Do wisdom teeth make your front teeth crooked?

This is a question which a patient asked yesterday and I hear fairly frequently. Your wisdom teeth usually come through in your late teens or your twenties. As you get older your teeth move and shuffle about, so often in your late teens or your twenties they will get more crooked. So the natural assumption is that the wisdom teeth have pushed from the back and therefore the front ones have crowded up.

Over the years there has been quite a bit of research on this problem. It shows that even if you have no wisdom teeth, or you have them removed, the front teeth can still change position. Crowding of the teeth (especially the lower front ones) can be considered a natural change as you get older, and it is just a coincidence it happens at the time when wisdom teeth erupt. I should point out the amount your teeth move is not predictable, it's down to individual variation.

So the answer is no, your wisdom teeth do NOT affect your front teeth. Current advice is to leave wisdom teeth alone, and only remove them if they are causing ongoing problems like repeated infection. Which is all ultimately good news for you! Of course, if your teeth are crooked then we can help with that.

Fee Review

This morning I had a request from a patient to delay the start of treatment due to uncertain job security. This is a reflection of the current financial climate of which we are all aware. Of course, I am happy to agree with my patients the best timing for them, whether this is due to financial or personal commitments. For example, many people prefer not to start treatment just before Christmas due to social engagements.

I am in the process of reviewing my treatment fees, which will come into effect on 1st January. This is a twice-yearly process to take account of changes in the market, overheads and so on. Inevitably this will lead to a rise in fees, but it is my aim to keep increases as small as practical. For this reason we rarely give discounts or "free" consultations, as the losses would have to be recouped elsewhere, perhaps by an increase in treatment cost. However, we do offer monthly payment plans so you can spread your investment over 12-36 months.

However, I will stress that any adult or child seen for consultation in November or December 2008 who agrees to a course of treatment and secures it with a deposit will be guaranteed 2008 fees for a period of three months from consultation. So if you were thinking about treatment but planning to get Christmas over with first, I would encourage you to call us now for a consultation so you can take advantage of our current fees (published on the website and confirmed after consultation).