Why you need your wisdom teeth.
realfarmacy.com/wisdom-teet...
Make of this what you will, I Don't pretend to understand it - but then, I do have a head cold at the moment and am not thinking clearly!
It's a bit late for my wisdom teeth, anyway. They were rotten when they came through - or so I'm told, I didn't check...
Interesting. My top wisdom teeth remain - the dentist concerned took the ones in front out so the wisdom teeth could have space ! Later I had an impacted lower wisdom tooth which I had removed by my Dentist at the Dental Hospital as an emergency - quick x-ray - can you stay overnight ? - not possible 2 young children with neighbour at the mo'- ok so we'll go ahead. Tooth removed - horrendous pain - the roots went down so far and then curved inwards and so the nerves were permanently damaged. My face is still numb to this day - almost 40 years later. No notes - and back at the Practice they refused any responsibility. When I asked if I could have the tooth - he replied that it would be interesting for his students. So no evidence for me.
I once saw a diagram similar to the one above in a book - by Shirley McClaine - cannot remember the title !
I guess it's why root canals have bad press too - interfering with the lines of energy.....
Thanks GG - hope you are feeling better today....
So, I Wonder what it means when your roots all point the wrong way... Well, that's what one dentist told me, but as he was a reall weirdo, I just ignored him. Another told me I have one too many roots on each tooth. Now, that is really interesting...
My lower wisdoms were severely hooked round. My dentist at the time (lovely lady) didn't think it was the wisdoms causing pain, until she did an x-ray. Then it was referral to hospital.
Had both taken out (one at a time) with local anaesthetic. Had to break the teeth up in situ to get them out. Afterwards the chap said he wished I'd gone for general!
I do NOT recommend the experience. Hence, when I get the odd twinge in my upper wisdoms, I try to ignore them! Uppers are supposedly much easier...
Rod, you're making me shudder! How awful for you! Aren't teeth a pain? Right from the time they come through 'til you lose them - well, that's the way it's been for me, anyway. All those fillings, and then the teeth just break up, anyway, and have to come out. And all the dentists can do is ask if I clean my teeth properly, as if that's all there is to it! Pfft!
I don't have any. They never developed. Of my kids, one had one (upper on left side). My parents and brother all had/have wisdom teeth. I guess I am a genetic mutant and have passed it on to my kids.
I also had none - and no top incisors either - 'gat-toothed I was...' still am!
Extra ribs 'tho (luckily no webbed feet) Mutant & proud 
must be awful to be perfect! all that responsibility - yuk!
We are definitely 'rare birds': livescience.com/27529-missi...
Thing is, I think the mutation started with me in this case since everyone else in the family has them. My daughter and I also have small lateral incisors but not deformed ones. The other kid, the one who had 1 wisdom tooth has bigger lateral incisors. Their father also had all four of his.
So this is some strong mutation!!!
We are evolving...
quote a dentist "We know that the mouth area has gotten proportionally smaller as the cranial region has grown. We know that our faces have become flatter (or less bimaxillary protrusive). We know some of the genes linked with non-syndrome hypodontia (MSX1, MSX2 and PAX9). We know that the genetic selection is for the last tooth in the series, and that the teeth selected to be missing is not random. Typically, the missing teeth are (in order of prevalence) third molars, mandibular 2nd premolars, and maxillary lateral incisors.
I think a model where we are evolving away from certain teeth makes some sense.... "
guess I'm just a small-mouthed frog, well mostly, I do have my moments.... ribbet.... or it could be that HOX gene thingywotzit...
So, we are evolutionary? Or just better adapted to mushy diet?
I'm just glad I didn't have wisdom teeth. I hate going to the dentist. Mind you, on Friday I had to have the filling changed in a tooth that was recently root canal treated and I didn't 'crash' afterwards. Maybe it's the anaesthetic that makes me sick for a couple of days afterwards? Or I don't freak out as much when a filling is done without freezing? NEEEEdles!
I had been to the dentist religiously every 6 months since I can remember - a multitude of extractions (on exam the extracted teeth weren't THAT bad) huge expensive (mercury) fillings, caps, crowns, ceramic, composite, glass, gold teeth, posts, bridge, root fillings - you name it.... I've had it - even 'tho the Dentist said my teeth were perfectly clean & never needed 'a polish'.
since 2012 I've had no work done - I wonder why (D3).
