Our soon to be 14y/o daughter has the issue of wisdom teeth to contend with in the not so distant future. My question is if we should consider letting her keep her wisdom teeth or should we rip all four of them out! That's the standard procedure and that is what was done to me and to most people, although I was 17 and 18 when I had mine yanked out in pairs.
Any other opinions or experiences?
Thanks,
Edward
lifequest
03-01-2008, 03:58 PM
If they're not growing in impacted or if her jaw isn't too narrow for four new teeth, there's probably no reason to have them yanked out. Mine were growing in sideways so I had all four pulled at once at age 16. The best part was the codeine...a great way to escape interacting with the family. I'm sure the pain killer of choice has changed though.
MsTerry
03-01-2008, 04:18 PM
the only reason to pull a tooth is when it is infected at the roots, rotten or causing pain from fractures. any other circumstances you should find a dentist that doesn't need the money.
Our soon to be 14y/o daughter has the issue of wisdom teeth to contend with in the not so distant future. My question is if we should consider letting her keep her wisdom teeth or should we rip all four of them out! That's the standard procedure and that is what was done to me and to most people, although I was 17 and 18 when I had mine yanked out in pairs.
Any other opinions or experiences?
Thanks,
Edward
alanora
03-01-2008, 06:03 PM
One could wait and see if they give her any problems. Seems odd that we would grow teeth we don't need, if there is room for them in her mouth. Now if they are wanting to install braces that might change the tune a bit. I don't remember the wisdom teeth experience, so maybe I still have mine. Not certain. mindy
Our soon to be 14y/o daughter has the issue of wisdom teeth to contend with in the not so distant future. My question is if we should consider letting her keep her wisdom teeth or should we rip all four of them out! That's the standard procedure and that is what was done to me and to most people, although I was 17 and 18 when I had mine yanked out in pairs.
Any other opinions or experiences?
Thanks,
Edward
"Mad" Miles
03-01-2008, 10:18 PM
Why don't you ask her dentist and see what he/she has to say?
"Mad" Miles
:burngrnbounce:
P.S. Pardon my presumption if you've already done so. I had all four of mine out at once when I was twenty-two or so. I was asleep during the nasty deed. Not too much pain afterwards. And I never got the dreaded "dry sockets" that I was warned were possible. Overall a good result. Wasn't cheap for my parents at the time though. I think it ran $500 in 1979. Overall my experience with dentists has been good. But I've never had a cavity, ever. Two oral surgeries as a youth (before the wisdom teeth extraction). I don't know of any reputable dentist who would recommend wisdom tooth removal, unless there was a reason, impaction being the usual one.
tomcat
03-03-2008, 02:08 PM
Our daughter almost died from too much knock out juice when she had her wisdom teeth taken out. My wife also passed out from this experience.
If she does really need to have it done, be there like a mother hen!
Tom
Our soon to be 14y/o daughter has the issue of wisdom teeth to contend with in the not so distant future. My question is if we should consider letting her keep her wisdom teeth or should we rip all four of them out! That's the standard procedure and that is what was done to me and to most people, although I was 17 and 18 when I had mine yanked out in pairs.
Any other opinions or experiences?
Thanks,
Edward
scorpiomoon
03-03-2008, 02:19 PM
The other issue of course being is there room for them to come in without moving her other teeth or creating any trouble there. My case was that my teeth were straightened perfectly w/ no room for the wisdom teeth to come in, so my dear dad had mine taken out the day the braces came off. A one shot deal. I remember being looped walking to grandmothers house after calling her for a ride home.
No pain in my case before during or after, a little buzz and a little discomfort? maybe & that was it.
Braggi
03-03-2008, 02:59 PM
When I was 21 I went to the dentist because I hadn't been to see one in two years. I just walked into an office and asked if they had time. They took me right in, did a cleaning and pictures, filled a couple of mini cavities, and then the dentist asked if I wanted those wisdom teeth pulled.
I had read there was no reason to remove them barring difficulties as mentioned above.
