I've heard of coronectomies being done, but I doubt they're risk-free
either.  It may not be possible without sacrificing the second molar.
    They pretty much have to tell you the risk of nerve damage.  The tips
of the roots appear pretty close to the nerve bundle, but it's still
better than the whole length lying next to it, or worse the roots
wrapped around the nerve bundle.
    You can never promise no nerve damage; still, I'd have a good OMF
surgeon look at this.  I'm guessing he/she would say the chances are
good you would get away without nerve damage.
    These are pretty hard--I don't do impacted wisdom teeth.  The surgeon
might work up a schvitz too, but this is a pretty common presentation.

Steve

OK, looked at your radiograph and that is a nice posting.

My evaluation is that at your age without symptoms your best
bet is to leave a sleeping dog lie.

It is most likely that the apices of #17 <if this is on your Left
side> {#32 if on your Right}
are buccal [cheek side] to the mandibular canal.

The most serious aspect of your particular case is the proximity
of the mesial <inferior border> of the impaction to the apex of the
second molar.
However the radiographic appearance of the inferior border of the
boney crypt suggests an oblique angle from cusp tip to root tip.

Am going to assume that this is your left side and use the according
tooth numbers as such.

Here's what I see:

#19 has RCT and some kind of B/U (build - up) the material is
irrelevant. There also appear to be two posts set
<one mesial and one distal> at least half-way into the RCT structure.
#19 is extremely weakened at this point and may get a few more
years if crowned. There appears to be a distal fracture.

#18 <the tooth to the right>, as per
[[http://img503.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wisdom01wt3.jpg]]
appears to have distal decay, encroaching into the pulp.

There also appears to be a radiolucency  from 1/2 to 2/3ds
down the distal aspect of the distal root. This is most likely a
radiographic artifact and unlikely to be observed during surgery.
Impossible to tell from a radiograph.

As far as advice for you I have none.
If you were my patient, we would talk long and hard about the
benefits vs. adverse sequelae.

You may keep all three molars or you may lose all three.
It's a crap-shoot either way.

BTW #14 <left first molar, according to our assumption>
may have distal decay, or an abfraction.
A deep restoration encroaches upon the Mesio-Buccal pulp horn.

Never seen a tooth grow sideways like that. Looks like surgical removal may be the only
way to remove it.