Wisdom teeth removal = legal and encouraged child abuse?

[North of Mouse]

Is the entire point of this just ???

It appears to be a new theme.

Yep! Think there are several threads started by a select few posters that are just for that reason!!!

 

[BLAZEY]

Had mine out a 28. Not fun but glad I did. Only 1/4 had erupted but the other 3 were crowding my teeth and needed to come out before they caused further damage. At 19 your daughter was not a child and old enough to weigh the pros and cons of the reasons the dentist, orthodontist and oral surgeon advised having them removed.

 

[Jennasis]

If she was in constant pain she may have had a dry socket.

Or she has a low tolerance for pain and a high penchant for drama.

 

[cabanafrau]

Not necessarily. I mean my MIL had breast cancer and required surgery and chemo. Her mother is still alive at 93...she has never had cancer. No one else in the family has had breast cancer. Should MIL have told doctors just forget about surgery and chemo because all of her other female relatives had lived into their 90s without cancer treatment? Obviously not. Unless you are talking about identical twins, everyone has unique genes so it doesn't "work" that way.

You don't say. So that's not absolutely how genetics works and you're suggesting there's value in listening to the advice of medical professionals after all?

 

[QueenIsabella]

I had my first two wisdom teeth out a couple years ago (both on the same side). They had never come in right, they pointed outward, and one had a massive cavity. It was literally rotting away from the inside. They gave it to me after the procedure--I left it on the counter for a couple days, to gross out the kids and remind them to brush.

The other two came out after Thanksgiving. This was much more involved, because one was literally lying on its side, pushing on my other teeth. They had the x-ray up when I was sitting there. I have zero dental knowledge, but even I could see why it was problematic.

Coincidentally, DD23 had all 4 of hers out, a week after I had my last two out. It wasn't a shock to me--she has a small mouth, and had to have 5 baby teeth pulled back in grade school, to accommodate her adult teeth. She had general anesthesia and seemed to recover quite quickly--back to work as a teacher the next week (she had the procedure on a Friday). We live 800 miles away and had no involvement in her decision, her recovery, or even the payment.

Methinks there's a whole lot of drama going on at the OP's house.

 

[Floridaman999]

There should be a sarcasm font.

 

[kdonnel]

Before I respond to the question at hand I feel like I need to know why she would view it that way and how she came to that conclusion.

At the time for four days she had not eaten much, not slept much, not been able to open her mouth, and been in excruciating pain for the entire time. I am sure she was speaking from that mindset combined with the knowledge that just four days before she had none of those symptoms but had been encouraged to have the procedure done by both her parents and two medical professionals. It was spoken in a half serious, half joking manner.

 

[kdonnel]

Did she have complications?

As a 20 year old, mine were impacted and surgically removed (I was knocked out). I had mine out on Friday. After the surgery, I was able to eat something and take my medicine. After the first percocet on Friday, I only took ibuprofen. I was fine to work on Monday (as a preschool teacher which required lots of talking and activity).

She had lots of swelling that was the source of the pain and the reason the pain medication seemed to do little to help.

Day 7 saw a tremendous overnight improvement.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

At the time for four days she had not eaten much, not slept much, not been able to open her mouth, and been in excruciating pain for the entire time. I am sure she was speaking from that mindset combined with the knowledge that just four days before she had none of those symptoms but had been encouraged to have the procedure done by both her parents and two medical professionals. It was spoken in a half serious, half joking manner.

Ah I gotcha; that makes more sense. Well hopefully she continues to be on the mend.

 

[soccerdad72]

There should be a sarcasm font.

Amen. My sarcasm radar is usually pretty good, so I think I have figured out who's cranked their sarcasm up on most threads.

 

[skyblue17]

I somehow only had one wisdom tooth (as a teen, my orthodonist told me that I would never have any, so who knows). It came in partially so stayed there but it's nearly impossible to full clean a tooth that far back in your mouth as well as you should and a pretty large cavity formed. When I went to have my dentist look at it, she told me it was pointless to do anything but just pluck the tooth out of my mouth right there and then! And she did! Obviously with novocaine and also some happy gas but I was not prepared for that AT all. But yeah, chances are even if you keep your wisdom teeth, there will be complications eventually. It's almost like there's a reason for getting them out early when possible.

 

[georgina]

I somehow only had one wisdom tooth (as a teen, my orthodonist told me that I would never have any, so who knows). It came in partially so stayed there but it's nearly impossible to full clean a tooth that far back in your mouth as well as you should and a pretty large cavity formed. When I went to have my dentist look at it, she told me it was pointless to do anything but just pluck the tooth out of my mouth right there and then! And she did! Obviously with novocaine and also some happy gas but I was not prepared for that AT all. But yeah, chances are even if you keep your wisdom teeth, there will be complications eventually. It's almost like there's a reason for getting them out early when possible.

I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth and have never had a cavity in them. It's not the case for everyone! I think oral surgeons like to make you think that though.

I'm not against removal of impacted wisdom teeth, some of my kids had surgery, but I don't think it should be routine.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth and have never had a cavity in them. It's not the case for everyone! I think oral surgeons like to make you think that though.

