I have cavities in my wisdom teeth and my dentist wants to extract them. But I have worse cavities in my molars and he's going to fix them, so why won't he fix my wisdom teeth? Why would you extrace wisdom teeth rather than restore them?
203047
You need your molars, wisdom teeth are questionable.  Many dentists will in fact restore wisdom teeth, I for one had wisdom teeth filled when I was in hygiene school as I did not have time to have them pulled.  The problem with wisdom teeth is that they are so far back in the mouth that it is hard to restore them.  Also when they are this far back it is very hard to keep them clean, hence you have cavities in them.  Many dentists would just rather go ahead and extract them as long as you have all of your other teeth because it is easier then trying to fill them being so far back.  Also they really don't know how deep the decay is until they get into drilling the tooth to see the inside.  If the decay is deep, close to the pulp (nerve) then they would prob. just extract it anyway.  Why go through all of this work, when they could just extract in the first place?  Again as long as you have all of your other adult teeth intact, then your doc has a good reason why he wants to extract.  I  would have had my two wisdom teeth with decay in them extracted in the first place, but I could not miss the time from school.  So I just had them filled as a temporary measure until I could get them out.  Well five years after hygiene school, I finally had them out.  No problems at all.  I don't miss them at all.  It is too hard trying to get floss that far back. You do have the right to have your opinion heard though, if for some reason you want to keep your wisdom teeth, then let your dentist know.  He then will tell you why or why not you should keep or extract them.  Make sure you know all of the pros and cons.  Be an informed consumer.
451
WISDOM TEETH: IS IT WISE TO REMOVE THEM?\n\nCommon misunderstandings surround their name origin, removal reasons and pain sources\n\nWisdom teeth, also known as third molars, are the last teeth to grow in the back of\nthe mouth. Common misunderstandings surround their name origin, removal reasons and\npain sources, according to the Academy of General Dentistry, an organization of\ngeneral dentists dedicated to continuing education. \n\n"The name 'wisdom teeth' is age related - third molars don't erupt until teenage\nyears and beyond, when people theoretically are more wise to the world," says Trey\nPetty, DDS, FAGD, spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry.\n\nCommon reasons for wisdom teeth removal include impaction, pain and crowding of the\nother teeth, which are typical tooth growth characteristics.\n\n"If wisdom teeth are not visible, they are impacted or unable to erupt due to space\nand size limitations," says Dr. Petty. "Impacted teeth don't have enough room to grow,\nand will lay beneath the gums, which may or may not be a problem." \n\nPain and tooth crowding are also top wisdom teeth problems. "Adults have forgotten\nwhat normal pain from a growing tooth feels like," says Dr. Petty. Complications also\ncan arise when wisdom teeth partially erupt. The broken gum acts as a breeding ground\nfor bacteria and germs. \n\n"When wisdom teeth partially erupt, food gets caught in the gums and may cause an\ninfection, swelling, growth of a tumor or cyst and pain," says Dr. Petty. "If this\nhappens, consult a dentist before problems worsen and affect overall oral health."\n\n"If wisdom teeth have erupted, the key to preserving them is maintaining good oral\nhealth by brushing twice a day and going to see a dentist twice a year," says\nDr. Petty.
444211
It really depends.  Some dentists are willing to do more things for purely cosmetic reasons than others are.  Have you thought about having them capped?
507198
Your doctor will know the best because he has seen the tooth.\n\nSometimes putting people on antibiotics if the tooth is causing an infection is done so that it will be easier to get numb.    \n\nHowever some of the answers that were posted were not correct.  \n\nFrom one of the main oral surgery books by Peterson: "The perils of tooth extraction in the presence of swelling is a myth that has been passed from one generation of dentists to another."  He goes on to list the studies and results that show that taking a tooth out at the time it is infected actually had less problems than waiting.  "The patients who had recieved the early treatment recovered more rapidly and required subsequent incision and drainage (of an infection) less frequently than in those patients in whom the treatment was delayed.  In addition, those with later extractions had a greatly increased incidence of extraoral drainage."\n\nHowever, I would trust your doctor and as I said there are times when it is ok to wait, especially if the problem is not that serious and to make it easier to numb you up.
