Wisdom Teeth Removal - Bloomfield,NJ

Hi D.,

I also had all four of mine out when I was sixteen. I don't think any of mine had erupted yet, but I had had braces and one of them had a root close to a nerve, so we were advised to have them all out and go through one recovery. My surgery actually went well, I did not swell, and I was back on normal food within days. I've known people who had them out one at a time and it was much worse for them. Good luck!

I just have a tip for you that will save a lot of pain and healing time. Buy a tube of aloe very gelly from Forever Living Products. Put it on the sockets as soon as possible. It will heal things up incredibly fast. It doesn't taste bad, it's sterile and will prevent infections. Make sure he doesn't drink out of a straw. That's REALLY important.

The aloe gelly will heal up the sockets in record time. Believe me the dentist will be shocked when he sees how fast. I had a molar pulled that took 6 weeks to heal. The next one I had pulled I used the gelly and it healed in a couple of days. Of course the wisdom teeth are large wounds but within a week they can heal if you apply the gelly frequently and definitely at night time.

As a teen, I was told by a dentist that I was one of those rare people who didn't develop wisdom teeth. Well flash forward to my 30s and I discovered that that was only true for one of the four teeth. The other three are impacted and sideways! My bottom teeth have become progressively more crooked because of this. I had a consultation with an oral surgeon who said that since they aren't causing my pain and due to my "advanced age," he didn't recommend removing them because I would experience more pain and have a longer recovery process. I really wish that I could have had all of them removed in my teens or early twenties.

Did not reach the issue yet with my daughter - she is 16 but I have known friends who children have had all 4 out at the same time - even though only 1 had erupted. Since he is going off to college it is probably best to do it before he goes in case any issues arise. Best of Luck!

I had all four of mine removed at one t ime and only one was a problem, but it can become a problem later in life, so might as well have them all taken care of now. It wasn't too bad. i asked to be knocked out for it so I went to sleep and then woke up and it was done. couple days of soreness, nothing too bad. had to eat soft mushy food for a few days too. I had them pulled two days prior to my wedding shower and I was fine for that day!! Just couldn't eat too well!! hope that helps! good luck!

D.-

A word of caution on wisedom teeth from a personal experience...

When I was a freshman in college, my dentist told me that all 4 of my wisedom teeth were impacted. The surgery scared me very much so I decided to wait until my Senior year and have them taken care of prior to my coverage with my folks running out at Graduation. Suddenly of the 4 impacted teeth, only 1 was slightly impacted. I still choose to have all 4 removed but I believe that because I waited, the surgery and recovery were not nearly as bad as it could have been. In fact I was eating regular solid food within about 2 days.

I would suggest not rushing into the surgery and I would recommend going ahead with all 4 teeth.

~C.

Hi D.
I chose to have the one that was bothering me out as a young mom. Why? because only one was bothering, and I couldn't image having my whole mouth sore at once. I have never had any more removed. I have been married nearly 39 years, so I don't see that the problem should have been cared for. In fact, the two wisdom teeth that erupted I am thankful I have because they have moved forward because I had to have other teeth out. One has never erupted. That's the one that made me not have them all done. Oral surgeon said he would go looking for it, but he could not see it on x-ray.
God bless your decisions
K. -- SAHM --- adult children 38,33,and 19yo twins

I had mine pulled while I was in college, 2 at a time (1 side at at time). My family dentist had told me years earlier that all 4 would need to go by the time I was 21, and he was agonizingly right. 2 of the 4 teeth were impacted.

The oral surgeon refused to do the surgery unless I stayed home from school that day, so I actually rescheduled the work -- and was glad I did because it was a gross, gooey feeling as soon as the painkiller wore off.

Hi - I had all four done at once when I was 16. For me, I had had braces and all four wisdom teeth were growing horizontally and the thought of braces again was enough for me to agree for the four at once! It really wasn't that bad. Well - just under 20 years blurs the pain memory... and I remember thinking - it's a good thing he did all 4 at once! Big cheeks, lots of pudding and within a few days - able to eat again, soft things, and quickly enough - back to myself. Make sure he follows the oral surgeons directions though for cleaning after - I tried, but not hard enough and one still got infected - easily remedied, but it wasn't fun. Tell him good luck and find some shakes and puddings he likes!

