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Two or four? How many wisdom teeth to remove?

Patients who have all four wisdom teeth sometimes ask if it is better to extract two now and two later, or all four at the same time. In most cases, having all four wisdom teeth removed at once is the better way to go.

Reduced recovery time

Despite doubling the number of teeth and doubling the number of surgical sites, recovering from four extractions is roughly the same as recovering from two. This is because all four sites heal separately and at the same time. By removing all four teeth at once you’ll only have to go through the recovery process once.

Save money

The cost of extracting four teeth in a single procedure is significantly lower than the cost of two separate two tooth extractions.

More convenient

There is more that goes into having oral surgery than showing up for the surgery itself. You need to find a ride to/from your appointment, plan postop meals and adjust your work schedule and other routines. Why go through the hassle twice?

Lower risk

While the risk of complications with wisdom teeth extraction is very low, why double your risk with two surgeries if you don’t have to?

The choice is yours

If a patient’s personal preference is to complete their wisdom teeth extraction over two separate procedures, most oral surgeons will have no problem accommodating this request–but before you make your final decision, do consider all the reasons why one surgery for all four teeth is recommended by surgeons and patients alike.