Getting my wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday... (SCARED & AFRAID)

[diehldun]

Oh dear. My mom scheduled an appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed this Wednesday. She figues I better get them out before I head off to college.

As never having been through surgery or anestesia, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I did some searching on these forums, and read some grotesque horror stories about infections, "dry sockets", vomiting after waking up, etc. :eek:

What is the IV/anestesia needle like? As I've always been terrified of needles since I was a child, even getting a flu shot is big deal to me. Do you "go out" knowing that you're going to sleep (take a long, gradual time), or is it instantaneous.

I guess I'm nervous also because I've never been operated on, and my mom vomitted right after waking from her wisdom teeth operation back in the 1980s. After hearing about "dry sockets", I've even become worried about eating afterwards.

I went to a consultation with my mom to talk to the doctor. He was trying to calm me down, but I think it's the unexpectedness and mystery that's making me so terrified! And what a rotten day to celebrate my summer holiday (getting the operation on the first day of vacation :( )

[vniow]

I had mine done a couple months ago under a local so I didn't get completely knocked out. The operation was a relatively painless procedure, except for one side that wouldn't go completely numb even after sticking it multiple times.

I'm not afraid of needles at all so that wasn't an issue, the most pain-in-the-ass part of the procedure was the bleeding afterwards and the gauze I had to place in the bak of my mouth. My chin/jaw area also felt swollen and numb after I left but it looked fine. The bleeding diminished after a short while and I got my Vicodin perscription which was a HUGE releif and I could actually talk normally within a few hours.

All and all it was more discomfort than pain, the most pain was the anesthesia needles but after that took effect it was (mostly) a smooth ride painwise from there.

You're not going to able to eat solid food for a few days and it'll feel weird for awhile not to have those teeth there but you'll get used to it shortly. I took the next day off of work just in case but I could have gone. Your milage may vary.

-Ani

[jsw]

I had mine out in high school. I had gas, not injections, and was in that half-out state where I could understand what I was being told but had no memory of it afterward.

No pain afterward whatsoever. No dry socket. No lingering effects. I went to a picnic later that afternoon and ate (soft foods). I know some people have horror stories, but I've had worse times with splinters.

[Electro Funk]

Oh dear. My mom scheduled an appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed this Wednesday. She figues I better get them out before I head off to college.

As never having been through surgery or anestesia, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I did some searching on these forums, and read some grotesque horror stories about infections, "dry sockets", vomiting after waking up, etc. :eek:

What is the IV/anestesia needle like? As I've always been terrified of needles since I was a child, even getting a flu shot is big deal to me. Do you "go out" knowing that you're going to sleep (take a long, gradual time), or is it instantaneous.

I guess I'm nervous also because I've never been operated on, and my mom vomitted right after waking from her wisdom teeth operation back in the 1980s. After hearing about "dry sockets", I've even become worried about eating afterwards.

I went to a consultation with my mom to talk to the doctor. He was trying to calm me down, but I think it's the unexpectedness and mystery that's making me so terrified! And what a rotten day to celebrate my summer holiday (getting the operation on the first day of vacation :( )

Dont sweat it... especially if they are putting you under... this is how i had mine done years ago.... doc will give you some gas to relax you and then knock you out with a punch to the face:p ... i mean an IV... sorry :o

when you first wake you will not be in any pain... trust me... but you will be high as the cost of living for an hour or two after you awake....

after you come down from the sedatives will have some minor pain, but its really no that bad. (the doc will give you pain pills for this... probably 5 mili vicodins that will certainly take care of any pain your experiencing)

just follow the doctors orders regardiing not eating solid foods for a few days... i did not do this and got an infection.... even that was not soo bad.... had to go back in get the cavities flushed out with water and then he packed the cavitys with some stuff that got rid of the infection....

all in all i have to say it wasnt that bad.... even with the infection. (that i never would have gotten if i had just followed the docs orders on what to eat for the next 3 days...)

Good luck and stop worrying.... everything will be fine...;)

Edit: After the doc inserted my iv he asked me to start counting backwards from 100... i think i got to 92 and i was out cold.... it happens pretty darn quick.... you just get very warm and fuzzy and sleepy and then GOOD NIGHT... it felt like it was 1 min later and the doc was waking me up with everything finished....

[Capt Underpants]

Let us know how it goes. I get mine out on the 27th :eek:

[Chundles]

You'll be fine, it's a piece of cake.

Get a stocking and tie a knot in the middle, put small bags of ice in each side wrapped in a thin tea-towel. Tie it with the knot under your chin and the ice on either side of your face. You'll look like an arseclown but you won't get any bruising if you keep it up, on for a bit, then off for a bit then back on.

Do EXACTLY what the orthodontist says and you'll be right as rain. Take it easy, be gentle with cleaning when you're allowed to start brushing again and everything will be fine. Having mine out sure took a lot of pain away from my fairly crowded jaw and it's definitely worth not having to worry about the worse problems you'll have later on if you leave them in.

Deep breaths, everything's fine.

[Chundles]

Edit: After the doc inserted my iv he asked me to start counting backwards from 100... i think i got to 92 and i was out cold.... it happens pretty darn quick.... you just get very warm and fuzzy and sleepy and then GOOD NIGHT... it felt like it was 1 min later and the doc was waking me up with everything finished....


My orthodontist got me to count to ten, he said my exact words were "One, Two, thrGood night nurse"

I woke up back in the hospital bed busting for the toilet (I have been in hospital with rotting hip bones and have still never used that little bottle) so i got up and walked out to the toilet thinking all the way "what it this huge spongy thing that's sticking out from my mouth?" turns out it was my very numb, but very normal-sized bottom lip, very strange feeling.

