If you are experiencing bleeding when brushing, that can be a sign of gum disease,…I know this because I have periodontal disease…I also had bleeding gums at one time, luckily for me , they now have the disease under control,no more bleeding gums.
If the dentist can see your tooth you may not need an x-ray. If your gums are bleeding then Pauline is right about having a gum infection, and if that gets bad you could lose more than the one tooth.
Salt water mouth washes work like an anti septic, so you could try those but, if you don’t like the taste of salt, try Corsydyl mouthwashes. That is what my cancer specialist advised when I had Chemo.
Hope you get things sorted soon!
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Geek, Didn’t your dentist do an X-ray in the first place? I am with an NHS dentist and they do X-rays every now and again and show me them on a screen. I have never had to pay for them.
If l was having a wisdom tooth out, l would prefer to have it done in a hospital like they used to do with wisdom teeth.
Sorry, if this sounds sexist but l would prefer a strong male dentist to take it my tooth out. I say this because l have known one or two people who have female dentists and they have struggled to take a tooth out
. One of them, the dentist took over an hour to remove the tooth. The other, the dentist had to call a dentist from another practice to come and get the tooth out.
I gave up on NHS dentistry some years ago. My private dentist is not very gentle and skilled, he works on the Chinese principal … we only pay a set fee monthly and that covers everything. Should any highly involved remedial treatment be required, he does not receive any extra payments, working on the principal that if his preventative maintenance was as effective as it is supposed to be, no major work should be required.
Over the years, this has sat very well with my wife and myself. He hails from Sweden, just like my wife and we all get along very well 
Dentists always want to remove wisdom teeth as they are considered useless, they also don’t like to work on them as they are hard to reach. But in older adults it is complex if that is the tooth you mean. You can end up with nerve damage if unlucky & it can affect your bite. Go to a private dentist for a second opinion and for something like this they sometimes don’t even charge or it may be £20-40 max. I don’t understand why your dentist can’t try to adjust it first or do a restoration to correct the shape. There is a cost/benefit needed to assess the risk of complications during extraction against risk of decay etc.
Many thanks for your replies folks
Geek, I’m in a similar position, mine’s half erupted and positioned diagonally nudging the next tooth…and it’s been like that for nigh on 50yrs. I make sure I floss the in between space every time I’ve eaten something - which might sound extreme, but it’s the sort of space where little nasties will thrive. 
Are you a long standing patient of this present practice or a new patient there? The reason I ask, I’m assuming you are over 50 (being on here) so must have had the tooth a long time and wondered why your dentist is now mentioning removal when you have no discomfort? If you find it awkward to clean there now, are you suffering with any hand problems ie gripping the brush in any way?
Have you a hygienists at the practice? If so, the dentist should be referring you to them to help you cope with cleaning around there and showing you the different brushes you could use. Whether you use a whizzer (electric t/brush) or hand brush, I don’t know, but using a soft small brush (child’s) and gentle brushing the area with that and/or single tufted brushes to help clean near the gum line are useful and they should be discussing these with you.
I use the whizzer and as the usual interdental brushes are too big to fit the space, there’s just enough room to use the tape type floss, but not the ‘cotton looking type’ as that ‘cuts’ and makes my gum bleed if I’m not careful.
If you’ve no discomfort but bleeding when brushing, perhaps it’s possible you may be brushing too vigorously or angling the brush wrongly especially if you use a ‘whizzer’ . You might be ‘bothering’ the gum line around the tooth, which I do sometimes. The hygienist would be able to advise on that too.
If your dentist hasn’t noted any problems with your gums on examination then they must be ok. So, there’s no need to go private for that. You are entitled to have an x-ray in Band Level 1, as part of a check up. I go to every 6mths, but don’t have an x-ray every 6mths, unless I have a problem. If your dentist has come up with removing whichever tooth it is, I would expect an xray to be taken anyway for them to view the roots before extraction.
But all in all, if you routinely practise good oral hygiene, floss regularly and clean your teeth regularly and you’re not in any discomfort, I can’t understand why you should have it removed.