666446
Call your dentist have it checked out,  haveing a post operative complication is part of the extractions risk .  He would much rather see you for a question than for an infection.  \n\nCall soon
191760
Hi, while all root canals are not 100% guaranteed to work, they do work the majority of the time.  I have one myself and have never had a problem.  When I was about your age I did not have dental insurance, and was not yet a hygienist.  I had a tooth pulled that could have been saved from a root canal, and boy have I regretted it ever since.  I have now had an implant placed in the area that I had the tooth pulled with a crown on top of the implant.  Cost about 2500 hundred dollars.  That is with my dental professional discount.  If you can save the tooth with a root canal do it.  Not all dentists are trying to scam you, I don't understand this belief.  Do not listen to the above person that said you will loose that tooth and two others.  That is dental ignorance.  If you feel uncomfortable with your dentists diagnosis get a second opinion.  There are no absolutes in dentistry just like the medical profession.  You can never predict how something will work.  There are too many variables.  Patient compliance is a huge part of dental success or failure.  If you are not going to do the work at home to make your dentition better then you may as well not spend the money.  Dentists like doctors are not miracle workers, they can only do what they think is the best course for you.  My advice being a dental professional and a root canal recipient?  Get a second opinion, then If the second opinion matches with the first, go for it.  It will save you aggravation in the end.  The more teeth you lose, the more bone you lose, which ends up making you look older then you are.  You know the sunken cheek look?
268723
No. extracting your wisdom teeth generally will not affect the fit of your retainer.  I think you'll be good to go in a week or so afterwards.  Lots of teens get their wisdom teeth out after finishing ortho.  \n\ngo for it.
639826
4th molars are exquisitely rare but i have definitely seen them before.  in fact, when i was in dental school i saw a prisoner that actually chewed with his 4th molars.  most of the time they are tucked up behind your eyeball they are so far buried in bone.  having one removed should actually be easier than a third molar simply because it's such a small tooth.\n\nyou are special for sure.
502254
Vee have our vays.  It all comes with knowing how to do it.  In a front tooth, I often do not need to make a surgical approach, but I can't speak for your dentist........
523064
Smarts!  Get it?  Wisdom teeth?  Smarts?  Oh...never mind!\n\nMany people's wisdom teeth don't really "come in", if you have pain--see your dentist.  Did your dentist ever mention whether or not you have room for these teeth?  If you do then that's great....but they will be sore whilst growing in.\n\nGood luck....sorry about my joke earlier.
179194
sorry to hear you're in pain, that's tough!  everyone i've known who's had root canals wished they never did it - they often have complications.  last fall i had my wisdom teeth removed, and had to have a molar next to one of them removed also ( i had the option of root canal or just removing it)  and it's ok now, i don't miss it, pain's gone.  so if it's a few back teeth you wouldn't miss, you may just want to ask them to just remove them...good luck!
249004
I think you should remove them.  Life is easier after you remove them.  \n\nWhile all the scientific studies, and dental lecturing above is true.  It doesn't really help you deicide does it. \n\nWhen I talk to people who come in to my office they often think there hygiene is pretty good.  But, for whatever reason, work, family, and or school, they have not gone to the dentist for a while.  \n\nYou know where I find the most catastrophic decay?, if any.  usually in the back teeth, between the 2nd and 3rd molars, or 1st and 2nd molars.  People can't floss back there.  When you brush your teeth you look in the mirror and see the front teeth and the back teeth are just glanced over. \n\nWhen big cavities do occur between the 2nd molars and the wisdom teeth is almost always the 2nd molars that need all the work.   If they are pulled you are left with these big useless wisdome teeth hangout back there.  So why not remove the wisdom teeth and get rid of those back liablities to tip the hygiene equation in your favor.  If you have less to clean you may make it back there more often.  You know what they say every little bit helps.\n\nAnother benefit is that without those babies back there your jaws become a lot more mobile since the wisdom teeth are not there to rub against the jaw bone. \n\nGood luck in your decision.  It's really not easy to make the decision to get them removed. But the need to get them removed is valid.