I had a bit of blood round my mouth so I cleaned myself up a bit (I have a habit of doing this, nurses don't like me cause that's meant to be their job but I always wake up earlier than expected and take myself off to the toilet) but other than that I looked fine. The stocking ice pack thing kept my bruising down to a bit of colour for less than a morning and it was gone after that.

It's really nothing to be worried about.

[Frozone]

Getting your wisdom teeth cut out is not really all that bad.

Word of caution though. If you're the type that gets dizzy really easily, then do NOT take a hot bath later that day, espically if you're like me and refused to take the pain medication they give you afterwards. I took an extremely hot bath and when I stood up, fainted and hit my head on the tub and then woke up scrambling trying to push my way up out of the water not knowing what's going on. I had to sit back down in the tub for about 10 minutes, and then try again. I nearly fainted the second time, but sat on the edge of the tub and leaned against the wall until the dizziness passed.

[diehldun]

but I (shamefully) think that the part that scares me the most is the IV/anestesia needle! Is it the "same" pain as an ordinary flu shot?

Thanks anyways for such responses! My mom calls me a wimp :o

[Xander562]

i wouldnt sweat it, my older brother just had is out a couple days ago. he's on some wicked pain killers so he says it doesnt hurt that much. as for the IV he said that his whole body went all tingly then he didnt remember anything. just dont think about it when they do it, and you'll be ok. just dont eat anything solid/sharp for the first two days or so, or else you'll get infected and let me telly you ITS NOOOOT FUUUUNN!:( :( you be fine. just dont make any big decisions/do anything stupid like sign your life away withing the first 3 hours of wakin up. cause you wont make much sense.

oh by the way, Vicodin is a narcotic FYI (just what i heard)

[Frozone]

i wouldnt sweat it, my older brother just had is out a couple days ago. he's on some wicked pain killers so he says it doesnt hurt that much. as for the IV he said that his whole body went all tingly then he didnt remember anything. just dont think about it when they do it, and you'll be ok. just dont eat anything solid/sharp for the first two days or so, or else you'll get infected and let me telly you ITS NOOOOT FUUUUNN!:( :( you be fine. just dont make any big decisions/do anything stupid like sign your life away withing the first 3 hours of wakin up. cause you wont make much sense.

oh by the way, Vicodin is a narcotic FYI (just what i heard)


The hours afterwards were actually the least painful, for me atleast. I had mine cut out and walked into the Pharmacy dancing and singing. It wasn't until a few hours later when I got home that the pain set in.

[Electro Funk]

but I (shamefully) think that the part that scares me the most is the IV/anestesia needle! Is it the "same" pain as an ordinary flu shot?

Thanks anyways for such responses! My mom calls me a wimp :o


noooooo! it is a very sharp thin needle... you will BARELY feel a pinch....

if you that worried about it ask the doc for a little gas before the nurse sticks you (if he hasent given it to you already)... a few deep breaths of medical grad nitrous oxide and you wont care if he is sticking a gutter nail in your arm;)

again.... dont sweat it... everything will be fine...

[Electro Funk]

The hours afterwards were actually the least painful, for me atleast. I had mine cut out and walked into the Pharmacy dancing and singing. It wasn't until a few hours later when I got home that the pain set in.

yes vicodin is a narcotic... Hydrocodone (opium derivative) and acetametaphin.... takes care a mild pain well... not to worry though .... he will only give you around a 10 day supply which is nothing to worry about...

you would need to eat 3-5 a day for 2 or 3 months before feeling any dependancy to the hydro.... so do what the doc says regarding food and take you pain meds and everything will go very smoove....;)

Edit: damn i linked to the wrong post again... sorry meant to quote xander above you :o

[EricNau]

As for dry sockets...

If you don't know what they are, it's when the blood clot dissolves letting the blood out of the cavity, thus making a "dry socket." Having that cavity full of blood is crucial for healing.

Do NOT eat anything warm/hot or drink anything carbonated, both might dissolve the clot. Also, DO NOT USE A STRAW!!!

[EricNau]

oh by the way, Vicodin is a narcotic FYI (just what i heard)
... and a very good one at that. :p

[SamIchi]

I don't think it's anything to worry about it's a pretty common procedure.

I wish I could get mine out. I was scheduled back in January, and complications with insurance keep showing up. I just want this damn thing out.

[Vader]

I got mine taken out spring break this year.
About the needle, I almost passed out.

Just kidding, they said I couldn't eat or drink for like 12 hours before or whatever, so I was dehydrated, and it was hot in the room, and they attached all this crap to my fingers and wrist. I was sweating hard. Needle went in, and I didn't even feel it, and then it was nighty-night for 40 minutes!
waking up is the fun part, it takes a bit for the drugs to wear off.

[DZ/015]

Vicodin is awesome! A couple of them followed by a glass of bourbon is like heaven.

I was given Tylox when my wisdom teeth were removed. No problems or complications that I can remember. It was 1988, so my memory may be faulty.

[dukebound85]

Im getting quesey just reading this thread and I still need to get mine out. Something about messing with my body I can't take mentally so I usually get pretty faint lol

[EricNau]

From my experience of getting teeth pulled (and other dental procedures), I've found the best thing to do is take it very easy for the first 24-48 hours (or maybe longer). Even if the dentist says I can go home and eat, I'll wait until the next morning before I even try and drink anything.

When I got two of my molars pulled and when I had gum surgery, I had virtually no pain at all, and I think taking things slower than suggested helped a lot.