I did ask for non adrenaline anaesthetic - was very jittery before I discovered that one - also no more x-rays - I had one every visit! & no Thyroid shield in sight!
Both sons perfect teeth despite sweets! - well one's kept his baby tooth & other had painful wisdom teeth - but they aren't worried to smile
There was obviously no hope for my poor thyroid as I have lost upper 2, 3, 14 and 15.
Very interesting article, thanks for posting Greygoose.
You're welcome, j-bee.
Well, you've got more than me, I haven't got any left at all - not whole ones, anyway! Still, come to that, I haven't got a thyroid, either, so... In fact there are so many bits of me missing, it's a Wonder I can function at all. Even so, I managed to make it to 70, and intend to make it a lot further still! 
Goosey, when you yelled at those inconsiderate drivers, you had your teeth in? I'm getting disturbing visuals here. Fluffy slippers, flying dressing gown...
I had mine removed due to over crowding ,there was no room for them to come through properly ,i had 5 .But had many teeth removed as a teenager due to over crowding.I have 24 teeth and its a full set .The over crowding run in the family.
I used to work at a dental surgery, and they hate doing wisdom tooth extractions! They are often complicated and the chance of permanent damage is high compared to other teeth as the roots can run (depending on your anatomy) very close to the facial nerves. The surgery I worked at had a state of the art CT scanner so if it looked too close to call they'd refer you to max-facs in hospital, but as most places don't have that I can easily see how damage can be caused. I actually had impacted wisdom teeth going into my jaw and the specialists I worked with removed a small part of my lower jaw at the back so they could grow in. It hurt like hell, but I got to keep them.
My daughter 'had' to have hers out, but I can't for the life of me remember why they said that. It was very, very complicated. She suffered enormously. And now I Wonder if I did right in sanctioning it... My two boys have still got there's, no problem. So, I Don't know...
They told me I had to have mine out too, but I threw a hissy fit and they tried the jaw cutout, which worked thankfully. I was lucky I think, as I remember them saying it might not work and then I'd have to have them out anyway. I've never had an extraction and seeing so many people after with dry socket and other complications scared me. But, yeah, it is sometimes the only way. I think if you have a good dentist they should happy to discuss options though.
Only twice in my life have I had what I considered to be a good dentist. But they Don't stay put! Well, I Don't know what it's like where you are, but here, they move on all the time. And, apart form that, I've seen some pretty cruddy dentists. Ugh!
But what's a jaw cutout? I've never heard of that before.
Yeah, they are hard to find, and expensive usually. I don't know if it is standard practice, but they cut a notch of bone out of the back of my lower jaw, just enough to make space for the tooth to erupt. The guy who did it is a highly trained cosmetic dentist and maxillofacial specialist. I know he did it a few more times after me, so maybe my hissy fit started a new trend! But otherwise it would have been an op to remove the tooth in hospital under GA, with something like a 40% chance of breaking my jaw in the process and all the risks of surgery too. What I had done took about 30 mins in the chair with standard dental anaesthetic.
Still sounds horrendous!
I recall a private dentist telling me that I needed to have my wisdom teeth out as it was not possible for me to clean them properly - this was 20-odd years ago. I asked him if they were decaying and he said 'no' so I told him that they could stay put. I still have them and they are not a problem. I think he just wanted the money.
I had all 4 wisdom Teeth out in hospital, I vaguely remember my Dentist saying my wisdom's might later give me problems as he said they were growing up out of my gums then going back down again ???, did the dentist mean all 4 of them or just a couple, never really said much else, though I remember thinking at the time that I'd felt no pain at all and only a few days ago it crossed my mind, (yet again) and I still wonder if there was something fishy about it.
I really wished I'd never had them out, as I often wonder whether as I age it will cause my jaw area to sink inwards, having your wisdom teeth extracted must surely alter the structure of your mouth ?
So pleased you posted this one gg.
You're welcome, Coastwalker.
Crumbling teeth
Thyroid S - aching teeth?
Dental health
