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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
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10 Signs Your Dentist is Truly Holistic
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They should be removed simply because they are hard to reach (brushing & flossing). Most dentist remove them for this reason. But, for braces, they normally will be removed to make space in the mouth. 🙂
I have all of mine, at almost 50, and no trouble at all. My teeth are perfect and I haven’t seen a dentist since 1983! One (top right) isn’t (still) fully out but tries occasionally. They don’t bother me and I take good care of my teeth, so at times I think even having a dentist isn’t necessary!
Ive got mine, but I had to fight to keep them. The military was (dont know if this is still the case) very fond of making its members have them removed. Part of the reasoning is that the older you are, it becomes a more complicated procedure to take them out.
Oh, this article is so timely for my family! My husband has wisdom teeth that are recommended for removal, but they only ache once in a blue moon, and it’s such a big procedure! He’s been putting it off for years. Now, does anybody know how necessary it is for my 9-year-old to get corrective procedures for his front teeth not coming together from sucking his thumb?
I did need one of mine removed (bottom right) but they also recommended removing the top one too ‘because it no longer has a surface to chew against’ … then the 2 on the other side ‘so your mouth chews evenly’ ??? What??? It’s not like a rodents teeth that will keep growing if it does naw on something! And the other 2 were perfectly fine! I didn’t have any of them removed, only the one that absolutely had to be. If I hadsaid yes they would have removed 3 perfectly healthy useful teeth.
Same reason I got mine out at 16.
@Jillian Ross, if they are decaying they DO need to come out. Hopefully they are not so far decayed that they require surgical removal and not just a simple pulling. My husband had all four of his wisdom teeth until about 3 months ago. One of his wisdom teeth had developed a large cavity. The filling had fallen out and it had gotten worse. Our dentist recommended that he have it pulled. Just the one that was decaying. It was intact enough to just be pulled. No fuss, no muss. He’s so glad he had it pulled. The other 3 are healthy. He’s never had a dentist try to remove them all. I on the other hand had no room at all for my wisdom teeth. They were all four bone impacted. They would try to erupt, but there was no room. They’d cause a lot of swelling and pain. I had to have all four surgically extracted at 19. I’m soooooo glad I no longer have them!
My experience was like many. Pain and TMJ after. First son did really need them out and I did alot of research and found an oral surgeon who does a minimally invasive procedure. Second son we are taking a wait and see posture and may not need them out. Ask your oral surgeon how they do the procedure if you must have this done.
I’ve always wondered about this “routine” procedure… Thanks for another great article!
I had all four impacted removed so I could get braces. It was an awful experience however I am so glad I don’t have them with all the horror stories I hear 🙁