I'm not against removal of impacted wisdom teeth, some of my kids had surgery, but I don't think it should be routine.

I don't think it should be routine either but I know ours for instance took into consideration jaw size, age and speed of recovery, life impact, etc. The older you get the worse it can be but isn't guaranteed in terms of recovery and life impact.

My wisdom teeth were coming in straight but I have a small jaw and so letting them grow in all the way and not getting them removed increased the chance for problems with my teeth; I had them out when I was 18 but the consultation and cost quote was from when I was 17. My lower teeth were alreadly slightly crooked but not enough for actual braces (or at least those were not recommended). These days if it bothered me enough I'd opt to do invisalign or something similar.

I got mine out just after high school graduation. I was able to take off a few days of work (retail) over the weekend, and I bounced back a lot quicker. I have known a few that waited longer to get them out and their lifestyle at the time was vastly different than mine at 18 so it was an overall greater impact to their lives. That's not to say that everyone is that way but I think they tend to recommend it when you are younger because there's a less chance for greater overall impacts.

My sister had hers out when she was 14 because they were coming in impacted and were urgently recommended to come out at that time.

 

[SteveH]

"On the 6th as she was preparing to return to college she said that it was obvious to her now that wisdom teeth removal was legal and encouraged child abuse."

Let me change your second to the last sentence for you I think it should have said,
"It really makes me hesitant to send her back to the college she's attending."

 

[Southernmiss]

2 of our sons have had theirs out as teenagers. They had no issues-a couple of days of light activity, no chewing and motrin for pain relief and all was over.

Son #3 has not had his out, yet. Though it was recommended, but not pushed.

Between sons #2 and #3, I started to question doctors/dentists more and not just take their word as Gospel. For a long time, I did things exactly as drs. recommended and then I realized that there were some things that people did not do exactly as recommended and they were ok.

DD17 will have panorama x-rays at her next dental visit this summer to take a look at her wisdom teeth.

My wisdom teeth have never erupted and are impacted-laying sideways in my mouth. I am now 5-0. Aside from occasional pressure pain as the weather changed in those areas with the teeth and some lower crowding after braces, I have had no issues with keeping them. Dentists after I got older said if it's not causing you any problems, leave them there. The removal of the teeth after you get older can be more difficult to recover from than when you are younger.

When I was 18 and having them removed was recommended, I was starting to take my healthcare as my own. I was working and had my own insurance and just did not want the expense and trouble of missing a couple of days of school/work to have them surgically removed.

I do think that at that age people can make up their own minds about "elective" procedures. And after all this time with no trouble, I do think that the push for all teens to have their wisdom teeth removed is usually an elective procedure.

If our 20 year old asks about having his removed while he's still on our insurance, yes, I'll help him get to the appointment. But if it's not an issue for him, then it's not an issue for me.

As for our 21 year old who needs a prescription now that he won't fill for a chronic situation....arghhh!! I'd like to take that one in my own hands. He's 5 hours away and it's not that easy to strangle him from here!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I had all for of mine removed when I was 47. The dentist had been telling me to do it for years and years, but they weren't bothering me, so I didn't do it. Then one day they did start to bother me. They had never come all the way in. Parts were in and parts were still buried under the gums. Every once in a while (maybe 2-3 times a year) the gums covering them would get irritated and inflamed and painful for a few days. Then they would get better until the next time. This created little pockets in my gums which led to cavities. So out they came. The surgery and recovery was super easy. I went to the beach a couple of days afterwards for a long weekend.

 

[skyblue17]

I have all 4 of my wisdom teeth and have never had a cavity in them. It's not the case for everyone! I think oral surgeons like to make you think that though.

I'm not against removal of impacted wisdom teeth, some of my kids had surgery, but I don't think it should be routine.

This was my DENTIST though, and she took the tooth out. No oral surgery. And I honestly was glad to be rid of it, rather than have to deal with having it filled and maintained.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

I don't see it that way at all..
I had mine out at 17.
They were impacted and growing sideways and would have started messing with my other teeth.
I also know of several people that ended up with terrible infections later in life when their impacted wisdom teeth started causing problems.
It was pretty easy peasy too.
Had them out on the Thursday before Easter, by Friday I was decorating Easter eggs and sugar cookies and by Easter I was completely back to myself eating candy and ham dinner.
Didn't scar me for life.
In fact I've had other procedures that were extremely necessary that have scarred me for life. Wisdom teeth extraction was the least of them lol

 

[smiths02]

You don't say. So that's not absolutely how genetics works and you're suggesting there's value in listening to the advice of medical professionals after all?

Okay, the sarcasm of your first post went over my head. I was taking it literally.
I am relieved.

 

[cabanafrau]

Okay, the sarcasm of your first post went over my head. I was taking it literally.
I am relieved.

Even a dim bulb like me learns something about genetics and dental health when one of my children developed a hereditary dental condition that I never knew existed, neither my husband or I have, and that I had no idea until that time that my mother in law's natural teeth also had been afflicted with.

ETA: You can't even imagine what a shock it was when my pregnancies didn't go exactly as my mother's had.