D.,

Having one's Wisdom Teeth removed can be a brutal surgery, with a lot of bruising, soreness afterward, etc.

However, it is usual that the oral surgeon recommend removing all four of them at the same time, then your son only has to go through this surgery once, and its done and overwith.

Most oral surgeons will administer a general anesthetic, rather than a local, such as novacaine, if you request it. You may have to pay extra for it, if your dental plan doesn't cover general anesthesia for dental work, but whatever the price, it is worth it, as it will make the surgery much easier on your son.

Wisdom teeth are always problematic, and, in most cases, all of them need to be removed, eventually, so it makes sense to have the surgeon remove all of them at once to begin with. They often come in sideways, under other teeth, or emerge in such a way that they crowd the roots of other teeth, which can cause pain, and even cause problems with your son's normal teeth as he gets older.

Also, Wisdom teeth are usually quite brittle, and decay easily. The roots on most of them are huge, and trying to extract them, once they are decayed, usually causes them to break off, which will make it much more difficult to extract them from the jawbone. Removing them before a problem begins is a good way to prevent an abscess in your son's mouth, or the movement of other back teeth which may present a problem for him as he gets older.

Hope this information helps, and once it's done, I wish your son a speedy recovery!

D.

D.,

I was the teen. Yup, all 4 have to come out, even if it's only 1 that is a problem.

I think the best way to explain is that when you don't have the corresponding tooth on the top, the teeth on the bottom start to shift in the wrong direction - up. (I *may be* wrong about this, but that is my understanding).

Cheaper to go in awake than snoozing, but if your son won't do it awake, definitely go with the snoozing route. Better done now than later in college when it will affect his concentration.

Good luck,
M.

I had all 4 removed at age 19. They did it under general anesthesia in the hospital. I was home the very same day. I had 2 that were impacted. No adverse reactions.

My sisters and I all had our wisdom teeth extracted the summer before college and had all four done at the same time. The oral surgeon essentially said that it was safer to go under anesthesia one time and safer to be on pain killers at one time.

The pain is the same for one as it is for four (the brain's way of dealing with pain). I would suggest having them all done at once! They aren't necessary teeth and this way your son only has to go "under" and be on the meds once.

Good luck!

Why don't you consult with your own general dentist? Most of the time the problem that is causing the pain in one area with wisdom teeth will show up in the other wisdom teeth later. If you are going to have the tooth removed with general anethesia or intra-venous sedation, it is better to do this once then multiple times. Many of your questions could easily answered and explained in detail byn the surgeon you took your son to. If the practioner will not spend the time to answer your questions, then ask your general dentist to suggest someone else.

I had all of mine out at the same age, even though none of them were bothering me. I was looking into getting my bite aligned & my teeth straightened, & my oral surgeon pointed out that because my mouth was so small, there literally was no place for them to come in. It was done in the hospital under general anaesthesia, and the pain wasn't bad afterwards. I did come out with two black eyes, though, because the surgeon had to dig deep to get the upper teeth, resulting in bruising. Get it done & over with, I say.

I had all four removed at once at age 21 and I only had one that was a problem at the time too....I am so glad I did all four at once (at the oral surgeons suggestion)! The others very well may become problematic in the future and he is not going to want to go back and go through it all again...Had mine removed under general anestesia in the oral surgeons office....two of them were impacted...not a terrible recovery, just very uncomfortable for two days and sore for a week until the stitches came out. Good luck!

I personally had all my wisdom teeth removed at once when I was in college and had no problems with the surgery. I ate soft foods for a few days and used painkillers. The teeth are usually not useful and may become impacted later, so it makes sense to me to get it over with!