That said, if the dentist says you should eat, or you need to take your medication on a full stomach, always follow the medical professional's directions religiously. It will pay off in the end.

[Electro Funk]

Vicodin is awesome! A couple of them followed by a glass of bourbon is like heaven.
.

Agreed, personally i like Norco's even more ... got some for my back and lets just say i fell in love for a month! ... too bad i didnt get any refills.... maybe ill fall down the stairs tomorrow... :D

[Timepass]

I have had oral surgery 2 times now (one for exposing a tooth about 8 years ago) and wisedom teeth 3-4 years ago. Both times was knock out.

Most painful part of that part is when they put the IV in. I dont like needles not afraid of them but I really really dont like them. My trick to is I dont look. I look off the opisit direction with me mentally forcing that arm to be relaxed (normally my other arm is pretty tense).

After that you dont feel much and they will put in the drug to put you under. First time I remember seeing 1 heart rate mointor become 2 heart monitor and then split again to 4 monitors and then I was out. Next thing I remember is having galze in my mouth and a nurse waking me up.

When I got my wisedom teeth out. needle in uncle checks on me (he was removing my wisedom teeth). Say night night and boom I was out.

The most painful night for me was the first night and yeah it hurt quite a bit and the only reason I got any sleep was the pain killers I was given put me out. 2nd day it was noughting more than a dull pain. Did eat anything the first day really wasnt hungery.

Oh and soup will be your best friend for about 4-5 days.

Dont eat any chips for at least a week. No straws no cokes really. dont eat anything that will be able to form a sharp hard edge and you will be fine.

Really just relax and enjoy being pampered for a day and sleeping all day long. The drugs will have you pretty sleeping for about a day.

[EricNau]

Oh and soup will be your best friend for about 4-5 days.

I wouldn't eat that soup hot or warm if I were you...

[Les Kern]

A dry socket can be INCREDIBLY painful... I know. Don't use a straw, don't even touch it. Let it heal for a few days before you eat anything not already pre-chewed. I heard that using a tea bag on it helps a lot, so I did that and it worked. Kept it covered and just felt good.
Are you having them pulled becasue they are impacted? Do they hurt? Do they have massive cavities? Are they crowding the other teach - pushing them out of alignment? If you answered no to all of these, reconsider. My mom is 81 and STILL has hers. As for the procedure itself, it is uneventful. Don't be a wuss. And besides, the anasthesia is AWESOME. Legally ******** up. But after that, aspirin is fine.

[4JNA]

all 4 out at once. :eek: 2 went 'dry socket'. was laid up in bed for a week with my new best friend "percocet". don't remember much of that week which is a good thing. avoid super hot/cold liquid, don't even think about solids. get lots of good books/movies/games/'your thing here' before hand and rest/wait it out.

good luck!

[macgeek2005]

Am I missing something here? Since when do people get wisdom teeth removed? :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[DZ/015]

You're missing something. People still do get them removed. They can impact other teeth, causing problems.

[EricNau]

A dry socket can be INCREDIBLY painful... I know. Don't use a straw, don't even touch it. Let it heal for a few days before you eat anything not already pre-chewed. I heard that using a tea bag on it helps a lot, so I did that and it worked. Kept it covered and just felt good.
Here's a second vote for tea bags.
When I got my teeth pulled, it would not stop bleeding. I had gauze in my mouth the entire day, and every 10 minutes I had to replace it with a fresh piece. It kept bleeding so long I had to have someone go out and buy me more. Not knowing what to do, I called the dentist and he recommended tea bags. That did the trick! (plus it tasted good) :D

...But after that, aspirin is fine.
I wouldn't recommend aspirin. It thins the blood which could affect clotting.

[annk]

I had all mine out in 1983, two were impacted. I insisted on being awake during the whole thing, the doctor wanted to put me under, but I was a horn player then and worried about the nerves in my lips, so I told him to tell me exactly what he was doing while he was doing it. :p He just gave me a bunch of novacaine first, it was fine. Afterwards I was very glad I didn't have to be put under, because I get very sick the first day or two afterwards.

It went fine, fast, I didn't feel a thing, and I seem to remember that I had very little pain (I got some pills for the first few days, but lived my life as usual except for food).

I hate needles, especially IV's, so I feel for you there, but truly they don't hurt, it's just the idea of them that's gross IMO. You're not a wimp, it's normal not to like someone sticking a needle in you! :D

You'll be fine, don't worry. Post back afterwards, tell us how you are.

[tweakers_suck]

I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed at the same time under a local anesthetic. I was awake the whole time. The problem I had was that the drug they gave me wasn't strong enough and I had a side reaction of the shakes. I wasn't cold, but the drugs made me shake which irritated the doctor :rolleyes:

But I would have to say that the worst part is that the teeth were not removed all at once. The doctor kind of chisled them into fragments and the teeth came out in pieces :eek:

I could hear what was happening to me more than feel it. When I got home the local anesthetic wore off. I tried the percocet, but it didn't really do much to relieve the pain. It only made me dizzy.

That being said, you should have an easy time since you will be knocked out for the procedure.

Oh, and about a week later I had this really bad taste in my mouth because food would get trapped in places I couldn't clean it out of. Really quite disgusting.

Yeah, the whole procedure pretty much sucks.

[Chundles]

Am I missing something here? Since when do people get wisdom teeth removed? :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

Since we figured out modern dentistry and realised that teeth, because of their position on the jaw can begin to grow at an angle, growing straight into the other teeth was a really bad idea.

I honestly don't know how to take you geek, are you just playing around or are you that clueless of the real world that I should have nothing but pity for you?