Apologies for all the questions - just trying to understand the reasoning for having it removed. 
This is how you choose another dentist. Go to the General Dental Council website on: https://www.gdc-uk.org/
Scroll down a bit and click on “Look for a Dental Professional”
Tick whichever options apply and search for the best qualified dental professional you can find. Also search for your existing dentist and ensure they are not “working under supervision” which means they are being investigated for a complaint.
Get the best possible professional to give you the advice you need, then decide on your course of action. Good luck.
Have the beggar out it will only cause you problems in the future .
Thanks Lindyloo
Hi Pesta
Many thanks indeed for your long post. I originally went to the dentist because my gums were bleeding when I brushed and it was dark red blood. I have had gum disease for a few years now.
The dentist said the reason why I bleed so much is that the wisdom tooth has lost all its bone and is at an angle, so best to get it removed. I have been with this practice for well over 5 years now and no mention of this has been made before. I find it awkward to reach the back of my teeth with both the manual and electrical brush.
I see both the dentist and hygenist every time I go, and the hygenist has advised to use very small interdental brushes which can go between the teeth.
Do you think I should go for a 2nd opinion on whether or not I should have that wisdom tooth removed?
Thank You
Have you ever had a bone density scan? At age 50, a scan revealed I had severe osteoporosis. Fortunately my GP ordered a blood test which revealed I had a huge amount of calcium in my blood. This is hyperparathyroidism where a tumour on the parathyroid gland(s) causes calcium to be extracted from the body. I had terrible issues with extremely painful abscesses from my 20’s to my 50’s and was told the hyperparathyroidism could have been the cause.
Hi Lindyloo
No I haven’t had a bone density scan. I presume I should ask for one on my next visit to the dentist?
Thanks
Hi Geek
I suppose if you think about it logically, the fact no mention has been made before about it’s removal, both gum disease and lack of proper cleaning (because you find it awkward to reach) is probably why the question of it’s removal has come up now. It’s sounds as if it’s ‘at the end of it’s sell by date’ and might get to the point where things get so bad extraction will be the only option anyway. It will be an ongoing problem, which in turn will be affecting your overall oral health.
If you feel you don’t trust your dentist’s opinion and If you’re prepared to pay and can afford long term treatment with a private dentist who specialises in periodontal disease and bone loss maybe that’s the way for you to go . They will do everything possible to save your teeth and gums - but will cost you thousands.
I think you should go with what your heart, or is it head, tells you to do. But also take on board, if you go seeking 2nd or 3rd opinions, you might risk losing your present (I’m assuming) NHS dentist, who seem to be like gold dust. You might might end up without one and end up paying vast sums privately for what you receive now on the NHS for far less. If it ends up the only option is removal, you could have saved your money by staying with your present NHS dentist and accepting his opinion.
Decisions, decisions!
Hope some of the above may be of help in your decision making.
Edited to Add… for some reason this reply has gone to Lindyloo instead of Geek and I can’t alter it. 
Thanks for yuor advice. Much appreciated.
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Thanks Pesta - I don’t know why it came to me either, but can I add a possible solution?
Firstly: Confidentiality exists between dentists as well as doctors.
Secondly: Seeking a second opinion may add other options and by not addressing the problem you may find it applies to other teeth in the future.
Thirdly: The cost of a private dentist: You should ask the cost of an initial consultation - probably around £150 - £175. If you go ahead with that you could consider a “Health Cash Plan”. I have one with Westfield Health which costs me £21.65 per month which allows me to claim back £120 per year on dental fees as well as very very many other costs. Their plans and fees are on:Health cash plan - from £7.20 per month | Westfield Health
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Lindyloo, I’d forgotten about these cash plans. Probably because I don’t have any. 
But, yes that is an option.
No, Geek - it’s done at the hospital and you’re referred by your GP usually.
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It’s often out-sourced to a specialist scanning clinic. Very quick and totally painless.
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Mine are always done at the hospital Lindyloo. But, maybe it’s different in different locations, or why it’s needed.
Anyway, we know it’s not the dentist one asks