About a month and a half ago, maybe 2 months, i got a horrible pain in the right side of my jaw. I have a wisdom tooth that never emerged there, so figured it might be making it's way down. after 3 days, i finally went in to have it checked out b/c i could barely open my mouth (thank God i love smoothies and juice), and the dentist had no idea why it was in such pain. he didn't believe a wisdom tooth would come in so late (i'm only 29). there was no infection or any other indication of a problem, so he recommended me to an oral surgeon to get an x-ray.

i go and get the x-ray 2 weeks later, long after my jaw had stopped hurting, and i see my wisdom tooth in the x-ray right past a bone-spur on my jaw. i think "okay, it was working it's way past my jaw, that's why it hurt." he says no, can't have done that, the tooth cannot move and certainly can't come in, i need to get it out because it was just infected before. i pointed out that it wasn't infected, and he said it had to have been b/c it hurt. so i accept that my tooth won't come in, cause he's the expert, right? but decide to not get it out b/c i don't believe it's likely to cause infections (the reason he says i need it out is because it caused one infection, so will cause another, even though no infection was ever present).

yesterday, my ear aches a bit, i pop my jaw a few times and realize that the mysterious tooth that isn't moving and is permanently stuck between my jaw and other tooth has completely erupted. without any further pain, and against the medical wisdom of two professionals, i have my lovely wisdom tooth fully out and with plenty of room to settle in...

man, i'm so glad i don't just rush in to get things yanked, removed, or otherwise interfered with! i'm not terribly attached to my wisdom teeth in theory, but avoiding any major surgery like that is just a relief. and why remove any tooth that fits in and doesn't harm any other teeth? i was floored at the confusion and misinformation of these professionals. as a side note, i had my wisdom teeth nubs removed when i was a teenager, but two teeth grew back. the oral surgeon told me this was impossible. i love being called a liar by medical professionals when the truth doesn't suit them. i have the medical charts showing the removal! oy.

i'm not saying not to trust your dentist, but be aware that they're not infallible. it's a much safer stance, especially when you're living an alternative lifestyle. (got my teeth cleaned for the first time in 4 years due to monetary reasons, and no cavities or problems whatsoever... doing something right)