[Nermal]

Im getting quesey just reading this thread and I still need to get mine out. Something about messing with my body I can't take mentally so I usually get pretty faint lol

I need to get mine out in a couple of months :(
I felt faint when told I needed a root canal (this was a couple of years ago) but that ended up being totally painless. She didn't even stick a needle in there!

[Counterfit]

After hearing everyone's horror stories about getting theirs out, I was pretty worried when I had to get one out a little over two weeks ago. I had three shots of Novacaine™ on my upper. It took the dentist about 10-15 minutes to get the tooth out. All I felt was the pressure (although seeing something resembling a screwdriver enter my mouth wasn't exactly comforting). He said that if I had been 35, it would have taken an hour to get it out. That came from the roots on one side being crossed, which prevented him from just rolling it out. I didn't need stitches either, which was good, but it did take a while for me to stop bleeding, as I kept putting the gauze in the wrong spot. :rolleyes:

Now, as to why I only had one out. Back when I had braces, two molars were removed from either side of my lower jaw to help in spacing. This led to my lower wisdom teeth having plenty of room, and meshing with the molars directly in front of my upper wisdom teeth. This meant that my uppers didn't actually do anything. I had the right side done along with a pair of preventative fillings (due to the sealant being just about gone). I played a pair of parades 9 days later with no problems at all. I'm going this Friday to have the other side done, which I hope doesn't take as long.
As for medication, I was given about a week's worth of 800mg tablets of ibuprofen, which I didn't really need much, and they were destroyed the next day (working in the rain will do that. :p). I did the warm salt rinse a few days, which I guess helped. As far as eating, I was told I could eat pretty much anything once the bleeding stopped, as long as I wasn't stupid about it (i.e. chewing Doritos™ on that side of my mouth.)

So, good luck, and I hope they don't have to cut through your gums. :o

[savar]

I went to a consultation with my mom to talk to the doctor. He was trying to calm me down, but I think it's the unexpectedness and mystery that's making me so terrified! And what a rotten day to celebrate my summer holiday (getting the operation on the first day of vacation :( )

Mine hurt like hell after they got pulled, and they hurt for nearly a week...but my case was the worst out of everybody I know. Most people bounce back after a day or two.

Really, don't worry about it. The anesthesia works very well. I remember thinking it wasn't working at all because I could feel them doing something to my teeth and then they were suddenly finished, and I realized I had slept through the whole thing only to awaken at the very end.

So yeah, its gonna hurt, but you'll get pampered by momma for a few days and get to eat some ice cream and watch TV. Besides, pain is weakness leaving the body, right?

[JLatte]

It's really not that bad... myself, I've had 8 removed (yes 8, and yes that's possible). Fortunately they could remove them after they took out 4, 2 they scooped out with a spoon or something since they weren't fully grown yet, the other 2 had to be surgically removed.

Good luck! :D

[Black&Tan]

After hearing everyone's horror stories about getting theirs out, I was pretty worried when I had to get one out a little over two weeks ago. I had three shots of Novacaine™ on my upper. It took the dentist about 10-15 minutes to get the tooth out. All I felt was the pressure (although seeing something resembling a screwdriver enter my mouth wasn't exactly comforting). He said that if I had been 35, it would have taken an hour to get it out. That came from the roots on one side being crossed, which prevented him from just rolling it out. I didn't need stitches either, which was good, but it did take a while for me to stop bleeding, as I kept putting the gauze in the wrong spot. :rolleyes:

Now, as to why I only had one out. Back when I had braces, two molars were removed from either side of my lower jaw to help in spacing. This led to my lower wisdom teeth having plenty of room, and meshing with the molars directly in front of my upper wisdom teeth. This meant that my uppers didn't actually do anything. I had the right side done along with a pair of preventative fillings (due to the sealant being just about gone). I played a pair of parades 9 days later with no problems at all. I'm going this Friday to have the other side done, which I hope doesn't take as long.
As for medication, I was given about a week's worth of 800mg tablets of ibuprofen, which I didn't really need much, and they were destroyed the next day (working in the rain will do that. :p). I did the warm salt rinse a few days, which I guess helped. As far as eating, I was told I could eat pretty much anything once the bleeding stopped, as long as I wasn't stupid about it (i.e. chewing Doritos™ on that side of my mouth.)

So, good luck, and I hope they don't have to cut through your gums. :o

Very comforting Counterfit. Thanks. This Friday, I'm getting FOUR teeth forcibly removed prior to braces going on. And I'm over 35. I go for a consult today....

[Timepass]

Very comforting Counterfit. Thanks. This Friday, I'm getting FOUR teeth forcibly removed prior to braces going on. And I'm over 35. I go for a consult today....

You will be fine. Biggest part is it depends on your heath. Do you smoke or drink a lot. If the answer is yes I feel sorry for you. My uncle hates doing those and they are more difficult to do. But it is mostly in they are the ones that call and require more follow up work. Being like that increase chances of dry socket.


For getting those teeth removed I going to say choose to be put to sleep for it. You dont have to see anything at all. They still will use numbing drug on you. The sleeping is just add added insurance and it makes it a lot easier on the doctor.

I also recomend you DONT watch him do work on other people because it makes you even more scared they put a lot of force in roling the teeth out. That or seeing them break a tooth in to mutiple parts



All in all the best advice is to just relax and remember that in 95% or better everything is just fine. Pain for a few days. Dry sockets are very rare or any complaction. Lets see my uncle does 3-4 peole an hour (a lot of surgens will have multiple cases going on at one time. while one is being prep, waking up/recoving they are in another room working on another person). And they get less maybe 1 complactoin a week and almsot always it pretty minor normally that being a dry socket.

