How long it too long for wisdom teeth to come in?

For the last seven years, my wisdom teeth have been coming in very slowly. It seems like they will move for a month or two (and hurt like crazy!) and then stop moving for a few months, at which time they do not hurt. Two have partial tops that have broken through the surface of the gums, but they do not seem to be going anywhere. They also seem to be coming in crooked and are in danger of pushing the rest of my teeth around. The other two are mostly under the surface, except for a point or two. I don't have dental coverage, and since they do not hurt all the time, I can't really afford to have them pulled. Is it normal for them to take years to come in? My father never even had wisdom teeth and my mother had hers removed when she was very young, so they can't really help any.

How long it too long for wisdom teeth to come in?
Hey - I am a dental hygienist. It is very normal for wisdom teeth to take as long as they want to enter the mouth. I often see partially erupted wisdom teeth in people from 17-90. You may find that they stay just as they are for the rest of your life. We generally recommend having them extracted if they are altering your bite (meaning the way your teeth look or if they are crowding to the point of reducing the function of how you chew) or if they are situated in your mouth in a way that makes them very hard to keep clean. In people with periodontal disease we see the most deterioration in wisdom teeth. So, even if they aren't causing you trouble now it is possible for them to become a headache down the road. On the flip side, some people care for their wisdom teeth just fine and do not end up with troubles. Next time you visit the dentist ask for his/her opinion based on your individual mouth.
Reply:They will probably never come in. Usually there is not enough room. You are right, they will make your other teeth crooked if you do not get them out but if you don't have insurance, it can be quite expensive. Wish I had a better solution for you.





hmm... do yo live someplace close to a dental school? Maybe you can get it done there for cheap or free.
Reply:Some people have room in their mouths for wisdon teeth to come in well, and the only problem is making certain to brush and floss well way back there. Obviously you are not one of those people. The fact that they are coming in crooked and pushing other teeth around is a bigger problem than you may have considered. Besides being poor in appearance, crooked teeth are more difficult to brush well, so are more prone to decay. Crooked teeth also lead to periodontal disease. The longer you wait to have them removed, the longer their roots will be, if they are not already fully mature. The longer the roots, the more difficult they are to remove without damaging the nerve to that quarter of your mouth. That also means, the longer you wait, the more it will cost to have them removed. Considering all these factors, I hope you will put having them removed higher on your list of priorities so you will find some way to get the money to take care of them.
Reply:Mine came in over a period of 5-6 years. They also hurt periodically. They were all partially-erupted. The only reason I had them removed is because one of them caused a cavity in one of my molars because it was so close.