Are we losing our wisdom teeth?

[Keroin]

I'm curious about this. My friend has a theory, (she has worked in a dentist office for 25 years), that we are starting to lose our wisdom teeth as they are no longer necessary.

My dentist knew that I would never have room in my mouth for them and so as soon as they began growing, (as evidenced by X-ray), I had them surgically removed.

In the poll, choose your age group then indicate whether you have wisdom teeth but had to have them removed, or if you have never grown wisdom teeth at all.

If you have wisdom teeth and have not had to have them removed, then there's an option for that at the bottom.

If you're a parent, do your kids have wisdom teeth?

 

[kittyn_]

I kinda cheated on answering, my right side ones are removed but I wasn't given the general anethesia option, so I still have the left ones.

My husband doesn't have wisdom teeth, and neither does his mom, they just...don't. Don't know about our son yet, I'll let ya know in about 12-15 years, if science hasn't taken the bait by then.

 

[Keroin]

Here's a wiki...

"Wisdom teeth are vestigial third molars that human ancestors used to help in grinding down plant tissue. The common postulation is that the skulls of human ancestors had larger jaws with more teeth, which were possibly used to help chew down foliage to compensate for a lack of ability to efficiently digest the cellulose that makes up a plant cell wall. As human diets changed, smaller jaws gradually evolved, yet the third molars, or "wisdom teeth", still commonly develop in human mouths.

Other findings suggest that a given culture's diet is a larger factor than genetics in the development of jaw size during human development (and, consequently, the space available for wisdom teeth).

Agenesis of wisdom teeth in human populations ranges from practically zero in Tasmanians to nearly 100% in indigenous Mexicans.The difference is related to the PAX9 gene (and perhaps other genes)."

 

[Cattypuss]

Interesting wiki, K - thanks.

I'm 42 and I had all four of my wisdom teeth taken out in my 30s.

 

[Soumis]

Had all of mine removed prior to them erupting since I wouldn't have the room during a lovely date with anesthesia.

 

[midwestyankee]

Mine were removed the old fashioned way - with pliars and a swig of bourbon.

 

[BiBunny]

They wanted to remove mine when I was 15 or so, but since they weren't bothering me, I was reluctant. I eventually had to stop going to that particular dentist's office because they kept harping on me about it.

I'm 26 now, and I still haven't had any significant problems with them. So obviously, it wasn't the pressing issue they were making it out to be!

 

[collar_corset]

I had one taken out when I was about 20 as the filling fell out and I developed an abcess underneath it.

As I hadn't had a filling since I was 15, it had been there for years and I wasn't even aware! That was taken out with a local and it was heaven when they finally did it as I was in agony!

They then put me on the waiting list to have the other 3 removed under general at the hospital, telling me there was a waiting list of 14 months (which didn't really bother me) but the actually appointment came 2 months later. I suppose that's the benefit of kicking up an almighty fuss.

I had the other 3 taken out with no problems apart from waking up with a pain in my chest. I wondered for ages about that until I realised whoever removed them probably put his knee on my chest for purchase, which made me laugh

 

[Luna_Wolf72]

I am 37 ish (LOL) and have 3 of my 4 wisdom teeth.

 

[Bi_Kitty]

When I was younger, I went to the dentist because I had a tooth that was loose. Well somehow or another it got clipped and broke. So, here I am with half a tooth in my mouth so mom took to have the other part pulled.

They pulled the tooth and discovered my over-and-under bite. (Yes it is possible.) They started talking about surgery to correct it because it was causing me headaches at the time. And since they were talking surgery mom asked about my wisdom teeth.

I remember clear as day he looked at the x-rays then looked in my mouth, I guess just to make sure .."Oh she has plentyyyy of room in there. They shouldn't give her any trouble."

And they haven't, yet, at 23. Knock on wood.

 

[unsettled]

I had all four of mine removed when I was 16, the dentist numbed my mouth a little and ripped them out... It was awesome, I could feel the roots breaking when he pulled at them. Telling people about it made me realize I wasn't "normal" because apparently I should have been disturbed and horrified as they were by my experience. Always have had a wicked sense of humor and fun.

 

[Keroin]

Is it strange that I find this topic and these stories so fascinating? LOL.

 

[Lizzie_Borden]

I have mine.

One or two hurt like mofos coming through, am not sure about the others.

Once they did, there were no issues, so I've left them alone.