Remember a huge part of the reason there are so many horor stories out there is because of the shear number of people who get them removed so because of that of corse you are going to hear about quite a few of them.

[iGary]

I could understand what I was being told but had no memory of it afterward.

How do you know you had it done, then?

[Black&Tan]

You will be fine. Biggest part is it depends on your heath. Do you smoke or drink a lot. If the answer is yes I feel sorry for you. My uncle hates doing those and they are more difficult to do. But it is mostly in they are the ones that call and require more follow up work. Being like that increase chances of dry socket.


For getting those teeth removed I going to say choose to be put to sleep for it. You dont have to see anything at all. They still will use numbing drug on you. The sleeping is just add added insurance and it makes it a lot easier on the doctor.

I also recomend you DONT watch him do work on other people because it makes you even more scared they put a lot of force in roling the teeth out. That or seeing them break a tooth in to mutiple parts



All in all the best advice is to just relax and remember that in 95% or better everything is just fine. Pain for a few days. Dry sockets are very rare or any complaction. Lets see my uncle does 3-4 peole an hour (a lot of surgens will have multiple cases going on at one time. while one is being prep, waking up/recoving they are in another room working on another person). And they get less maybe 1 complactoin a week and almsot always it pretty minor normally that being a dry socket.

Remember a huge part of the reason there are so many horor stories out there is because of the shear number of people who get them removed so because of that of corse you are going to hear about quite a few of them.

Thanks TimePass. I know all these things, but it helps to hear them again. The sad thing is, I work for a dental manufacturer!

:o

I get to see lots of lovely photos.....

[Tanglewood]

I have one wisdom tooth (lucky?) and when I went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago he told me that they were going to have to pull it. This was said when I'm in the chair with the little water thing and vacuum in my mouth so my protests were a muffled "wwhaaffft?!?"

Both my parents still have some if not all of their wisdom teeth. I have enough room in my jaw and its currently not impacted so I decided not to get it removed.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I agree with what Les Kern.

You could always get a second opinion, but seing I'm post #40 I think you already got it.:rolleyes:

[Timepass]

Thanks TimePass. I know all these things, but it helps to hear them again. The sad thing is, I work for a dental manufacturer!

:o

I get to see lots of lovely photos.....


lol. I will say no matter what they do for your braces part there is no way in hell that it can top the ammount of work that had to be done on my mouth.

Started in begining of 8th grade and I had crap in my mouth till about halfway though the fall of 12th grade.
full range done on me
An expander to correct my bit some and give a little more room on the top. Also in hope of advoiding needed oral surgery to expose a tooth in the middle of my mouth (yeah didnt happen)
Oral surgy to surgicliy expose my right top caninan tooth. I had a tooth in the middle of the roof of my mouth for a while. And it a little off on it location now. Not in line exactly right.
This range from the herps applanice (does what headgear would do in the paste just it all in the month) that center my bite and move my jaw forward a noticible ammount.
Oh and yes I had braces on my mouth for a while. About the only thing I didnt get was rubber bands but that was because the herps did everything correctly.

The guy I had it done with is very well respect and one of the best out there (coming from other who do braces).
Coming from other who do brace said they would of loved having me because I was one of those speical cases that just are fun to do because it difference and where the schooling comes in.
Biggest thing was my guy kept my molds and used his work he did on me as example for future paceinces. And appently wrote me up in one of his medical journals. I was told I was a very speical case and it a rare thing to have it happen. And even bigger with the guy who did me since he been doing it a while.
Plus all the work I had done was pretty much manditory for me and I required one of the best.

Reason I telling you all this is even though I went though so much stuff over all it was not to bad. Yeah I hated it but it was very well worth it in the end. Heck the thing I hated the most was whenever something an applances had to be removed from my mouth. I hated those appointments (I had a lot of them). But over all it was not that bad. I dont have any real horror stories though everything. Few broken brackets and few things require repair but over all it was not to bad. Just suck having crap in my mouth for 4 years. Corn on the cob and gum stated so good after not being able to chew it for 4 years.

[diehldun]

it's comforting knowing that it's not that big of a deal. I think i've gotten over the IV/anestesia part... but now I'm thinking about what to eat/do afterwards!

It seems that it's best to avoid: hot/cold stuff, straws, and solids? I was going for soup, but some people said that hot soup is bad??? :confused:

oh dear!

[Black&Tan]

I just got back from my consult, and the IV anaesthesia is definitely the way to go. You're in "la la land" far enough so that you're not aware of the pain, but not so far that you can't breathe on your own or interact as necessary. For example, the surgeon can tell you to open your mouth and you'll do it. You won't remember it later, but you are somewhat conscious.

It really seems the way to go to avoid the unpleasantness of the extractions. And as people have said, sometimes its not the pain, but the sound and smells.

In regards to foods, consider eggs, jello, pudding, bananas. Soft textured foods.

[Macmaniac]

Bah getting four teeth removed is nothing.

I have had 21 teeth removed! Yeah I know its scary, but very true. 4 of those were wisdoms and were the least painful of the bunch. I had an extra tooth that had to be taken out, that was not fun. Believe me I got very used to the dentist yanking stuff out of my mouth ugh....

Dam baby teeth never grew out!

Had 16 babies taken out, 1 extra tooth (English Genetics FTW), and 4 Wisdom.

Don't worry, just get lots of ice, and don't forget to get lots of drugs!

