# Do you still have your wisdom teeth? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916 "2013-11-27T14:57:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/61 "2013-11-28T18:25:17Z")
I did not have any extracted prophylactically, despite that suggestion from my dentist. “They will cause you problems later.” “If they cause problems, then I will have them out; until then, leave them alone.” I had fillings in two of them. Many years later, one at a time, the fillings fell out and the teeth broke, so I had those removed. I still have the other two. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/62 "2013-11-28T18:53:29Z")
> [@Not\_Carlson](#): > > You’re missing an option from your poll: > > _Never had 'em removed and never been told I need to._ This. ---
**Author:** ![smokey78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@smokey78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smokey78)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/63 "2013-11-29T00:08:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by drewtwo99 > Had all 4 of mine removed via oral surgery. All four of them were impacted, growing completely horizontally directly into my other teeth. Keeping them was absolutely not an option. > > Same here. They were aimed at my other molars and ready to knock everything out of place - and I’d just spent three years in braces. > > Had it done under general anaesthesia. Not sure why, but I’m glad. I’ve heard stories from folks who were awake for it all, and I’d have needed a LOT of anti-anxiety drugs to keep my ass in that chair. All mine were removed when I was 24. The xrays showed they were angling underneath by back molars so they got removed before they erupted. My recovery was ok except that I ate some meatballs (when the oral surgeon said not to eat crumbly stuff) and had to remove meatbits with tweezers from the gum gaps. ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/64 "2013-11-29T01:38:19Z")
All of mine have been removed in three different operations. Upper and lower ones on the right side were growing horizontally beneath the gum, into the roots of their neighboring molars. Had them removed in two separate operations, when pain set in. Got dry socket after the second operation. Lower left grew in normally; upper left grew extra long (“extruded”?), which impacted the lower left when I ate, causing it to start to angle toward my cheek, and infection set in. Had them both removed in one go. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/65 "2013-11-29T01:40:30Z")
> [@Not\_Carlson](#): > > You’re missing an option from your poll: > > _Never had 'em removed and never been told I need to._ Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/66 "2013-11-29T02:02:18Z")
Mine erupted enough on one side to be pushed out on the top and easily extracted n the bottom. Other side have never moved so they remain. It was pushed when I was in high school but we ignored the pushing after my older sibling had a terrible experience w/ prophylactic removal of all 4. The top removed one came out in a single easy piece and I still have it somewhere; I literally still have my wisdom teeth in both ways. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/67 "2013-11-29T03:21:00Z")
I had all four removed at age 18. The bottom two were severely impacted. One of the top ones was coming in fine. The other was going to push out my 2nd molar as it came it. I was fortunate enough to be a patient at the Indiana University School of Dentistry at the time, so my dad paid something like $250 for them to be removed under general anesthesia. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/68 "2013-11-29T13:19:25Z")
“Combination…” Had to have just one extracted\* when it became a sudden problem, by erupting sideways. \*By a dentist in a small village in rural Mexico. She did a great job…had to break it in two to get it out. ---
**Author:** ![Katriona](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/katriona/32/113_2.png) [@Katriona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katriona)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/69 "2013-11-29T15:24:23Z")
I picked Had a Problem So They Needed to be Extracted, but that only applies to the bottom ones. My top ones never grew in. My surgery was similar to this, though with less dramatic results: [Hyperbole and a Half: The Party](http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/09/party.html) ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/70 "2013-11-29T15:45:58Z")
I have all of my wisdom teeth, three of them came in properly and the other one has barely broken the surface but it’s through far enough to not cause me any problems. I treat the dentist the same as the doctor, I go when I need to - so I picked the “don’t go to the dentist” option as I will not go unless something hurts or breaks. ---
**Author:** ![Archeonomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Archeonomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archeonomist)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916/71 "2013-11-29T15:57:50Z")
When I was in the military at age 19, I was told that the wisdom teeth would have to go sooner or later. I didn’t have them extracted until I was 40. By then, they all had fillings and they were prone to new cavities, since it was quite difficult to clean them properly. All four extractions were very quick and uncomplicated. Actually, for all four, what caused the most tenderness and discomfort in the days after were where the novocaine needles had been set. I’m now 44. Haven’t missed them at all. The other teeth have moved a bit further back, though - so I now have a noticeably larger gap between my two front teeth. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-have-your-wisdom-teeth/674916.md?page=3)