good. If not, get them pull soon. You don't want them to start rooting. It will hurt more!


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Mine came out at 22. My uncle was my dentist growing up and he told me to be sure to get rid of them. My orthodontist echo'd this. I didn't have room for them. They'd already removed some other permanent teeth before I wore braces. I had 2 done at a time. I was newly married and my husband was in the service and they wouldn't do all 4. They were impacted and ran into dry sockets both times. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. My husband and daughter didn't have any. My son had his removed at 17.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I too had mine pulled when I was 19, recovery wasn't too bad... I only had 1 that erupted, the others were impacted.


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## katkoota (Feb 25, 2010)

Thanks for sharing your experience guys. I have no choice but to see the dentist soon (within the coming few days) and if I was adviced to remove, I guess I better do it now, I gotta admit that I am nervous about this whole "nightmare teeth" thing. I really hope it will go smoothly.


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