261407
I am a dentist.\n\nAn oral surgeon (properly known as an "oral and maxillofacial surgeon") undergoes 4 to 6 years of training beyond dental school.  Those who spend 6 years typically spend 2 of those 6 years earning an "M.D." degree, and thus hold the titles of "D.D.S., M.D." or "D.M.D., M.D."\n\nOf those 4 to 6 years, oral surgeons get a great deal of experience performing surgery both inside and outside of the mouth.  Third molar (i.e. wisdom tooth) extractions are but a small component of an oral surgeon's training.  Additionally, oral surgeons spend a minimum of 4 months learning anesthesia, and thus are permitted to perform sedations.  General dentists can train to perform sedations, however, most do not.\n\nExtraction of third molars does not require an oral surgery residency, but it does require proper training.  As a general dentist, I extract the vast majority of third molars because I have proper training and experience doing them.  I only refer patients to oral surgeons when they specifically request sedation, or if the case is "high risk" for a nerve injury.  I do this for liability reasons, not because I think the oral surgeon is much less likely to cause a nerve injury.  To be honest, I'd rather have the oral surgeon get sued.\n\nIt really depends on the dentist.  Most dentists don't have the proper training extracting third molars, and thus refer patients to oral surgeons.
38660
Sometimes it may be necessary if it is close to the sinuses or nerve that runs along your chin. It is really difficult to answer this question without looking at your xray. Try another dentist. Ask your current dentist for a copy of your xray.
192090
I could possibly be some nerve damage from having your wisdom tooth extracted, it is not unlikely if you had your tooth surgically removed.  I would check with your dentist, but a lot of the time the nerve is just stunned from the surgery and will regenerate to it's normal state.
69452
How long it takes ... the average person spends 45 seconds according to the ADA and the time recommended is three minutes!!! Your wisdom teeth (third molars) are fine as long as.: \n1. They are not decayed \n2. They are not damaging other teeth \n3. Causing pain/disomfort/headaches/tmj problmes \n4. If you are young and they may crowd expensive past orthodontic work.\n5. Cysts are present\n6. Partial impaction in the bone, partial eruption into the mouth, this is a plaque trap and should be removed\n7. Periodontal disease in the area\nIf you do not have any of the above conditons and your dentilst is recommending having them removed. Ask them to explain the reasons, they may have valid concerns. In the end, they are your teeth.
238672
I'm a dentist.\n\nThe real reason is because most people, at one time or another, will have some sort of TMJ complaint.  Every time they get this complaint, they are going to want some sort of treatment for it.\n\nWe dentists are happy to make occlusal guards for patients (at $400+ a pop), and the insurance companies basically don't want to be paying $400+ for the thousands and thousands of patients who'd like to have one or would actually benefit from one.\n\nYou have to remember something very important about insurance companies.  It will help their policies make more sense to you:\n\nInsurance companies are not there for your health.  They don't give a damn whether you live or die.  In fact, if you have many health problems, they probably prefer you die!  Insurance companies are like any other company: there to make money, and make as much of it as possible.  You don't make money by paying out a lot for healthcare.  Even if they cut out all the coverage for unnecessary healthcare, they'd still be paying out too much.  Thus, they also cut out a lot of necessary care!\n\nFor example, most dental insurances cover panoramic x-rays once every three years.  Let us say I take a pan when a patient is 15 years old, and find that their wisdom teeth need another year or so before they are ready to be removed.  Come next year, when the teeth are very likely ready to be extracted, I am not able to take a new pan unless I don't charge for it (which I almost always do).  The 1 year-old pan is no longer an acceptable radiograph for removal of wisdom teeth as various structures could have changed in the patient that would modify the surgery significantly.  And what if I wait another two years for the time when a new pan can be taken?  Well, the roots have elongated and now the tooth is more anchored into the bone, and thus the surgery is more involved and morbidity from the procedure goes up.  Furthermore, in another two years, many things can happen, such as infection, development of cysts, etc. etc.  Insurance doesn't give a damn.\n\nInsurance isn't interested in your health.  They will pay as little as they possibly can without getting themselves in to trouble.\n\nThe sooner you understand that, the more obvious it will become to you why they don't cover TMJ problems.