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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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Raw Milk can handle a lot of the issues with them as well… personally I moved to Japan and have not been able to find raw milk for a long while so I’ve been using pills to slowly allow the tooth to fall out on it’s own… much less painful to do it slowly, when honestly it’s my diet that’s the issue right now by not getting the right fats…. anyway, wonderful article.
I’m 28 and never had my wisdoms removed. I was definitely against that kind of invasiveness unless totally necessary (watch an extraction on YouTube. I’m not a medical doctor, but it looks to me like they tear up a perfectly healthy gum).
Mine grew in totally normal in my early 20’s, only pushing my bottom teeth slightly- not enough to be a big deal, but noticable.
I floss nightly and bush twice a day with an occasional oil pull.
I go to the dentist ~ 6mo to a year.
I’m not a dessert person and don’t eat a lot of sugar. I maybe have a soda once a year and am not a big candy person. I have a healthy diet and am generally healthy.
But somehow my bottom wisdoms have developed cavities. I’m so disappointed. My dentist says it was just a matter of time because apparently there just isn’t a good way to clean wisdoms. I’ve noticed the cavities are causing me other health problems like sore throat and lymphnodes, slight gum bleeding and a little bit of a breath issue. It’s got to stop.
My dentist says I need to just get them out. The hygienist said it would be a waste to pull them out and to just fill them. I’ve tossed the idea back and forth and have booked an extraction for the bottom ones this week. I hope I made the right choice. I just figured I could fill the cavities and then have come right back.. so I’ll just take the plunge. Overall I am glad I waited until it was a for sure problem instead of just letting the doctor cut away my perfectly healthy gum and tear out a tooth. Because my teeth are already grown in, it isn’t supposed to be as invasive with less recovery time. Here’s hoping. Good luck, friends.
Of course you can clean wisdom teeth! A sonicare is an excellent toothbrush to get the back teeth clean and at the drugstore, you can get special brushes for hard to reach areas.
Also it would be interesting to find out how many people in other countries like say africa, asia
do they all get their wisdom teeth taken out ? most likely the answer is NO.
also before dentists were around which is probably around 1800, what did people do for 1000’s of years before that ?
follow the money …
–> even better, don’t be going to dentists in the first place 🙂
Same as everyone else, I didn’t have any pain or issues. The problem is, I was worried about the alignment of my teeth and they took out the whole lot. I wanted to keep one in my mouth, but they wouldn’t allow it.
I’m not gonna do it. My mother had her wisdom teeth taken out and half of her face feels like she is being hit by a sledgehammer every single day. It has been 20 years that she has lived with this pain. She wishes she never had it done and it changed her life.
I got mine out at 11 and I still regret it. The stupid doctor didn’t even let me keep them, even though it was really important to me and I asked. The idiot chipped one of my permanent teeth too even though they were perfect. I hate dentists and maxillofacial surgeons so much.
Well, my wisdom teeth were impacted but they weren’t an issue until I was in my 30s. Is there any chance they’ll straighten themselves out? He’s only 15 now and my understanding is they don’t start erupting until about 17.
I’m 27, never had my wisdom teeth out, they’ve never caused me pain. The dentist has been telling me 2 more years and they should be taken out for the past 10 years. Last dentist told me I should, but there is no rush.
I would at least wait a bit to see what happens. I was told the same thing, that my teeth would destroy my mouth if I even waited longer than summer break. That was about a year and a half ago, the tooth in question has now grown in most of the way, and the molar next to it has not been hit by this third molar.