My grandfather started practicing dentistry in the '20s and my mother in the '50s, so my thoughts come from them (paraphrasing): While many people may not have

My grandfather started practicing dentistry in the '20s and my mother in the '50s, so my thoughts come from them (paraphrasing): While many people may not have an urgent need to get rid of their wisdom teeth at age 18 (or even 50), it is a very simple extraction before these teeth have taken root. After they have rooted, it is more complicated, and more painful. These teeth are unnecessary, and one can eat perfectly fine without them. The most horrible stories I heard as a kid were mostly about wisdom teeth causing crowding and/or gum issues. To each their own, of course, but I believe the prudent route is to have them removed when you are 18 (or whenever they start to come in for you).