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I am nearly 62 and have all my wisdom teeth. I had a problem when I was 35 with inflamed gums around the back of them and a specialist told me all I needed to do was use a Butler Tuft brush to clean around the back and sides of the teeth. I've done so and never had a problem since.
I move around a lot and my dentist from about twenty years ago told me at my final appointment that wherever I go, I should NEVER let a dentist pull my wisdom teeth unless there was a very good reason to do so. He warned me that future dentists would always be trying to yank them out without good cause to do so.... and he was right! My cousin, who is also a dentist, says pulling wisdom teeth is one of their "revenue generators."
Last week my hygienist spotted a very tiny brown spot on the top of one of them and recommended I have it filled. That's fine with me, but I know the dentist will (again) try to talk me into having it removed. I need a way to firmly, but without malice, state emphatically NO. Any suggestions? I don't want to anger someone who will be holding sharp metal instruments in my mouth.
I am nearly 62 and have all my wisdom teeth. I had a problem when I was 35 with inflamed gums around the back of them and a specialist told me all I needed to do was use a Butler Tuft brush to clean around the back and sides of the teeth. I've done so and never had a problem since.
I move around a lot and my dentist from about twenty years ago told me at my final appointment that wherever I go, I should NEVER let a dentist pull my wisdom teeth unless there was a very good reason to do so. He warned me that future dentists would always be trying to yank them out without good cause to do so.... and he was right! My cousin, who is also a dentist, says pulling wisdom teeth is one of their "revenue generators."
Last week my hygienist spotted a very tiny brown spot on the top of one of them and recommended I have it filled. That's fine with me, but I know the dentist will (again) try to talk me into having it removed. I need a way to firmly, but without malice, state emphatically NO. Any suggestions? I don't want to anger someone who will be holding sharp metal instruments in my mouth.
I have all my wisdom teeth. There was never any reason to pull them. If there is enough room on your jaw so they are not affecting your bite, pushing other teeth out of line so you can't keep them clean, are not decayed or causing pain, leave them alone. No dentist is going to physically pin you to the chair and pull them by force. Just tell them they are not causing you any problems and tell them you don't want them pulled. If they insist, demand to see x-ray proof of the problem they are claiming needs attention. You are always free to seek your dental care somewhere else.
Over the years I have seen many dentists, good and bad, and none have ever tried to convince me to remove wisdom teeth. I have a mouth full of crowns and bridges, but I have nearly all my wisdom teeth.
I am nearly 62 and have all my wisdom teeth. I had a problem when I was 35 with inflamed gums around the back of them and a specialist told me all I needed to do was use a Butler Tuft brush to clean around the back and sides of the teeth. I've done so and never had a problem since.
I move around a lot and my dentist from about twenty years ago told me at my final appointment that wherever I go, I should NEVER let a dentist pull my wisdom teeth unless there was a very good reason to do so. He warned me that future dentists would always be trying to yank them out without good cause to do so.... and he was right! My cousin, who is also a dentist, says pulling wisdom teeth is one of their "revenue generators."
Last week my hygienist spotted a very tiny brown spot on the top of one of them and recommended I have it filled. That's fine with me, but I know the dentist will (again) try to talk me into having it removed. I need a way to firmly, but without malice, state emphatically NO. Any suggestions? I don't want to anger someone who will be holding sharp metal instruments in my mouth.
Dentist here. Don't worry about upsetting the dentist. We hear "no" all the time. It's your mouth - you can do what you want with it. Just politely decline the recommended treatment.
If you feel that your dentist is being unreasonable to your expectations or being too "pushy", then simply leave the practice and find a new dentist. On the other hand, if the dentist feels your expectations are unreasonable, then they will simply tell you that they cannot be your dentist anymore. The doctor-patient relationship is a two-way street.
All my wisdom teeth came in perfectly but I broke one on something and had it yanked at an extraction mill. Finally getting back into regular visits after a 30 year hiatus and it hasn't come up yet. Though at the moment they seem somewhat surprised I have teeth at all right now.
Just say no, that it doesn't bother you. Our dentist always says they are fine as long as they aren't causing trouble.
My mom is 48 and just a few months ago had to have one of hers pulled because it was causing some issues. My brother and dad also have theirs. Mine were impacted and had to be removed, of course lol
OP: You are the paying customer. Why should it bother you to say no. They don't bother you, don't ask for trouble. I never got wisdom teeth so never went thru all the wisdom teeth issues.
Why are they called wisdom teeth, I have a lot of wisdom and not these teeth.
I read somewhere that the reason behind the "wisdom tooth" label was because they tend to erupt at a much later age than your other permanent teeth. Supposedly the older person was wiser than a child by then.
I found out 3 years at the age of 67 that I still have 2 wisdom teeth still up in my jaw that never came down. Think about that. I asked why they never became infected and was told that if they are still in my jaw they cannot become infected. True or not, I will be DEAD at this point in my life before they are removed.
FYI, my husband never got wisdom teeth. Our older daughter (now 38) never got them either.
Maybe you could explain why wisdom teeth are so commonly removed when they aren't causing any grief to the patient?
One of my sons (adult) was talked into it by a dentist,and had 4 removed at once....I still don't know why, and even though he went with it, neither does my son.
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