Not reassuring to read Loerke's comments on this, as I've been told just this week by my dentist that I have to have mine taken out, and not even the thought of Vicodin or Percocet is sufficient to alleviate my trepidation regarding this. I never gave too much thought to my wisdom teeth, which began to plague me sometime during my teenaged years, if I remember right. They bothered me every few months on schedule while I was in my 20's; because of the soreness, I'd have to chew food on one side of my mouth for a few days until the discomfort dissipated. By the time I hit 30, the wisdom teeth ceased bothering me, and I forget about them. Now, though, I'm told they're creating an absess or a cyst of some kind in my jaw, and my molars could conceivably fall out if I don't deal with this soon. Ironically enough, a few weeks ago I drove a friend, who is a BIG addict, over to have the work done on his wisdom teeth (it's not considered major surgery, true, but they put you under, and you need someone to drive you home), and I figured he was exaggerating whatever minor symptoms he might have been suffering from so he'd be able to get a script for painkillers. I'm not so cynical now that that shoe is on my own foot. I've been trying assiduously to overcome my own decades long fondness for painkillers, but I must say that the prospect of a painkiller script may be the only thing getting me through this (not to sound like too much of a wussy, but I've gone through my share of physical pain in life, and the thought of someone sawing around in my open mouth chills me, quite frankly).