Dr. Hall,
I’m 19 years old and am experiencing pain from what I thought were my wisdom teeth. The pain is severe and causes migranes. I went to my dentist and the x-ray showed my bottom wisdom teeth growing in sideways, the lower right one was sitting on a nerve. My dentist said that the pain wasn’t coming from the tooth but from a cavity. He filled it and said the pain should go away, and that I didn’t have to worry about my wisdom teeth at all. I am insecure about it and think, despite what he said, he should have them taken out immediately because of their position. What do you think?
– Lavelle in Kansas
Dear Lavelle,
Many dentists are uncomfortable with taking out wisdom teeth, and their advice is colored by this attitude. I suspect your dentist just doesn’t do wisdom teeth extractions. Most don’t.
I would say absolutely that if you are 19 and your wisdom teeth are sideways, there is no chance of them ever coming in normally, so they will need to come out sooner or later. And it is incredibly simpler to take them out now rather than to wait until they bother you. Any dentist who has taken out a lot of wisdom teeth will tell you that. The risks, complications, and difficulty quickly escalate as you get older. But the timing to take them out would be perfect for you now. They will never be easier to take out.
And I’d say that it’s entirely possible that your pain is coming from your wisdom teeth.
I’d get a recommendation for an oral surgeon and just make an appointment to get your wisdom teeth looked at. And I’d do it soon. It’s possible that you have an infection there.
Dr. Hall
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About David A. Hall
Dr. David A. Hall was one of the first 40 accredited cosmetic dentists in the world. He practiced cosmetic dentistry in Iowa, and in 1990 earned his accreditation with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is now president of Infinity Dental Web, a company in Mesa, Arizona that does advanced internet marketing for dentists.
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