Wisdom Tooth Extraction

niaud

I hope someone can help me!

Ok, so I have suffered with one my wisdom teeth for years but this past year or so the pain has really escalated. The tooth is sitting perfectly up but it is tilted out towards my cheek and pushing forward on the teeth in front. This is giving me really bad headaches.

My dentist says that because the tooth is up properly that no-one he refers me to will take it out and that basically I just have to suffer!

I am thinking of phoning a private clinic myself to have a chat with someone, but has anyone on here ever had a wisdom tooth out, and if so could you recommend who did it for you? I am based in Tyrone, but don't mind travelling anywhere to get it out.

Toothsmith

The problem might well be your reasons for wanting it out.

Wisdom tooth extraction (depending on the position of the tooth, and various other structures in that part of the jaw) is not always a straight-forward risk-free business. It can cause complications that can be long-lasting and noticable (Permanent numbness to part of your face for example.)

Wisdom teeth do not move other teeth forwards. There is a natural forwards movement that happens throughout your life - but this happens whether wisdom teeth are present or not.

And it would be very hard to make a definite link between the headaches and the tooth.

Any dentist - NHS or private, would have to weigh up possibe benefits against possible risks. If it could not be established that removing the tooth would cause any benefit, then it should not be done, and no ethical dentist would do it.

Me, sitting here, can have no idea whether this tooth should be taken out or not - as I can't see it. It might well be worth getting another opinion on it, but be aware that it might well be better left in place.

After all, the worst case scenario would be a permanently numb lip PLUS still getting the headaches!

If you feel the headaches are jaw related, the some sort of bite-guard made for you by a dentist might well help. But I'd be very surprised if just removing one wisdom tooth would cure that problem.

happy_gardener

I have had one of my wisdom teeth taken out. Every 6mths or so I would need a course of anti biotics as the gum would swell and it was soooooo painful. Anyway, I went also to my dentist thinking I was just going to get another lot of medicine and instead he said, I can take it out now. I had a few injections after an xray, and he took it out. I have to say that it was not an easy tooth to take out and the roots were 'twisted' which then meant another xray and reopening the stitches. I looked like a hamster and I have a bruised jaw/cheek and once the bleeding stopped. I think I was in more shock really as I did not expect him to take it out there and then and then I drove home!
Saying all that though, I now have no problem with the wisdom area and all healed well in the end.
I know of people who have had their wisdom teeth out, but in hospital under general anestethic. And they had them out , not because they were having bother...more 'just incase' they had bother in the future!!...guess my dentist has the more practical approach!!

Hope you get it sorted soon...

brook2jack

The guidelines for hospitals and dentists are now very strict. You cannot take wisdom teeth out "just in case" there has to be recurrent infections , causing swelling and requiring antibiotics. Even then the referral may be bounced back.
This has been the case for quite a few years now since at least 2000 so there is no way a general anaesthetic and surgery would be given without alot of clinical justification http://guidance.nice.org.uk/TA1