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Wisdom tooth extraction is a multibillion-dollar industry driven by myths that continue to be spread by the conventional dental profession for immense profit.
Over Spring Break during my senior year in college, I endured wisdom tooth extraction like just about everyone else I knew my age. To top it off, the dentist knocked me out for the procedure instead of using a simple local anesthetic plus laughing gas.
Needless to say, I spent most of my vacation on the living room couch with my mouth loaded with gauze! Recovery from the anesthesia caused even more complications.
Prior to surgery, were my wisdom teeth infected or painful in any way?
No.
Were they causing any sort of problems for me whatsoever?
No.
Then why in the world did I have them out you might ask?
Good question!
As it turns out, over two-thirds of cases of wisdom tooth extraction are completely unnecessary says Dr. Jay Friedman DDS in a study published in the American Journal of Public Health.
Of the approximately 5 million people who endure wisdom tooth extraction each year, 11,000 suffer what’s called “permanent paresthesia” which is a fancy name for numbness of the lip, tongue, and cheek resulting from nerve damage during the surgery.
The problem is, wisdom tooth extraction is quite the little oil well of profit for dentists with the costs of such surgeries topping 3 billion US$ each and every year.
Sounds like the standard practice of wisdom tooth extraction is a bit like “finding and filling” cavities that don’t exist, doesn’t it?
Ah, yes. There’s the rub.
According to Dr. Friedman:
Third-molar surgery is a multibillion-dollar industry that generates significant income for the dental profession, particularly oral and maxillofacial surgeons. It is driven by misinformation and myths that have been exposed before but that continue to be promulgated by the profession.
Dr. Friedman goes on to dismantle in very compelling fashion the 5 myths of wisdom tooth extraction.
Myth #1: Most Wisdom Teeth Cause Problems
The truth is that only 12% of wisdom teeth actually cause an acute issue somewhere down the road that requires the attention of a dentist to resolve.
This is about the same rate as appendicitis, but people do not routinely and preventively have their appendix removed like what happens with wisdom teeth!
Myth #2: Early Wisdom Tooth Extraction is Less Traumatic
The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons recommends the extraction of all 4 wisdom teeth by early adulthood before the roots are fully formed to minimize any chance of infection and pain.
The truth is that this early removal of wisdom teeth is actually much more traumatic than a wait and see approach which leaves asymptomatic wisdom teeth in place and only removes them if pathology develops in the future.
Further, complications from wisdom tooth extraction which include dry socket, secondary infection, and paresthesia (numbness of the lip, tongue, and cheek) are less likely to occur in an older patient than an adolescent.
Myth #3: Erupting Wisdom Teeth Crowd Anterior Teeth
Dr. Friedman writes that it is simply not possible for wisdom teeth to crowd 14 other teeth with firm vertical roots.
There is simply not enough force to do so and multiple studies support this fact.
Myth #4: Risk of Problems Increases With Age
A study of 1756 people who kept their wisdom teeth for an average of 27 years found that less than 1% experienced any cyst formation.
There is zero evidence to support the unsubstantiated claim by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons which states that problems with impacted wisdom teeth increase with age.
Myth #5: Risk of Harm is Small
The list of potential complications from wisdom tooth extraction is long.
- Pain
- Swelling
- Trismus (lockjaw)
- Hemorrhage
- Alveolar osteitis (dry socket)
- Periodontal damage
- Soft-tissue infection
- Injury to temporomandibular joint
- Malaise
- Temporary paresthesia (numbness of the lips, tongue, and cheek)
- Permanent paresthesia
- Fracture of adjacent teeth
- Fracture of the mandible
- Fracture of the maxilla
- Sinus exposure or infection
- Anesthetic complications
Even in cases where there are absolutely no complications whatsoever, wisdom tooth extraction requires 3 days of discomfort and disability while the patient recovers from surgery.
Given that no more than 12% of wisdom teeth ever cause any problems whatsoever at any point down the road, the risk of removal seems great in comparison.
Skip The Surgery!
So, if your dentist tells you or your child that it’s time for those wisdom teeth to come out when they aren’t causing any trouble at all, just politely smile, say “uh, no thanks”, and go home.
