Wisdom teeth removal necessary?

[BabCNesbitt]

New dentist has advised I have all 4 wisdom teeth removed. Two of them are a bit decayed due to not coming in properly and getting food trapped, so I'm fine getting those out. But one is in good nick, just tilted inwards a little towards my tongue (ie not towards the other teeth) and the last one is absolutely fine. Is it really worth pulling all four "just in case"?

I reckon you should discuss this with your dentist who will be in possession of all the facts.
If the other two are likely to cause problems then surely it's best to get them all done in one go rather than have a repeat procedure (and waiting list etc) next year.

Did you question "new dentist" at all? Most people on MN aren't dentists but a few of us are and usually, the advice would be, speak to your dentist.

It has been a few years since I was in practice, but at that time the guidance was not to remove them unless they were a problem.

This is because extraction carries a risk, and it is not worth that risk unless the tooth is causing a problem.

This website sums up the current NICE guidelines and provides a link to the NICE website in case you want to read in more detail.

teethgeek.com/nice-guidelines-ta1/

Agree with MrsM about discussing with your dentist though! You could also ask for a second opinion?

I had one wisdom tooth which was giving me trouble - had broken the surface and got infected, painful, etc.

The other 2 were giving no trouble at all (4th had come through fine after an extraction in front of it)

On my dentist's recommendation I had all 3 out under GA, having had to arrange parents to come hundreds of miles to look after baby DS.

When I got to the hospital I was given a form to sign which detailed the fact that there could be complications like nerve damage. But... since parents had travelled so far, etc, I just signed and didn't feel it was a good time to think through what I really wanted.

They damaged a nerve under one of the ones which had never given me a moment's trouble in my life. The bottom right side of my jaw felt halfway to numb for several years (like when a local anasthetic is wearing off) and then tingly for several more years.

DS is now 20, and the sensation in that part of my mouth is still 'different' from the rest.

So... if they can't give a better reason than 'just in case' I would strongly advise not taking the risk. If they can explain why the risks of leaving them are worse than the risks of pulling them out, then that's different of course.

Not a dentist.

I don't know the numbers, where I'm from, it is generally recommended for wisdom teeth to be removed. Mostly due to the fact that not only are they difficult to maintain, but can lead to periodontal disease in surrounding teeth.

www.aaoms.org/docs/media/third_molars/executive_summary.pdf

Americans have a hugely different approach to this sort of thing than Brits. They love taking out wisdom teeth in pretty much everyone. Not so in the uk. Have a look at the NICE guidelines, they're not infallible but they are a good place to start.

Thanks for the replies! I agree with discussing with my dentist (actually the oral surgeon I've been referred to) but I live in the US and I suspected that here there's more of a dental culture of whipping them out without it being absolutely necessary, so I wanted to see what people's experiences in the UK have been.

As I said, it's a relatively low risk intervention which is the basis of the ethics behind healthcare in the US. that's how it all works with insurance etc. in the uk, it's too expensive for the NHS for the moderate benefit you may see in having them out prophylactically. I did an assignment on this for my masters, it's why in the us you're far more likely to have scans and tests, the health care provider gts paid for them and they are low risk but of questionable benefit.

OP, how old are you? I had mine out in the US and my dentist's logic was that I would not want to deal with wisdom tooth "trouble" if pregnant--I was in my late 20’s and between DCs. Extracted under sedation and was fine. To be fair, one of my wisdoms used to give me agro every so often, so I was quite glad to have them gone.

I'm in my late 30s with one DD and very little lingering broodiness, so I don't think that's too much of an issue