Wisdom Teeth

[Manysymptons]

I am 35 years old.  Went to a new dentist, who seemed shocked that I had three wisdom teeth still in my mouth.  Said I should get these out to avoid future problems.  Is it necessary to take these out NOW?  They are not causing any discomfort.

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

That is a good question. In my experience I have observed more problems caused by retaining third molars than I can remember. Usually it is not known to the patient until much later and by that time the damage is done and the results are difficult to fix. Also if these teeth have to be taken out many years from now you are much older with more medical problems and difficulty in healing. Do it now and avoid the problems.

[mike1105]

in the absence of symptoms, we usually do not extract these teeth. If they are causing no harm, we leave them alone. extracting them, especially if they are impacted, exposes you to unnecessary risk. afer all it is surgery.
some symptoms: pain, infection, decay in an adjacent tooth, decay in the wt, crowding, poor bite, inflamed gum tissue around the wt (pericorinitis), pocketing around the wt, cheek biting........get a second opinion before doing anything.

[Grieco01]

Well I still have my wisdom teeth there all grown in there not really a problem but they can get really sharp & at times hurt.

It's really up to you on how you feel about them.

Anthony-

[Manysymptons]

Thank you, I appreciate the quick responses and info.

[Manysymptons]

Are you a doctor?  I am just wondering since you and Forum DDS had such different opinions.  Thank you.

[BEANERBUTT]

this is actually a question. how long should you wait after getting a wisdom tooth pulled to smoke a ciggarette. I really don't smoke too often maybe 4 or 5 times a day. just want to know how long to wait.

[mike1105]

subtract your age from 90, and that's how many years you should wait.

[siren of the sea]

that is like only flossing the teeth you want to keep! sorry bad dental humor. me-------->goober :)