You just saved yourself a rather large chunk of change my friend.
Even in cases where you must remove the wisdom teeth, there is no need for antibiotics in most cases. A biological dentist has natural approaches to protect a patient from infection without destruction of the gut with meds.
Which Dentists Won’t Pressure You To Remove Wisdom Teeth?
If you are getting pressured to remove your child’s wisdom teeth, know that a biological dentist does not do this!
I get many requests about who I recommend as a truly holistic, biological dentist who understands the value to long-term health of the wisdom teeth and WON’T take them out unless absolutely necessary.
I recommend Dr. Carlo Litano of Natural-Smiles.com – (727) 300-0044.
He sees young children as well as adults and does phone consultations to help guide those who don’t live near his office. Be sure to tell Dr. Litano that Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist sent you and get 10% off your first visit!
Reference
American Journal of Public Health, Prophylactic Extraction of Third Molars: A Public Health Hazard, Jay Friedman DDS
More Information
How I Healed My Child’s Cavity
Toddler’s Severe Tooth Decay Halted in 5 Days
Resolving Periodontal Problems with Bone Broth
Coconut Oil Stops Strep Bacteria from Damaging Tooth Enamel
What is the True Cause of Crooked Teeth?
10 Signs Your Dentist is Truly Holistic
Avoiding Root Canals with Diet Alone
Could the Cause of Your Illness Be Right Under Your Nose?
When I was a young teen, I had much pain due to my wisdom teeth – my lower two were extracted via oral surgery and a specialist. I was told that I’d have to have oral surgery for the top two as well. Over a decade later, I’d been having recurring issues with my upper teeth and (then married) worried about paying for surgery. I have a fabulous dentist and he assured me that he could remove them without surgery – he did several years ago. It was the best choice that I could have made – the teeth were malformed and it was no wonder that I had such pain! I’m blessed with a dentist that I trust. After having seen many dentists over the years, he was hard to find.
Wow. This couldn’t have come at a better time. My husband is 35 and the new dentist we saw noticed that he still had his wisdom teeth buds and recommended we remove them before they got infected. We were strongly considering doing it but it did seem odd that no one ever seemed to think they were a problem before. I had my wisdom teeth out at 17 and it was awful. I got dry socket and was on all sorts of pain meds and antibiotics for weeks. I actually feel a lot of space back there and I always wonder if I actually had the space for them and was hoodwinked. On a different note, CLO and butter oil plus minerals seem to be getting rid of my hubbies tooth pain. The dentist was also recommending some drilling and we may not have to do it afterall.
I had a feeling this was the case. I’ve had more than one dentist want to yank my wisdom teeth that are not bothering me in the least. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Great! This confirms what we’ve believed as well.
I only had 3 wisdom teeth to contend with- one was missing. Around 22, one came in and caused issues so I did have to have it removed (with no problems, thankfully). They wanted to do all of them at that time and I said no thanks. Even though one seems to be crooked, the oral surgeon did say there was a possibility it would never even come in. He was really nice and did not pressure me to choose one way or the other, but presented both sides. I would have saved money (assuming I’d have to have the surgery eventually) and I would have only had to go under anesthesia once (a bonus to the liver) but it would have been more traumatic on my body and with 3 removals instead of just 1, that’s a lot more chance for something to go wrong! I am happy with my decision and here we are 8 years later with no further wisdom teeth issues.
Matt still has all four- he was constantly told to get them out, but it just didn’t set right with us and he’s never had any issues. It was our holistic dentist that did the amalgam removal who finally told him not to bother unless they caused problems, which would be unlikely. YAY for holistic dentists!!
