Would you get your wisdom teeth out in this situation?

[BabyBearsMom]

I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth and they grew in completely, so nothing impacted etc. They don't bother me at all, but per my dentist one of them has a cavity in it that is too far back in my mouth to effectively fill. He has told me to get my wisdom teeth pulled because even if they don't bother me, the decay could spread to my other teeth or I could have problems with them in the future. I am reluctant to do this because they don't bother me and I don't see a point in removing somethng just because it might have a problem in the future. I might get a papercut tomorrow and it might get infected and I might die from that infection, that doesn't mean that I'm going to cut off my finger today to keep from getting a papercut. Plus, I don't want to waste precious sick days on this when the girls could be sick, risk getting dry sockets and be incapacitated for days, and my stomach is not friendly with pain pills so they usually cause me to vomit. DH thinks I am being stubborn and cowardly and that i should just get it over with. Do you have your wisdom teeth? Would you get them pulled in this situation?

[kaharris83]

Still have all of mine and I don't think I'd get them removed in your case either. I, like you, see no point in removing them if they aren't bothering me.

[candaceb]

I only had 2 (on top). They were both fully in and the dentist said we would leave them until one got a cavity. When I finally got a cavity, I had them both taken out. If they are fully erupted, it shouldn't be a big deal to have them out. I had mine done on a Friday and I was fine by Sunday. I wouldn't want to risk the cavity turning into something worse like a root canal, so I would definitely want that tooth out and if you're having one done, you might as well take care of all 4 so you don't have to go through it again.

[Aishe]

I ignored a cavity once (not in a wisdom tooth) and I do not recommend that strategy. However, I don't understand why you have to have all four teeth removed. Why not just the one with the cavity? I think I'd get a second opinion.

[crl]

I would get a second opinion. Mine were extracted because there was no room for them to come in. But I don't see any reason for all of yours to come out. And what if it were someone like me who has a molar way back there, would the dentist suggest pulling my molar because it was too difficult to fill?

Catherine

[SummerBaby]

I would definitely get a second opinion. I had all four of my wisdom teeth come in as well. I had a filling in one, which cracked I did opt to have that tooth pulled because The alternative was going to be a crown- and it didn't make sense to do that. I've had two other fillings placed in wisdom teeth by different dentists and not one has suggested extraction for simple decay.

[arivecchi]

Yes, remove all 4. I still had some of mine and they caused lots of issues. Your dentist is correct.

[lizzywednesday]

I only had 2, which I had removed in college during exam week - I was a Senior with few exams, mostly papers, so it worked out fine.

I'd had a recurrent gum infection causing my issues so out they went.

Also, I wasn't in a lot of pain, but mine were only the lower two, not the uppers.

Where's the cavity?

[pb&j]

I'd find a different dentist for a second opinion.

Sounds pretty shady to me to recommend extraction of 4 teeth for a cavity in one.

[Indianamom2]

Yes, remove all 4. I still had some of mine and they caused lots of issues. Your dentist is correct.

Yep, I'd have them removed. All of mine had fully erupted as well, but I have a very small mouth and largish teeth. I had the same situation, but I HATE LOATHE and DESPISE going to the dentist, so I kept putting it off. I really, really didn't want to have my wisdom teeth pulled because it terrified me. Then, late at night, at the county fair on July 3rd.....I was eating a funnel cake (not at all crunchy/hard) and one of my upper wisdom teeth started to break/crumble. And so on July 4th (thank goodness for that dentist!) I had all four of mine removed while consciously sedated. I remember almost nothing, but I do know I was still "awake". I have no idea why I was so scared and waited so long. It truly was no big deal. Other than the Vicodin making me puke that night, I was A-ok by the next day and able to do pretty much anything (except eat hard stuff).

I so wish I had done it years earlier before the overcrowding caused my previously brace-straightened teeth (on the bottom) to shift again.