I was wrong. The dentist told me I had never chewed on them (they weren't positioned properly) and that I'd never brushed them (no room that far back for a tooth brush). They would have become a rotten mess at some point and they were pushing my molars out of proper alignment. Very few people have room in their jaw for these teeth.
Anyway, he gave me a few shots in the gums, got out this heavy pry bar thing, had his pretty assistant shove my head against the headrest, and then he pried them out. Strangest sounds I've ever heard.
Yucky bloody taste for a few days, but not too bad. Didn't need any pain meds beyond the original numbing shots.
Fourteen is probably too young, but follow your dentist's advice. If you're concerned the dentist is more interested in making his house payment than in taking care of Lorca, get a second opinion. But don't put it off for a long time if she's ready because it can ruin the enamel on her molars if they are out of alignment even for a few months.
-Jeff
MsTerry
03-03-2008, 03:32 PM
believe it or not, but I still have my wisdom teeth.
Maybe it is because I have a big mouth?
My dentist told me that if they had yanked them, my molars would be out of alignment...................
they also gave her something to hook onto when I needed a bridge.
Teeth don't rot from not being used, only from not being cleaned,
(no room that far back for a tooth brush)???????????????
come on now Jeff, you'd be in the box by now if you can't get anything that far back in your mouth
Hummingbear
03-03-2008, 04:02 PM
At age 61 (tomorrow), I still have my wisdom teeth, and even some wisdom to go with them. They never caused any alignment problems and function well enough. However, they made the space between my teeth too tight for cleaning; even ordinary floss wouldn't fit... and so eventually, a couple of my molars have rotted away.
But you never know. And at 14, most people don't even have wisdom teeth at all, yet. Is this why you are alarmed? I hope it's not a case of "they took mine out, so you can't have any, either."
Hummingbear
jborges3
03-03-2008, 08:14 PM
I wore braces as a teen and I had 4 smaller teeth pulled to make room for my wisdom teeth. When my braces came of my teeth were very straight in the front and the dentist thought there was plenty of room.
Then my wisdom teeth came in, despite all best efforts they crowded and pushed my other teeth, now my lower front teeth are crooked enough that no one would guess I had worn braces as a youth.
Also my wisdom teeth never came in all the way, so I can't use them to chew and they also pushed my other teeth around enough that I don't have a good bite surface and they are all harder to clean because of it.
If I could do it over, I'd leave my braces on a little longer and then have my wisdom teeth out when the braces came off. Braces cost far too much and are far too uncomfortable to have all of their work undone by some un-needed extra molars. :2cents:
Braggi
03-03-2008, 09:27 PM
...(no room that far back for a tooth brush)???????????????
come on now Jeff, you'd be in the box by now if you can't get anything that far back in your mouth
I can fit certain things way back in my mouth, don't you worry about that.
The back of the wisdom teeth were buried in flesh and the uppers and lowers were so out of alignment there was no way they could be used to chew. I couldn't get a tooth brush back that far because I would have had to remove my cheek to do it.
-Jeff
Dynamique
03-03-2008, 11:47 PM
What a lot of folks are saying here is legitimate: the real issue is whether or not there is room for the 3rd molars (wisdom teeth) to come in without making a mess of the others already there. For that, a bite-wing X-ray interpreted by an ethical and competent dentist is the best diagnostic tool. It's pretty obvious if they're going to be a problem. ASK TO SEE THE X-RAY for yourself.
The age thing is not really such an issue other than if they look like they're going to be trouble, it may be best to get it done while she is still a dependent on your insurance if you have any.
If you have not done so already, please take your daughter to a good dentist for an assessment including the appropriate X-rays. (We like Dr. Senn in Sebastopol a lot.) The dentist will refer you to an oral surgeon if they need to be removed.
I had my two wisdom teeth jack-hammered and pried out when I was 22. I had to be knocked out and was sick as a dog for three days from the anesthetic. They were encrypted (encased in the jaw bone) and growing forward rather than upward. The other two were MIA -- just never formed. Thank goodness; having two taken out was bad enough!
Please let us know what you find out.
The other issue of course being is there room for them to come in without moving her other teeth or creating any trouble there.