Pre bugout suggestion: Wisdom tooth extraction

I just had 2 upper wisdom tooth extracted. The procedure was painless but the recovery is... not what I expected. The trip back home was kind of painful. The ponstan does help to keep the pain down but I'm a wuss so...

Anyway I'm not a survivalist but this just occurred to me. Wisdom tooth problems are one of the most dangerous or annoyingly painful to have.

Wouldn't it be better to extract them while you still have insurance & the time for recovery?

I don't think it's a good idea to run around with teeth problems (which as you know typically hurts like the blazes) when the SHTF & having to depend on primitive methods like getting someone brave enough to work on you with pliers.

Just a thought.

reply to post by postmeme
Nah...

You use a coconut and a rock...

Like Tom Hanks in Cast Away...

Don't forget...WILSON!!!

Wisdom teeth, like the appendix, give a whole lot of potential problems for little benefit. I would get them removed ASAP, as anyone who's had them become impacted or infected will tell you that its a challenge to get much done until the problems fixed.

I still have my 2 wisdom teeth, farthest back on lower jaw. Myeeth are kinda crooked, barely noticalble. They dont hurt, but my front teeth lwoer jaw, are buckling, and 2 or 3 towrds teh abck, both sides, are turing sideways! Looks like the wisdoms arnt giving the rest row of teeth a chance to spread out.

you will need those wisdom teeth for when your diet consists of mostly tree bark and rocks, after your 6 month supply of campbell soup runs out.

>>> you will need those wisdom teeth for when your diet consists of mostly tree bark and rocks, after your 6 month supply of campbell soup runs out.

I agree. You might need those wisdom teeth later, perhaps to gnaw on a bone to get the last bit of marrow out.

If your wisdom teeth are in good shape now, go to the dentist and get Sealants. They last 10 years minimum and do the job very well, as I've had it done thrice now in as many decades and have no cavities on my wisdom teeth.

In survival situations: As long as you rinse your mouth out REALLY well with water after you eat to get rid of food particles, floss with string (if you can't find real floss) and try to brush a few times a week as best as you can under the conditions, you should be able to survive with your teeth intact until things blow over... whenever that might be...

I don't know if I agree. I'm cutting one of my top wisdom teeth now and although it was a bit painful (okay it was agony) for the first few days, it is much better now.

Both of my bottom wisdom teeth were gum impacted and I didn't have surgery. I just took care to make sure the area stayed clean and uninfected and let them come through naturally. Now they're absolutely fine. No pain. Nothing wrong with them.

I think there's a tendency to have too much medical intervention in natural things these days.

(edit to point out that gum impacted is not the same as when they grow in the wrong direction, it just means that there were issues with them cutting through the gums fully. If your dentist says they're growing in the wrong direction then you should have surgery to remove them.)

[edit on 21/4/09 by AngelInterceptor]

My two upper wisdom teeth started to dislocate my upper jaw. Needless to say, I got those suckers removed. The left one came out without any incident but the right one had an infection which prevented any novacaine to help numb the root so it was like getting the tooth pulled cold turkey. Needless to say, I was yelling. Heard a loud POP when it lurched out.

You want to talk about a consipracy? The wisdom tooth conspiracy - everyone should get them out so the dentists can make their Porsche payments.


I was told to remove mine and I never did. They're fine and I believe they're a natural part of my body. Sure there are problems with some people but for the most part if people left them in they would be fine.

I've heard of some folk who've have wisdom teeth extraction and they've had tooth pains ever since!

Actually you probably want to keep them unless your gonna bug out next to a dentist. Without dental care, your gonna need the extra teeth. Which is their original design.

reply to post by MegaBears


One person account doesn't negate the rule.

the point of wisdom teeth in nature was that you have already lost teeth by the time they came in. So you needed them.But with modern dentistry, this is no longer the case.For many people, it causes overcrowding and pushes the other teeth out of place.
And what most people dont' know is you can get up to 8 wisdome teeth, not four. That is a lot of teeth to make room for.

I still have all 4 of my Wisdom Teeth and they are fine...although granted, when they came in, the upper Wisdom Teeth had to push my upper teeth together to make room, so I have a very un-American smile...but I guess that in itself is a benefit from a Survivalist standpoint, considering how much of a liability it is these days to look American.

The pain of Wisdom Teeth coming in is intense and prolonged. However, like the pangs of Child Birth, it forever increases your Pain Threshold. That can be a useful thing as well.

As far as removal of other organs...

When my daughter was born I decided to undo the long-standing neglect to my health and ran the full gamut of tests with my Doctor and Dentist and Specialists since I finally had incentive to take care of myself to ensure I'd be around for all her life. One of the things I asked about was the preemptive removal of the Appendix and the Tonsils. My Doctor stated that although it was a common procedure in previous decades, most Physicians are reluctant to remove the Tonsils even if infected. My Doctor stated that Acute Appendicitis is so easily avoidable until one's elder years simply be increasing one's daily intake of fiber that it is a ridiculous notion to preemptively remove it. Besides, he mentioned that Medicine is discovering that the Appendix may not be a vestigial organ after all and most likely serves a very important role in maintaining bacteria levels in the intestines.

Just something to consider.

[edit on 22-4-2009 by fraterormus]

Mine are impacted and too high to take out yet... I have to wait for them to drop more... They're messing with my straight teeth though even though I still wear my retainers.

But yes if I could I would just get them out now. I want to be knocked out for it though. I hate procedures.

Originally posted by TheDustman
Wisdom teeth, like the appendix, give a whole lot of potential problems for little benefit. I would get them removed ASAP, as anyone who's had them become impacted or infected will tell you that its a challenge to get much done until the problems fixed.

And just like the appendix, if they're not broke don't try fixing them. To much fuss is made senselessly noncing about performing what is essentially cosmetic surgery on the off-chance something might go wrong.

Pack for eventualities, take mini-dental kits, anitibiotics. I am not in the middle of nowhere in Galt's Gulch (although sometimes it feels like it). I have my BOB and some kit that will help when TSHTF. Prepare to survive.

Worst case scenario, it may be only wisdom you have at your disposal.