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What’s the Deal with Wisdom Teeth?
A dentist helps you decide whether to lop off these body parts for being so “extra”
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Is the wise old man in the photo above on to something? Is it sage advice to remove your wisdom teeth, or not so much? This is a hotly debated issue within the dental community. It divides families and eviscerates friendships. You could lose a tooth getting walloped by a dentist if you blaspheme in the wrong company. Currently, most American oral surgeons strongly recommend the prophylactic (meaning pre-emptive strike; get it out of there before it causes a problem later) removal of wisdom teeth for the majority of patients. It’s sort of a right of passage in our culture. But should it be?
Why would I so recklessly risk my life by casually discussing this most taboo of topics? Am I not just carelessly throwing gasoline on a perfectly innocent campfire? Why ruin ghost storytime with my incessant questions? Sorry. I am what I am. I’m terribly curious. I like parsing through what’s true and what’s not. It’s a bit of an obsession of mine. I’m a big fan of Louis Brandeis’ and his attitude toward sunlight. I want more patients to understand what is…
