It happens that a person has only one wisdom tooth erupted, does this mean that the other three are dormant?
When a wisdom tooth erupts without an antagonist, that is, the lower one without the upper one or the upper one without the lower one, this is the most dangerous situation in terms of bite. Because the tooth will continue to grow in an attempt to find its companion and can grow lower than the plane of the chewing teeth, which will cause very serious bite deformations. In the future, it will still have to be removed, but, unfortunately, it will also be necessary to correct the bite deformation. The situation when only one tooth erupts needs to be discussed with a dentist.

Even if it doesn't bother you?
Absolutely right. Such things rarely cause obvious concern. Therefore, only a qualified dentist can understand and assess what threat this kind of situation poses to the patient.

And the other three teeth may not erupt at all? Should they be monitored in a dormant state?
 Yes, this may happen. But even those teeth that have not erupted and are in the jaw also need monitoring with X-rays or CT scans. Because sometimes cysts, large inflammatory formations, appear around them. And then a very dangerous situation arises from the point of view of general health. And removing both the tooth and the cyst is, of course, a more serious manipulation.

How painful is tooth extraction?
Tooth extraction is now a completely painless procedure, and wisdom teeth are no exception. As for the consequences, if the procedure is performed correctly, the discomfort is minimal and usually lasts no more than one or two days.

Let's talk about it again. At what age should the issue of wisdom teeth be addressed?
Or is it not tied to age and is done according to indications? If we treat patients from a young age, we can quite clearly predict whether wisdom teeth will erupt or not and recommend their removal before they cause serious problems. If an adult patient comes to us, then the issue will have to be addressed at any age.

Do you have patients in your practice who have kept their wisdom teeth in good condition until old age?
Yes, of course, I have patients who have kept their wisdom teeth, but these are very rare cases. No one says that wisdom teeth should be removed in 100% of people. But, unfortunately, 99% still have indications for the removal of these teeth.

What would you advise first of all to a patient who has an erupted wisdom tooth?
Find a qualified dentist and consult. And do not refuse to remove it. When removal is postponed "until better times", most often an urgent need arises at the most inopportune moment. For example, this happened to our patient once in the middle of the Mediterranean on board a yacht during a regatta. Of course, we found a way to help him remotely. But if the doctor says that the wisdom tooth needs to be removed, you can be absolutely sure of the need for this. No doctor will remove a wisdom tooth just like that.