Dr. Hall,
I am 61 and my dentist feels I should have my #1 upper wisdom tooth removed. He says it is dropping down into space created by an earlier lower wisdom tooth removal. It could be a problem later if interferes with other teeth. What should I do?
– Mark in Florida
Mark,
You need to have that wisdom tooth taken out. Your dentist is right. It’s useless, and it could disrupt your bite and contribute to tooth decay or gum disease in other teeth.
It’s a good idea to take out wisdom teeth in pairs, at least, so I would have taken it out when the lower was removed. What good is the upper wisdom tooth with no lower to chew against? And usually, if the wisdom teeth on one side are trouble, the same is true of the other side of your mouth, so I generally removed them all at the same time, unless one pair was not going to cause any trouble.
– 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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