Hi D.,

I was in your son's shoes not too long ago. The summer before I started college I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed. None were impacted, but I wanted to have them out so they didn't cause any of my other teeth to shift when they came in. I had to wear braces/retainers for eight years because my teeth were so screwed up and I wasn't about to have them get crooked again from the wisdom teeth! It was a pretty quick procedure. I was put to sleep (I wasn't sure I could handle being awake and listening to the sounds of them removing my teeth) and all four wisdom teeth were removed in about 45 minutes. I was up and out of the oral surgeon's office about two hours after the surgery was completed. I stayed in bed for the rest of the day to sleep it off, but I was up and on the couch watching movies by the next day. After just two days at home, I was out of the house enjoying myself.

I had no problems with impaction or infection, but I made sure to keep my mouth very very clean. I was a bit swollen and bruised, but nothing too horrible. It's a relatively easy surgery and nothing to be worried about.

Good luck!

It's normal for oral surgeons to recommend removing all of the wisdom teeth. If they have not yet grown in, they often get impacted and that can lead to infection. If they do grow all the way in, because of how far back they are, it is hard to keep them clean so they often get cavities or decay which can spread to other teeth.

hmmmm i was always told one side at a time. cant chew on the back for a while, and for the first few days no smoking, no drinking with a straw. no hot liquids, no carbonated drinks, nothing that will dissolve or pull out the clot or you will have a dry socket and they are painful beyond belief. they are worse than a tooth ache. Personally, one side at a time. just having one out at a time was bad enough. Even the military would not do top and bottom muchless both sides at one time.
good luck

Do them all now. I have 4 wisdom teeth still in there. Years ago when I was a teen the dentist recommended getting them out. I was too chicken (I have a such a fear of the dentist)and didn't do it when it would have been an easier procedure. If the one tooth has to come out anyway, get them all done while the dentist is in there. Good luck.

How about getting a second professional opinion? I know it will probably cost you some money, but you will get a better answer than asking a bunch of lay people here.

Personally, I have difficulty trusting dentists/oral surgeons 100%. I am 40 years old and still have all 4 wisdom teeth. When I was pregnant, I was having some pain around one wisdom tooth and my dentist told me I would have to have my wisdom teeth out after I had my baby; he said all 4 had "watch spots" and the one had a cavity. Well, before I delivered the pain went away, then I got busy with the baby, then we moved across the country. I found a dentist here, went in fully expecting I would have to have my wisdom teeth pulled. He x-rayed, said ALL my teeth looked good, but asked me if I ever got some pain around my lower right wisdom tooth. I said yes. He told me I still had a residual gum flap from when my wisdom teeth came in, and if food gets trapped under the little flap I could get a local infection. He lasered off the flap and I haven't had any problems since. So apparently, the first dentist was lying to me as I am pretty sure cavities don't heal themselves.

I too had all 4 out at once with no problems. General anesthesia in the oral surgeon's office. It was the day before thanksgiving and I remember being able to eat mashed potatoes, stuffing and the filling of the pumpkin pie the next day. was a little sore for about a week.

Take them all out now. I am 30 years old and never had mine removed except for one a few years ago, now they rest are becoming a problem. Thank God I have dental insurance but would be screwed otherwise!
Good luck,
L.

I've had 2 wisdom teeth removed at different times. Each one was removed because it was in very bad condition. It's so easy to not brush far enough back. If you son isn't having pain or decay with the other teeth, and can remember to keep them clean, then only have the one removed. If your son is only just starting college he should be on your insurance for at least another 4 years, right? Check with your insurance company to make sure. So if something comes up in that time he will be covered. Don't rush to do this all at once, and regret it. The one I had pulled most recently took 3 weeks before I could stop worrying about getting food stuck in the hole that was left behind. The dentist wanted to pull a second one on the other side of my mouth the following week. I cancelled that one until I'm ready to do it. I can't imagine not being able to eat solid food for weeks, waiting for 4 holes to close!

Consider getting a second opinion. Some dentists want to remove wisdom teeth just because they "might" cause a problem later, even if there is no decay, and plenty of room in the jaw.

