Wisdom Teeth

Dentists have been casually recommending that I have my wisdom teeth removed for about 10 years now... I never felt like paying for it or going through the hassle. Well this past checkup visit the Stonehaven dentist pushed removing my wisdom teeth harder than any previous dentist has. His assistants picked up right where he left off, aggressively pushing the procedure. I still did not schedule to do it at the office, and I was annoyed by his salesman style approach. Then Rebecca started asking me, "When should I schedule to get those wisdom teeth out?" I think I reacted to her the same as the dentist in the office by telling her, we can't afford it, I am too busy at work, it is not hurting me to keep them, and maybe next year. But Rebecca made a good point, these teeth are a "health liability". She said all LDS missionaries are now required to have them removed before leaving on their mission. Keeping them is a liability if a problem develops while in the field away from modern medical facilities in the US and other countries. She also asked me if the roles were reversed and it was her that needed the wisdom teeth removed, would I be against it? I never thought about it that way, and it turned my perspective around on the cost. For six hundred or so dollars I can pay off that "health liability" forever and if Rebecca needed it done, I would let it be her decision and would support whatever she decided.

I am not looking forward to the procedure having read about the recovery: swollen face, oozing and bleeding, smelly foul bacteria breath for a week... but I will get it done in the next month or so regardless. This is also the first time I have been put under general anesthesia, so I hope I don't freak out, have Mom's nausea, or just never wake up.