After calculating the number of hours of work the anesthetic would cost me, I decided to bite the bullet of go with a local anesthetic. (My dad was also tough-guying me to skip the general anesthetic.) So I called the surgeon's office to make an appointment. When I mentioned that I would be opting opt of general anesthetic, the receptionist paused and asked me to hold. When she came back, she said that the doctor specified that general anesthetic would be necessary. I mentioned the conversation I had already had with him. She again asked me to hold. When she returned, she said it was no longer an option.
I put off the appointment. Miffed, I decided to take a closer look at the practice. This was pre-internet so I went to my local public library. I tracked down a British NHS study that suggested extraction was over-prescribed in the US in part due to the private insurance system. (I guess you can insert your tired joke about British teeth here.) One NHS study coupled with my incipient suspicion of the American medical system was enough for me. Plus all the money I was going to save. I decided to forego the surgery.
Almost 30 years on and I can say I have no regrets. (Yet?) My third molars are still buried in my gums. A few years ago, the bottom right one partially broke through the gum. It was irritating at times but never really painful. I take care to floss and brush it with my other teeth. It seems to have come to rest. If I remember correctly, the study stated that after age 30 or 40, most people's wisdom teeth will have settled.
One internet commenter's tale backed by one study for which I no longer have the reference.