So you’re against wisdom teeth removal but not against amalgam removal? Research has shown that while amalgam fillings do release particulates over the course of daily living, its concentrations are nowhere near high enough to be dangerous. It’s like the daily dose of chromium you get from the ground if you live in certain places, not high enough for alarm. Feel free to disagree with me on this point, there’s still much debate. However, it is generally agreed that when you remove the amalgam, you essentially grind it up into tiny particles, partially aerosolize it, and place it in the mouth where you’ll most likely breathe it in, giving yourself a very high dose of mercury in a small period of time. Wouldn’t you find that more dangerous than the minor surgery to remove wisdom teeth? Perhaps a better holistic dentist is in order…
Stan,
She (AMY LOVE) said that, “Matt still has all four- he was constantly told to get them out, but it just didn’t set right with us and he’s never had any issues.” >> “It was our holistic dentist that did the amalgam removal”….and that “who finally told him not to bother unless they caused problems, which would be unlikely.” <<—Now she is talking about the wisdom teeth removal again. Get it? …Her and her husband were against having his wisdom teeth removed, their dentist did the amalgam removal and that dentist suggested that if the wisdom teeth didn't cause problems–to not bother. Just trying to help, you seemed confused as to what she was saying.
I only have two wisdom teeth, the other two don’t exist. At 36 I had one come in, I know why babies are so cranky when they get teeth! At 46 I had it pulled, I had a lot of trouble with it and my mouth was constantly sore as there was no tooth opposing it so it continued to grow and make my bottom gum very sore. The other that Is still in my mouth has never erupted, unless it bothers me it will stay right where it is!
My husband still has all 4 of his, and they have never been a problem.
I say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
I’m 26, and I have a wisdom tooth coming in on one side, no sign on the other. They cause me no discomfort at all, and every dentist I have been to has always just said, if they don’t bother you don’t worry about it. Only one of my friends that I know of has ever had hers out. I wonder if it is becoming less prevalent, or if it’s because two years ago I moved to the UK, where dentistry is much cheaper and so probably less of an “industry”.
Very interesting observation Gwen. You could be onto something there.
hi gwen, i think you might be right. i grew up in the uk and only recently moved to canada. my wisdom teeth didn’t cause me any pain and only when i came here did my dentist suggest that i should see an oral surgeon about getting them out. sure enough, took a panoramic x-ray and said, ‘yep, bottom two are impacted, but why not just get all 4 out?’. needless to say i was sceptical myself and tried doing some reasearch to ‘disprove’ the idea that i didn’t want to face – ie. getting them out. fortunately, i have good dental coverage, so the whole thing only cost me just over $100. i was amazed that i didn’t have hardly any swelling and very little pain and the whole thing was over in about an hour – only had to take one day off work. since that time, iv’e also noticed other side benefits such as less joint pain – and much more energy! i can’t believe how good i feel and don’t regret having it done one bit. the other thing is, that they are hard to clean, and why risk getting an infection or other teeth or your gums diseased just because you don’t want to get them out? i had some gum problems too, and it looks like my gums are returning to a pretty normal healthy pink again, with no sign of gingevitis, which i’d had. i guess i’m saying all this because while i was sceptical and yes it’s a big money maker in N. America, perhaps it’s worth the price. but definitely, the uk dentists don’t put the same pressure on ya i think. that’s my 2 cents worth anyways.
Liar^^^^ DENTIST^^^^^
I have been telling people for twenty years that pulling wisdom teeth is a scam. At 40 years old I still get flack from the dentist about removing them. Now he wants them out because they are only partially emerged and difficult to keep clean. They don’t have any cavities, just lots of plaque.
Now this is weird – we were JUST talking about this this morning. My daughter has a friend who just got her wisdom teeth taken out and she asked why people have to get that done and I had mine out when I was young, but I really could not remember why and wondered if there was indeed a good enough reason or if this is something else that is overdone and perhaps not healthy, like root canals. I wanted to research it, so thank you. How timely!
Nickole
I had my out my senior year in high school. My jaw is narrow and all 4 of my wisdom teeth were impacted (i.e. coming in crooked – we’re talking at a 45 degree angle to my existing teeth). Two were already broken through while two were still under the gum. I clearly saw on the x-rays that they were coming in crooked. I had them all taken out (I do remember the gauze – I tried to change my own and fainted!!) and (fortunately) have not had any problems.
I wonder if I had been on WAPF diet back then and did some FCLO/BO if they would have straightened out… not sure. Both my kids have beautifully spaced teeth so I’ll be on the lookout to see if their dentist says anything when their wisdom teeth come in.. thanks for the warning!