 

[midwestyankee]

Is it strange that I find this topic and these stories so fascinating? LOL.

Yes it is.

 

[neci]

i had my wisdom teeth removed when i was 18. i had braces for three years, and there was a risk that the wisdom teeth would screw up the work. when i went in they gave me an IV of something. there was a picture of flying ducks on the wall. i had crazy duck dreams. then they gave me some good pills to help the pain.

 

[Keroin]

Yes it is.

Thought so.

 

[midwestyankee]

Thought so.

At least you're not asking if wisdom teeth are unethical and you're not asserting that people who get their wisdom teeth removed in a casual setting are morally depraved and in grave danger.

So you're ok, K.

 

[chy_girl]

I only had three wisdom teeth, but the impacted one made up for it.

When I asked about not having one the dentist said that it was an evolutionary thing and that he was starting to see missing wisdom teeth more and more.

 

[Keroin]

At least you're not asking if wisdom teeth are unethical and you're not asserting that people who get their wisdom teeth removed in a casual setting are morally depraved and in grave danger.

So you're ok, K.

Oh well, I just assumed everyone already knew about the part in bold.

I only had three wisdom teeth, but the impacted one made up for it.

When I asked about not having one the dentist said that it was an evolutionary thing and that he was starting to see missing wisdom teeth more and more.

Aha, so my friend is not the only one who's noticed this. Interesting.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

When I had mine removed as a teenager, I was so zonked out of my mind with pain that I crawled around the house in a dreamlike stupor, looking for something, anything to make the agony stop. My mom walked in on me gobbling pain pills from the prescription bottle before grabbing the container, calling the dentist and counting the pills before a group decision was made that I did not need to have my stomach pumped.

I don't remember any of this.

 

[Keroin]

When I had mine removed as a teenager, I was so zonked out of my mine with pain that I crawled around the house in a dreamlike stupor, looking for something, anything to make the agony stop. My mom walked in on me gobbling pain pills from the prescription bottle before grabbing the container, calling the dentist and counting the pills before a group decision was made that I did not need to have my stomach pumped.

I don't remember any of this.

Coming out of the anesthetic for my surgery (at 16), which was super disorienting, and being in massive amounts of pain, was hell.

My 5 year old nephew was in the final recovery room babbling away and it was driving me nuts. My dad and sister were also there but I leaned over and slurred at my nephew to "shut the fuck up!"

That was the first time my dad had ever heard me swear. I think he gave me a pass due to circumstances.

 

[rida]

I've got them removed as soon as they started to come out in my early/mid twenties with local anesthesia. It did not hurt as much as I feared.

I have a small mouth or big teeth depending how you want to look at it. So not only I did not have room for my wisdom teeth (I got horrible headaches while they were coming out and they decided to come out all at once), but in my teens I had to also get my pre-molars (I think) out and wear braces for many years as I would end up having my front teeth crooked and sticking out otherwise as there was not proper room for them.

So I now have only 24 of the standard 32 set.

Hubby has all of his, including his wisdom teeth.
My girls will probably need braces as well as they have big teeth like mom, but cannot say about wisdom teeth yet.

I did however also hear from my dentist that many young people now do not have them anymore.

 

[Bandit58]

Like rida, I had my wisdom teeth removed under local. One had to be cut out (it was impacted) but the other 3 were trouble free.

I have a small jaw and have had other molars removed when I was a kid to make room for adult teeth. I still have one molar that is very crooked because I didn't tell Mum when it was coming through because of the dentist phobia I developed

 

[DVS]

It seems people are telling their horror stories about getting their wisdom teeth taken out. I have my own horror story, but it's a pretty long tale. I don't want to bore you all with it unless you really, really want to hear it.

Trust me...it has humor and pain and even some bad dentist things in there for good measure. But, I know I sometimes have a problem with my posts...they are sometimes very long.

Hey, I'm just a guy who likes to give out all of the necessary information in story format, like you are sitting in front of me and I'm explaining the whole thing as it happened.

So, for now, I'll just say I had mine taken out by the time I was 30. And every member of my family also had theirs removed except for my father. And it's kind of funny, because I considered him the smartest member of our family, but his wisdom teeth never came in!

 

[FurryFury]

I'm 49 and have mine.

My kids 19 and 17 had them. The oldest had hers removed only because I was convinced it was a needed thing in her case.