# I'm 32 without a single wisdom tooth not even impacted, are they yet to erupt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089 "2015-10-29T15:18:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/21 "2015-10-30T15:59:25Z")
I have all four of my wisdom teeth. Though I had had four bicuspids extracted during orthodonture. It’s possible I would have had trouble if that hadn’t happened. But when I was growing up, wisdom teeth were not extracted as often as they are now. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/22 "2015-10-30T17:17:16Z")
This afternoon I’m having one removed that decided to emerge. I’m 39. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/23 "2015-10-31T00:25:14Z")
I think for the OP the bottom line is “ask your dentist” and maybe to ask to look at his/her x-rays. It’s possible that wisdom teeth never developed. It’s possible they’re below the gum line and will never erupt. Or something else. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/24 "2015-10-31T02:22:06Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > This afternoon I’m having one removed that decided to emerge. I’m 39. …and I wouldn’t recommend this. I heard, “Jesus. Roots like potatoes” as he was pulling with all his might. And, “If you were 18 years younger we’d have been done a long time ago.” Pain starting to come through the numbness, and this is gonna get ugly. ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/25 "2015-10-31T02:29:37Z")
I am 69 yo and had only one wisdom pulled this year. They never bothered me until I got older . What has your dentist said about this ? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/26 "2015-10-31T08:04:39Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > This afternoon I’m having one removed that decided to emerge. I’m 39. > [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > …and I wouldn’t recommend this. > > I heard, “Jesus. Roots like potatoes” as he was pulling with all his might. > > And, “If you were 18 years younger we’d have been done a long time ago.” > > Pain starting to come through the numbness, and this is gonna get ugly. On the other hand, mine popped out with no problem. In fact, it was almost scary how easily he got it out. Different folks is different. Sorry to hear you’re having a bad time of it. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/27 "2015-11-01T16:37:38Z")
I’m almost 36 and my most recent X-rays still show no sign of wisdom teeth. I also just recently had my last baby tooth pulled and there’s no tooth to replace it either. So - 5 teeth I’m missing. As far as I know, my two sisters are also lacking wisdom teeth. I don’t know about my parents. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/28 "2015-11-01T22:50:35Z")
I’ve read that 1/3 of people never get any, those lucky bastards. On the other hand, three of my wisdom teeth can in during my twenties, which is about when they’re supposed to. The 4th one, which a dentist said would never come in, began to come in the month before I turned 37. A year and a half later, and it’s still not fully in yet, but it has made progress. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/29 "2015-11-02T10:05:46Z")
My 3 came in as I approached 30. But then, I’m ashamed to say, I’m a dental retard. I didn’t lose my first baby tooth until age 8 and didn’t lose the last until they were pulled when I got braces at age 14. I had some trouble with minor gum infection around my molars in my 40’s, but at 58 they’re fine. However I really should have them out, because they’re hard to keep clean and I don’t like the idea of gum infections 20 yrs from now. Fortunately they’ll come out easily. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/30 "2015-11-02T11:49:01Z")
> [@rsat3acr](#): > > Dentist here, the short answer is it depends. First do you have wisdom teeth? Your dentist should have x-rays that will let you know. About one in four folks are missing one or more wisdom teeth. They are the most common tooth to be congenitally missing. No cite but 29 years of doing this, if they haven’t come in yet they probably won’t unless something changes. If something happens to your second molar or if there is a change in your occlusion it could cause eruption. > > FWIIW you should find out if you have them. I’ve seen plenty of folks in their 30’s and 40’s loose their second molar because the impacted third molar destroyed the back of the second molar under the bone level and the second molar became non restorable. All four of mine are congenitally missing according to X-rays. My fairly senior dentist told me this is extremely rare and I was the only such person he had treated. Since then I’ve heard from many sources including some convincing web references that this is uncommon but hardly rare. I’m curious whether it sounds bizarre to you that a dentist with long experience would say this…? ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/31 "2015-11-02T13:31:21Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > All four of mine are congenitally missing according to X-rays. My fairly senior dentist told me this is extremely rare and I was the only such person he had treated. Since then I’ve heard from many sources including some convincing web references that this is uncommon but hardly rare. I’m curious whether it sounds bizarre to you that a dentist with long experience would say this…? Don’t know why he’d say that. It is certainly not rare. I see people everyday who are missing one or more wisdom teeth. I can’t believe you are the only one he has ever treated assuming he is dealing with a normal teenage/adult population. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/32 "2015-11-02T13:50:35Z")
It could be the area he works in has a statistical blip. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/33 "2015-11-02T15:03:42Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > It could be the area he works in has a statistical blip. It would have to be way more then a blip. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/34 "2015-11-02T15:32:56Z")
My two upper ones _slowly_ came in. Both went bad before completely erupting, which is common. Both removed aged 45+. BtW, I had a dentist show me xrays of those teeth way back when. They were clearly impacted and he urged their removal. Moved, got a new dentist, noticed he didn’t urge their removal. I got around to asking why. He showed me the xrays, not remotely impacted. Oooooh. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/35 "2015-11-02T16:58:47Z")
Yes, some dentists are _very_ keen to pull out wisdom teeth because it’s easy money. As noted back in post 2, I have all four wisdom teeth, they’re all healthy, and I’m glad to have them. I’m fortunate enough to have had dentists that were not keen on removing healthy teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/36 "2015-11-03T02:54:17Z")
FWIW, I know a girl whose father had no wisdom teeth and whose mother had four. The girl had two. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2015, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089/37 "2015-11-03T04:21:50Z")
xrays revealed I only had 3 wisdom teeth. 2 couldn’t come out because there was no room. 1 came out sideways and on top of my back tooth. It got pulled. so far the other two are dormant. I hope they stay that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-32-without-a-single-wisdom-tooth-not-even-impacted-are-they-yet-to-erupt/736089.md?page=1)