If one needs to go, eventually othes will too. Since he
is heading to college get all four done. Wisdom teeth
really do not serve a purpose.

do it.. and do it soon. I waited until I was 42!!! it was horrible.. i actually ended up having 3 wisdom teeth out and one molar.. wow was I sick.. but it hAd to do with age.. I know a lot of kids that have it at age 16 - 18.. it's bad for a few days.. but much better when your that age.. and do it all... because they say.. a lot of people don't come back to get the other out.. so do them all. they have no use... they only end up pushing you other teeth out... so go for it.. just make sure u get pain killers for the first few days.. and ice cream and jello..

I had 2 sons, plus myself in your situation. We had them all removed. Advantages - no more future problems.

Regarding your son. At some point, he won't be on your insurance anymore and if he has a problem, he may not have insurance to cover it.

That's what happened to one of my sons. He had a minor problem with a wisdom tooth, and was only going to be covered for one more month under our insurance. So we went for it. He ended up having 7 wisdom teeth removed. Yes, 7! and Yes we had to pay for each tooth through insurance, but it was worth it. He doesn't have to worry about any future health costs for that.

Recovery for both boys was fine. I'd say the day they came home, they were out of it and in less than a week, they were back to normal.

For me, it was so long ago, I don't really remember, so it wasn't remarkable either.

Good luck!

I had all four of mine done when I was 18, the day after Thanksgiving. They were impacted but not a problem yet. Get it done and over with all at once - you don't want her to have to do that again. Use plenty of ice. I didn't use the pain killers, they made me feel sick. I had ice on all day with 10 minute breaks and went to sleep with ice packs on to help with the pain. Once you get through the first week you start to feel better.

Good luck.

I had my 2 bottom wisdom teeth out, one at a time, when I was a teenager because they couldn't put me to sleep for the surgery for health reasons and I had concerts in which I couldn't play violin with a swollen face.
Fast forward 8 years where I had a severely impacted upper wisdom tooth that was cracking my back molar, so after much pain I finally was put to sleep and had the last 2 upper wisdom teeth removed. It was awesome - besides the fact that the pain from the impacted tooth was gone, my recovery was quick. I really wish I had had the option of having all 4 out as a teen, just to get it over with.
I have also had many students who have gotten all 4 out their junior year in high school, some just because the teeth did come in okay but the enamel is generally much weaker on those teeth. Do what works for you and your son, your schedule, insurance, recovery- all of that. If taking the problem tooth out now is the best option, take it, although realize he might very well need to have something more done down the road. Good Luck!

I had my wisdom teeth taken out when I was 19. Same scenario as your mentioned. One set was giving me trouble. I opted to have all of them removed at one time.
I am SO glad I did them all at once because it was done and over with. I didnt have to worry about them anymore.
I would say, just go for it and have them all out.

I had all of my wisdom teeth removed when I was a freshman in college. I waited too long on one of them, it impacted and starting pushing the tooth in front of it, causing severe inflammation and pain right before spring break. I waited till I came home on spring break to remove the impacted one plus one other that was becoming problematic (back then sutures were not dissolvable and they had to be taken out at school by another oral surgeon). I wanted one time deal but chose 2 at a time at the oral surgeon's urging. I was told removing all 4 at the same time is only advised if none of them is impacted and only being removed for space reasons. The biggest issue is recovery (pain, infection, etc) and that's the same whether it's one or four. Given my experience, I would suggest all four at same time if they must all come out and none are impacted.

They have to remove them in pairs (upper and lower). I had all mine done at once, when only one was impacted. The good thing is it gave me more room in my mouth, and the crowding that I had straightened out. At the time, I had never had novacaine, and they did it as outpatient surgery. I was out of school three and a half days (my mornings were very slow in my senior year, so I went in after lunch...).

Do them all at once, it's a very painful and uncomfortable experience and you dont want to drag it out. After one is done, he will NOT want to go back to get the rest done!