[Counterfit]

Oral surgy to surgicliy expose my right top caninan tooth. I had a tooth in the middle of the roof of my mouth for a while.
My brother had the same surgery, but for both his canines.

[jwkunkle]

How funny coming across this thread...

I just had all four of my wisdom teeth removed on Friday morning. I will just give you my brief experience, and understand that I am probably a bit older than most who have this surgery (30+).

I had two normal extractions, where all they needed to do was pull them out, nice and simple. The other two were much more complicated, as both were impacted into partial bone, with one of them being a horizontal impaction.:eek:

They hooked up an iv into my arm, slight pinprick type sting, but no big deal at all. about 2 or 3 minutes later, the nurse hooked something up to the iv, and felt just a little bit different, I asked her is that was the anisthesia (sp) and she said yes. That was all I remember about the procedure, as my wife was waking me up after the everything was over. I did not feel necessarily sick to my stomach, more like a I felt a bit groggy. I did not have any pain as I was still numb. My wife said the entire procedure took less than an hour.

All day Friday, I felt ok, and did not have much swelling. On Saturday morning, I felt quite a bit of pain, and noticed that there was quite a bit of swelling. The pain was noticeable only when the pain pills wear off, then its time to take another one.

It is now Monday evening, and I am still sore, though much less. There is a bit of swelling, but most has gone down. It was not at all fun, but wasn't nearly as bad as all the horror stories that I heard and I had a more complicated procedure than just a basic extraction.

If possible, request that the dentist prescribe you Combunox, rather than Hydrocodone or Percoset. Combunox is a combination of Oxycodone and Ibuprofen, has a higher pain relieving level, and does not cause nausea when taking the medication. I asked my dentist about it before the procedure started, and though he never heard of it, he and the nurses looked it up and then agreed to prescribe it to me. It did what it was supposed to do!!

If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me a pm and I will answer the best I can.

Best of luck, though you will see that this whole thing will be over before you know it.

Josh

[swingerofbirch]

I haven't read this whole thread, but I'll tell you that I had two of my wisdom teeth out locally and another two out while I was "under" because I was having other dental surgery at the time. The anesthesia they gave me was called conscious sedation. I remember parts of it, but I was in a state where I didn't care what was happening.

The time I had it awake wasn't bad either. There are some unusual sounds and feelings, but the bottomline is there is no pain. You can get a bit sick from the anesthesia, but they should be dripping in some phenergan with it to take care of that.

[diehldun]

...so hopefully, with the IV/anestesia, that won't happen! :D

I remember, it took SEVERAL long hours just to put on/remove my braces because I'd gag whenever he'd put in the mouth opener thing or put stuff in my mouth and couldn't breathe well. :o

[Boggle]

Personally, I think you're safe. I was in and out in just over an hour, having all 4 removed w/ novacaine only. And that was just after my 30th birthday. I took percocet that day, and was totally fine by the next afternoon. I hope your appointment is just as pain free.

Good luck!

[jadekitty24]

I had 2 wisdoms and 2 molars removed, all at once and I received the "amnesia" gas for that. I remember coming to with a hunk of gauze in my mouth asking the nurse when we were going to get this over with. I don't remember any pain during, that's for sure. I get nauseous quite easily (just the sight of something gross will make me hurl, I at least gag every time I scoop the cat-box, etc.) and the surgery itself did not make me sick at all. They gave me Vicoprofens afterward and those made me sick, and I can take the mightiest of the hydrocodones. I think I had the doc fill me another one for Vicoden, or was it Percocet? I don't remember. Anyway, the pain pills weren't really necessary, they were just kind of a bonus. I could easily have gotten by without them. Not to get gross but I've had periods worse than the after-pains of having teeth removed. You'll be fine. The anticipation is worse than the actual experience, trust me.

[mattattack25]

This is the first forum I've read that everyone wasn't exclusively talking about horror stories, I appreciate it.

I have to have 4 out (2 impacted) on the 30th. I'm doing the whole IV thing as well, which I totally prefer compared to the alternative... I'm frightened about the pain afterwards, scared that the pain killers won't do what they should... Counter to most I've read, I guess where I'm from they are more likely to give stronger meds. For example I've gotten prescripts for Lorecet 10(hydrocodone, 10 mg), Oxy, Demerol, hydromorphone, and on and on and on just for infections... so I'm afraid that my tolerance has gone up and they won't be as effective for the "major" pain... reguardless, I have kept a mixed stash just to be on the safe side... hehe... I feel like Karen from Will and Grace with all the bottles around my house... :D
but seriously, i have been taking acetametaphine in some form like everyday for a year for my wisdom teeth... does anyone know if you can easlily build tolerance to APAP or what the max is to take at once or during a given period?

[Chundles]

The pain really isn't all that bad. If you follow my earlier advice about the ice packs (they actually have them pre-made professionally now) you can really keep the swelling and the bruising down.

I was never prescribed Vicodin or whatever it is, I just good old Codeine which seemed to do the job. All I did was follow the Doc's instructions to the letter and I was right as rain and eating everything in sight again within a couple of weeks. I also seemed to enjoy pulling the stitches out with my tongue...

it was the best thing I've had done by far, the constant pressure in my mouth was gone along with the jaw pain that had been giving me troubles for so long. I also now have some nice big gaps at the back of my jaw where I can stick my tongue through and wiggle around creating a look that shocks children and senior citizens alike as my cheek looks ready to erupt.

Get the general anaesthetic, it takes away the experience of having them pulled out of your skull and gives the anaesthetist (anaesthesiologist to you Americans) something to do.

