Keep or toss: Wisdom tooth

Top left. Top right was yanked when I was 19 or so, and it sucked ass. The student dentist that did it said it was the worst he'd done as my teeth are apparently big long rooty berkeleyers.

The fancy dentist is telling me the same thing, but this tooth is pretty nasty. Like really nasty. Dentist wants to crown it to the tune of around $900 (no, said crown does not have 4 wheels and a motor.)

I'm wondering if that's throwing money away as it may have to be yanked later anyway. Also of note: My dentist does not provide good scrips far as I can tell. That would have to change if I decide "yank it."

IIRC, I had liquid Valium during the procedure when mine were pulled

dayum, I felt brand new after that

I'm one of those freaks of nature that never grew wisdom teeth in the first place (which is why I'm a dumbass). I say yank it!

Had all four of mine cut out when I was 18. The surgery and a few days after sucked, but having them out was such a relief. No more pressure and headaches.

Pull it. They don't actually make you wiser.

I had one go bad when I was 35 and the doc wanted to pull them one a at time over the span of a couple of months. I told him, he had one chance to get all of them because I wasn't coming back. He snatched them all and I spent 3 days in the hospital with a massive infection in my neck. Fun times.

Pull it.

Does it hurt? If not, will it cost more to pull when it does start to hurt? I'm immediately suspicious of a dental group that wants to crown a WT. A traffic jam in the dang jaw is a PITA.

Says the guy who had the top ones pulled, but never had the ones on the bottom.

I still have 4, and I am still a dumbarse

I had mine pulled out in three different visits. My insurance wouldn't cover removal unless there was an issue. Just having a cavity in one was enough to justify pulling. I can't see the logic in spending time and money to put a crown on one.

Only one was a bitch to pull. I though the doc was going to break my jaw when he was prying on that E36 M3. That one also broke and involved some serious digging to remove it all. That's the only one I remember giving me a headache days afterwards.

Yank it. Uppers are usually not impacted- lowers the roots will curve around and grab the jawbone. Find a good oral surgeon with a good supply of chisels and go fo it. I wish both of mine would have gone at the same time. The second one got infected...

I had the left lower one pulled last year. It was impacted and pushing on the neighboring molar and was starting to abscess. The other lower one seems to be minding its own business and not causing problems, so the oral surgeon felt it best to leave it. HTe two upper ones are also not bothering me and are close to the nasal cavity and he was concerned removing them would involve a long, bloody healing.

Unfortunately, I also still have some lower baby teeth (at 42...) and they are starting to deteriorate. Dentist wants to pull them, post the holes and put in implants. About $7000.

poopshovel wrote: Top left. Top right was yanked when I was 19 or so, and it sucked ass. The student dentist that did it said it was the worst he'd done as my teeth are apparently big long rooty berkeleyers. The fancy dentist is telling me the same thing, but this tooth is pretty nasty. Like really nasty. Dentist wants to crown it to the tune of around $900 (no, said crown does not have 4 wheels and a motor.) I'm wondering if that's throwing money away as it may have to be yanked later anyway. Also of note: My dentist does not provide good scrips far as I can tell. That would have to change if I decide "yank it."

that's a pretty inexpensive crown ... says the man with 6 or 7 of them ...

had one wisdom tooth removed 20 + yrs ago, had the other 3 taken out in Dec. .... one was in pretty bad shape ( large pus pocket at the bottom of the root ) ... figured it was cheaper to go ahead and get the rest out then, since the deductible was already paid for the yr .. and the other 2 would have to come out eventually ... my dentist gave me a "scrip" for percocet... didn't need to take any

Had all 4 out in my mid twenties. Two were impacted, all were growing forward and about to drive through the molars I'd just gotten the braces off of... and I only had $$ to do all four in one shot with local anaesthetic. Not sorry I did it, but not a pleasant day. Tim, on the other hand, ignored his dentist's advice to have his removed, and is still happily walking around with them.

Bottom line, there's obviously more than one answer here, and it sounds like you need a different one. I'd ask someone else who's not, well, me. Preferably someone of the dentist persuasion.

