Dentists far too often recommend extraction for wisdom teeth when it's unnecessary, probably because they can charge a hefty fee for it.
These things are not preventable, you were just born lucky. Remember, humans didn't usually live to become 50 years old.
Exactly this. I had something similar (identical?): A horizontal impaction of my bottom right molar. Had I left it longer, it would've destroyed the roots to the molar in front of it, and I would've lost that tooth, too.
I suspect it's largely genetic. My mum has all her wisdom teeth, and she's never had an issue; my father had all of his removed because they didn't come in straight. My situation played out identically to his. Hence, I don't believe that simply taking pristine care of the teeth will magically help--if they don't erupt from the gums properly or come in crooked, there isn't much else that can be done save an extraction if they're problematic. In many cases, you're better off having them removed to prevent issues precisely like this one.
(On a tangent, there's a great article [1] about how bulldogs have been bread to have massive jaws and a very short face and that results in all kinds of breathing difficulties.)
[0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypodontia [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/magazine/can-the-bulldog-b...
> (On a tangent, there's a great article [1] about how bulldogs have been bread to have massive jaws and a very short face and that results in all kinds of breathing difficulties.)
I bet that applies to persian cats, too, since they're bred with extensively concave faces (something that seems cruel, IMO).
Very interesting reply--thanks for sharing that, because I had completely forgotten that one of my friends has a similar condition. Can't believe I completely forgot he had implantation done, too...
This. Also, humans used to lose a lot of teeth. Modern dental hygiene is a very recent development within the ~200,000 year span of H. sapiens sapiens. Throughout most of human history, wisdom teeth served as reserves, of a sort, to fill in what were likely to have been more than a few gaps.
These days, proper dental hygiene means you've more likely than not been able to keep all of your adult teeth, ergo, it's highly likely than your wisdom teeth will become impacted. The assertion that proper dental care will prevent wisdom tooth impaction is ludicrous.
It is true, however, that extraction of wisdom teeth can be managed to an extent. Almost everyone gets them at some point, and impaction is very common, and all of this is well known. So a proper dental regimen should include x-rays to search for wisdom teeth well before they become problematic. If this is what the OP intended to say, then fine. But his phrasing makes it sound as if he implied that proper brushing and flossing will obviate the need for wisdom tooth removal. Last I checked, brushing and flossing do not alter the shape of one's jaw.
> My wisdom teeth actually fit in my mouth. Because
> I took care of them
Whether or not your wisdom teeth fit into your mouth or grow in the right direction is not a matter of 'proper dental hygiene.'