[CanadaRAM]

I had 2 out, didn't have to take any of the painkillers. Local, not general. 2 weeks or so with salt gargles etc., healed up fine.

I just made an appointment to have a 3rd one out in 2 weeks 'coz it's digging into my cheek and I can't be bothered to put up with it any longer.

[MattG]

Well, as others have said your mileage may vary.

For me, the procedure was simple and painless. I had all four of mine taken out at once. They made me sleep, next thing I knew I was awake, sans wisdom teeth. I didn't really feeling any pain so much as discomfort (lots of gauze...bleeding). I didn't even have to use the painkillers they prescribed to me. I got it done early one morning and went out with my mom to the shopping mall later that day once the bleeding stopped. It really wasn't a big deal for me. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[diehldun]

thanks again guys for all your responses. I definitely feel a lot more confident and less afraid... nervous though!

I have my operation early morning tomorrow (7:30 AM). I'll keep you guys posted when I get back and let you all know (especially those that are getting it done soon) how it went.

BTW: went to Blockbusters today and rented some DVDs... is "Flightplan" good? I was kinda desperate!

[Counterfit]

I managed to switch shifts with someone else on my project at work, so I only miss 2 hours of work instead of 4.
I was never prescribed Vicodin or whatever it is, I just good old Codeine which seemed to do the job.
Pff, I wasn't even prescribed anything. They just handed me a pair of little envelopes. One with gauze, the other with huge 800mg tablets of ibuprofen.

[Chundles]

thanks again guys for all your responses. I definitely feel a lot more confident and less afraid... nervous though!

I have my operation early morning tomorrow (7:30 AM). I'll keep you guys posted when I get back and let you all know (especially those that are getting it done soon) how it went.

BTW: went to Blockbusters today and rented some DVDs... is "Flightplan" good? I was kinda desperate!

Flightplan? Is that the Jodie Foster one? If it is it's pretty s*ithouse.

[dogbone]

Oh dear. My mom scheduled an appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed this Wednesday. She figues I better get them out before I head off to college.

What is the IV/anestesia needle like? As I've always been terrified of needles since I was a child, even getting a flu shot is big deal to me. Do you "go out" knowing that you're going to sleep (take a long, gradual time), or is it instantaneous.


Personally I really like general anastethics, and I've had a few. Although my wisdom teeth were done under a local.

Best and only advice I can give is to make certain never, ever to get your wisdom teeth out by a dentist, no matter how uncomplicated they tell you it is, always go to a dental surgeon.

If you are definitely going to get a general then do a bit of basic research on the surgeon. Ask other surgeons or specalists about him.

[Boggle]

I managed to switch shifts with someone else on my project at work, so I only miss 2 hours of work instead of 4.

Pff, I wasn't even prescribed anything. They just handed me a pair of little envelopes. One with gauze, the other with huge 800mg tablets of ibuprofen.

Pff, mine were removed by a large, smelly, blind guy using only a rock and a pair of rusty pliers! Afterwards, he gave me only a kick out the window and I landed on my neck. :D

[Chundles]

Pff, mine were removed by a large, smelly, blind guy using only a rock and a pair of rusty pliers! Afterwards, he gave me only a kick out the window and I landed on my neck. :D

Hah! You were lucky!

[diehldun]

I left this morning with my parents quite nervous... didn't know what to expect. However, everything went well, and was a lot better than I thought (I even got to keep my extracted wisdom teeth!). For those who are getting them removed soon, I desribe the process below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The day before the operation, they won't let you eat/drink anything after midnight if you're getting IV/anestesia. So make sure you eat/drink everything you need before, because you'll get thirsty in the morning.

After getting to the office, they sat me down in a special operating room. They hooked up some heart monitoring machines, and finally put a mask (could someone explain this?) and at first said it was "oxygen", but I heard one of the nurses ask the doctor "nitrate..." or something like that. He inserted the IV needle, which is SIGNIFICANTLY less painful than a flu shot. He said to "breathe in-and-out" a lot into the mask, and before you knew it, I was out completely. I don't even remember falling asleep or when! So far, no pain or discomfort at all!!!

The next thing I knew, I awoke in a different chair. The total operation was less than an hour. There were cotton swabs in my mouth, and was groggy at first; I knew that I was in the office, but was kind of disoriented and couldn't balance myself at all (others must have thought I was like a drunk alcoholic while trying to walk!). So they got a wheelchair and wheeled me down to the car. It was during this part that I felt most disoriented, and I actually don't remember much, if any of the "journey" from the office to the car, and from the car to the house.

When I came home, I think the effects of the anestesia began to wore off. I became a little bit more alert; I've been at home for 2 hours.

So far, all I have is a slightly-swollen right cheek, and Angelina-Jolie like puffy lips, which is rather uncomfortable. Overall, my whole bottom lip feels numb and feels strange. I am bleeding, but it's not like a fountain and am always biting down on the cotton swabs, which I replace about every 45 min-1 hour.

So I guess the healing proces has begun! IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS, that all I have to say! It's annoying having to replace the swabs every so often and having puffy cheeks/lips, but I'm sure that'll stop soon.

I will say, I was INCREDIBLY grouchy to my mom on the car-ride home and initially at home; once the anestesia wore off, I don't think I was a grouchy! :p (I felt like a grumpy old man!)

Well, thanks again for all the responses/support I got in this thread. If anyone about to get it done has questions, I'll be reading this! :)

[Chundles]

Good result from operation story.

Cool, told you it wasn't all that much of a problem. Just make sure you do what the doc told you to do, none of that "I feel fine I'll just do this once instead of twice" thinking, do what you're told.

