Posted by writeradmin
A few years ago, I had one of my wisdom teeth removed in an emergency procedure. Now, I have another wisdom tooth which is bothering me. I went to see my dentist about it and he was telling me that I am at a higher risk because I am 35 years old. I’m worried now that I may be too old to remove the wisdom tooth. If that is the case, is there anything I can do to deal with the pain without drugs?
LoriAnn
Dear LoriAnn,
While it would have been better if you had your wisdom teeth removed in your early twenties, I do not think you are too old to have them removed now. Yes, there is a greater risk of complications, but I would be more concerned if you were over 40 years of age.
What you don’t want to happen is for it to turn into a dental emergency. If it is bothering you, it is likely infected and that infection will continue to grow. Don’t be surprised if, when you go to see an oral surgeon, they provide you a very scary document about all the possible things which could go wrong. We are a litigious people and doctors, dentists, and surgeons tend to overexaggerate some risks in order to protect themselves. That does not mean the risks aren’t there. On balance, however, it is more dangerous to leave an infected tooth. Tooth infections spread and can become life threatening.
My suggestion is that you get, not just the infected wisdom tooth out, but also your remaining wisdom teeth. It will not get easier than it will right now, so don’t put it off. The longer you wait, the greater the chance of complications. You are still at an age where the potential complications are not as high as they will be if you wait. I can tell that you are stressed about this. I recommend that you use some dental sedation. This way you can be completely relaxed, and even sleep through the procedure if you want to.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.