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Do wisdom teeth really need to come out, or is my dentist trying to hustle me?

dentist hustle teeth wisdom
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Do wisdom teeth really need to come out, or is my dentist trying to hustle me?

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My dentist told me the story of an 90-or-so year old patient of his, who got infected lower wisdom teeth in her 90s and suffered excruciating pain. Problem: because her bones in general were so brittle, oral surgeons she was referred to wouldn’t pull them, because they said they’d end up shattering her jaw in the attempt. Result: living out her final years with a constant, horrible toothache. That’s only one anecdote, although it is apparently first-person from a professional, who doesn’t pull teeth himself (so probably doesn’t have a direct financial interest in the procedure).

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How were you referred to this dentist? This dentist could be a high pressure sales guy. Or he could be a good dentist who worried about the conditions in your mouth after 2 decades without dental care. Get a second opinion. Now my stance on wisdom teeth has always been that I wouldn’t have them out If that’s your stance, then it really doesn’t matter if he’s a competent dentist. A second opinion is a waste of time, if you’ve already decided.

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Had a wisdom tooth out this week in the chair, it took all of 15 minutes and very little pain. I’ve only got the top ones and while they hadn’t been causing me problems, the fact that they were growing unopposed meant a raised last tooth that pushed all the crap into the gap between. I think it’s worth getting a second opinion. Perhaps top ones are very different to the lower ones, but I was shocked at how quick the procedure was. I’m in AU on bog standard private health insurance and it cost me $40 fwiw.

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My lowers became impacted when I was about 18 and I had them out. That was a terrible experience, one I would not want to repeat even though I had had teeth out before. But there was no question that they had to come out. The upper ones have never given me any trouble. I am now 58, and I have been told once or twice by dentists that I ought to have them out. But they don’t bother me. Until or unless they do, they are staying right where they are and good luck to them. YMMV.

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Get a second opinion – I’ve found dentist opinions will vary considerably. That said – if there is some reason the wisdoms are harder to clean, you need to consider that some day you might end up in excruciating pain and not have a dentist handy. Wisdom tooth extraction is pretty straightforward and easy. Get the nitrous if you can.

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