Hi Magda, even if wisdom teeth come in crooked or are impacted, they are rarely a problem requiring removal.
Er… Methinks you aren’t in the best position to offer that sort of conclusion. I believe that sort of statement would be best left to the actual dental professionals to make. In the future, you might want to also consider linking to any respondent criticisms when you post scholarly information. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2376974/ There — fixed it for ya.
Eh, J. Reece, basically that respondent criticism admits that most extractions are done out of connivence.
So the only people fit to give advice on the subject just happen to be the people profiting on it huh? That’s pretty safe, check the sources.
My dentist informed me that my wisdom teeth were starting to come in and that they were impacted and would cause me horrible problems and paid.
I am now 30 years old, never had the surgery and I am completely fine. They never came in, haven’t caused me any pain or problems.
If I would have listened to my “dental professional” I would have endured a painful, pointless surgery.
No thanks!
But how can you be sure they would not impact other teeth? If there is no more room in the jaw and it’s narrow, where would they go?? I do believe you should check into this procedure (I mean it’s an actual surgery so definitely not be made light of) but in my case I was okay with having them out. Having had tons of dental issues, including an overbite, I was not ready to deal with having my entire tooth line messed up. JMO.
I had two that were impacted. I waited and waited until they started causing me problems…there was no room for them to come out and they were pushing up against my other teeth. It was also causing me some pain. Sometimes it’s necessary to get hem removed.
When all four of my wisdom teeth came in, there was hardly any room
I was biting my cheek and all that jazz
but slowly my mouth evolved and adapted and made space
Some how my cheeks and the back of my throat seemed to move out of the way
they wisdom teeth did not effect any of my other teeth what so ever
Now I have this beautiful beastly lion jaw haha
I was pretty amazed with my bodies ability to evolve though!
Yes, dentists told me the same thing, my wisdom teeth were all impacted and wouldn’t be able to come in straight. I saw the same thing you described on my X-ray. I chose to do nothing about it and guess what? All my wisdom teeth came in just fine, even though I was on a SAD vegetarian diet. I found out later that’s just the way wisdom teeth are supposed to be. They come in at a 45 degree angle in order to shift your teeth to fill in any gaps (since in the past that was the whole point of wisdom teeth, to replace missing teeth you were likely to have) and once they come in then they straighten out to be normal.
Fascinating, Jessica. I would love to hear a knowledgeable WPF dentist’s response to that.
Skip That Surgery: Most Wisdom Tooth Extractions Unnecessary http://t.co/JJTBR3Zk
i have my bottom wisdom tooth in and it is a little sore but it is growing up and up and my dentist told me last yr it would continue to grow since i dont have a tooth on top to meet it. should i get it removed
Sounds like you need since you have no tooth on top to meet it.
JustSay. . .
This is very bad advice. I took the wait and see method and now my top wisdom teeth have caused my teeth to shift. Where I have always had straight teeth now my front teeth are crooked because I chose to wait and see. In addition, my bottom wisdom teeth damaged my second molars and caused periodontal disease since my wisdom teeth never fully emerged. I listened to my dentist who said there was enough room when, in actuality, there was not enough room. Since you dont actually need your wisdom teeth, it is recommended that getting them removed is a form of prevention just like getting your teeth cleaned. It is much better to get rid of something that is no use to you than hold on to it and wait to see if it is going to be a problem. So what that the dentist make a little money on preventative measures. Its better to give a little money now that play the waiting game and come out the pocket latter for root canals, crowns, bridges and deep cleanings. Not to mention, that when the teeth become a problem, they will have to be pulled in addition to fixing the damaged they have caused.
Thanks for the article; debating my daughter’s surgery for two years now. If considering dental work, or suffering numbness or pain after it, see my story “How a simple dentist appointment can change your life”. Good luck, all!
“Then why in the world did I have them out you might ask? Good question!”
Yes but its not a question to ask the industry, but yourself. If you had no problems in the first place, then why did you consent without asking for a rational reason? The problem here is too many people place there faith in these institutions full of indoctrinated “professionals”. I question everything these institutions throw at me, I have even had an optometrist tell me I need to have faith to commit to eye surgery.