Margie

Dentist's theory is "Keep 'em if you can." I'm inclined to agree with him, but I DON'T want to spend a grand, and six mos later it's gotta get yanked anyway.

To whoever asked: Yes, it hurts ocassionally. It looks gnarly. Like "rotten." When I saw the pics, my first thought was "Get that berkeleyin nasty thing outta my mouth."

Marjorie Suddard wrote: Tim, on the other hand, ignored his dentist's advice to have his removed, and is still happily walking around with them.

I had three (that's all i had) pulled in my 20's too. My wife has no issues but her dentist mentions it to her once in a while. She is 50 years old and we wonder when would her dentist tell her to not bother getting them out?

If it's bad then it should go away. You won't miss it other than being pain free after it heals. Don't usually take long to heal either. The mouth is very quick healing.

Had mine pulled in my early 20's in the army. One side at a time. First side a Colonel pulled and everytime I flinched he shot more novacain in. Had it done first thing in the morning, think it was after dark before I got feeling back in my mouth. Second side there was a Captain looking over another Captain's shoulders telling him what to do. The one doing the work kept asking me "you feel that? Just checking" and "oops, didn't feel that did you?" Thought he was just messing with me till I went in to get the stitches out a couple days later. They pulled stitches out where the teeth were, the side of my gums, the inside of my cheek and even one under my lip. Didn't feel them at all when it happened or later. No problems.

Fixed: Dentist's theory is make money now, and make money later.

poopshovel wrote: Yes, it hurts ocassionally. It looks gnarly. Like "rotten." When I saw the pics, my first thought was "Get that berkeleyin nasty thing outta my mouth."

That's my first impression too.

I had two done a few years ago. The first was sideways and cuting its way through my cheek. It popped right out. The second had roots that must have gone almost to my waist. At one point he was laying across my chest to get a better angle while swearing and breaking up the tooth as his assistant held my head back. For about an hour I knew how my grandfathers old plymouth felt.

Yeah. I'm gonna keep it. I'm having flashbacks of drunken bathroom exacto knife surgery to get the chunks out. berkeley that E36 M3.

All four of mine were impacted, so the dentist pulled them all at once. Given the severity they put me under for it. The last thing I remember was "this is going to smell like oran..." then a haze until I woke up on my couch grinning, drooling blood, and pulling gauze out of my mouth with a confused look on my face.

Pay your Dentist a bit extra so you "don't have to be there" during the pull.

I had to stay there for ten teeth getting gum grafts. THAT was awful....

In reply to poopshovel:

brush yo teef! brush yo teef! brush yo gotdam teef!

Had 4 pulled a year or two ago. Uppers were out and crowding my teeth undoing a bit of the orthodontics I had as a teen. Lowers... well one was impacted and completely sideways, the other was barely peaking but leaning on it's neighbor causing my first ever cavity at 27. Local anesthetic and percocets. That was not a pleasant day, guy was yanking on my jaw and eventually had to chisel it to get it out. Drove myself to the pharmacy and then home. Not sure how much it cost, insurance paid. Should have done it sooner, the crown I had to get on my molar was not pleasant and that side of the mouth is sometimes sensitive. And the orthodontics.

had 4 of mine removed my first week of college, I wasn't having major problems yet but my perfect smile (everyone assumed I'd had braces) was starting to get pushed around... it was while I was still on my 'rents insurance (military brat)... spent the extra $400 or so to be put under... I recall them putting a block into my mouth and then putting the mask on and having me start counting down... I think I got 3 numbers... when I woke up I had a big wad of gauze in my mouth that felt just like the block and I wondered when they were going to start... figured it out when it was gauze.

ironicly a few years back my dentist noticed that I had another wisdom tooth... seems my family has some genetic thing with extra teeth lol.

Keep every tooth you can. But if that bastard is nasty, rotted and/or hurting, yank it.

Most of the money in my mouth went to repairing three molars that came in E36 M3ty. Root canals, the works. Two have been pulled and one might be on the way.

Somehow I don't trust dentists saying they can do wonders in my particular face hole. Tons of money on teeth that went bad anyway? Why don't I save everyone time and flush hundos down the toilet.