The pain will come, don't worry. Mostly tomorrow and the next day when the anaesthesia really wears off, just keep the ice packs up and that swelling and bruising will go do quickly.

I'm serious about the ice packs - they work wonders.

Hope you've got some supportive friends, my best mate came over the next day with a tin of Campbells' Chunky Soup and a straw....mongrel...:P

[dogbone]

I'm serious about the ice packs - they work wonders.



What Chundles said. It's the very best you can do.

[MacNut]

I had all four taken out at once, Knocked out cold so I didn't feel or remember a thing, But I felt it a few hours once everything wore off. Eating was a chore for a few days, Try to avoid food near the back. Pain killers were a godsend and helped me for about a week.

Now all my wisdoms were impacted and growing sideways so they had to cut the gums and chip out the teeth, If you don't have that problem it should not be as bad. I was in the chair for about 2 hours.

[diehldun]

I felt groggy right after I sent that message! I slept for about 3-4 hours that afternoon, and my whole bottom lip and jaw area felt limp. Now, it's only one small part of my right cheek that's numb.

I think that this morning, the pain has finally begun to come in. The doc gave me Vicodin, but my mom had bad experience after surgery (upset stomach), so I've been using motrin, and that seems to have been working. also, since the bleeding has basically stopped, I've been gargling salt water on both sides about every hour. I'll just do anything not to get an infection (a.k.a. the horror stories...) :p

What a pity... we're invited to a homemade spanish paella lunch this saturday; I don't know if I have enough recovery time to be able to eat that!

[Timepass]

I After getting to the office, they sat me down in a special operating room. They hooked up some heart monitoring machines, and finally put a mask (could someone explain this?) and at first said it was "oxygen", but I heard one of the nurses ask the doctor "nitrate..." or something like that. He inserted the IV needle, which is SIGNIFICANTLY less painful than a flu shot. He said to "breathe in-and-out" a lot into the mask, and before you knew it, I was out completely. I don't even remember falling asleep or when! So far, no pain or discomfort at all!!!)

Well what the mask was being use for was to give you a supply of pure Oxegen and a way to supply nitrate oxide to you. What the nurse was talking about was turning up the amount of gas that was NO. Not toxic it has some really nice sideeffects. It makes most of you body start to feel numb and you can not feel stuff as well. The NO can not put you to sleep but it does help and it just reduce the ammount of pain you are going to feel. I been on the stuff quite a few times at the denisted. It makes the shots hurt a little less plus it puts you in a semi loopy stated. The amount of time to recover from it after you been breathing it maybe 10 or so mins to get it out of your system most of the time. Only time I spent more than that was when I was getting a 3 filling done and some things took a little long. I was breathing it for almost an hour straight. Yeah it took me a good 30 mins before I could even think about driving home.

[nbs2]

I didn't see it in any earlier posts (I may have missed it), but one you next followup, ask your guy for one of them hook syringe things. You draw water into it, and use it to flush foodies and flush salt water on the sutures from where the teeth were taken out. It was a lifesaver for me.

Anyhow, glad to hear everything went well and you didn't do anything too embarrassing! I wouldn't have been up for paella 3 days later, but I hope you get lucky!

[Counterfit]

One down, one to go. Getting out of work at 1:30-ish. Hopefully I can call the police dept. in regards to this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=209889). before I'm unable to speak. Of course, the records office closes at 3:45. Damn desk jockeys. :mad:

[Black&Tan]

I get my four taken out in about 4 hours. The nerves are already starting, and I'm trying to get some work done. So what am I doing on MR???

:D

[Boggle]

I didn't see it in any earlier posts (I may have missed it), but one you next followup, ask your guy for one of them hook syringe things. You draw water into it, and use it to flush foodies and flush salt water on the sutures from where the teeth were taken out. It was a lifesaver for me.

Anyhow, glad to hear everything went well and you didn't do anything too embarrassing! I wouldn't have been up for paella 3 days later, but I hope you get lucky!

Excellent idea. That thing made life soooo much easier that first week while the gums flattened out. Also fun to use :)

One down, one to go. Getting out of work at 1:30-ish. Hopefully I can call the police dept. in regards to this (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=209889). before I'm unable to speak. Of course, the records office closes at 3:45. Damn desk jockeys. :mad:

Best of luck today, oh, and hopefully when the police find the jacket thief, said person will attempt to flee and trip over an untied shoelace falling into a puddle and embarassing himself as your jacket flies out of his hands and onto a recently cleaned nearby bit of low wall. Oh, and while i'm fantasizing here, he'll have put $200 in cash into on of the pockets just b4 the incident.

I get my four taken out in about 4 hours. The nerves are already starting, and I'm trying to get some work done. So what am I doing on MR???

:D

Good luck, I hope your extractions go as well as mine, (see previous pages).

[diehldun]

well, so far I've been relying on motrin, since both my parents had rather poor side affects from using Vicodin post-surgery. The pain isn't severe, just unpleasant.

however, BY FAR, the most pain has been part of the stitches rubbing against my tongue. it hurts so much that it's hard to even swallow/drink/talk. I'm going to visit him later on today to see if there's something he can do.

i hope the salt water is working; they haven't given me the 'water pump' yet and so i eat cautiously since I don't want food to get stuck in the "holes" (only one of the three teeth removed needed stitches)

[Capt Underpants]

I get my four taken out in about 4 hours. The nerves are already starting, and I'm trying to get some work done. So what am I doing on MR???

:D

Me too, Black&Tan. 1:30 Central time I go under the knife :eek:

[Counterfit]

Yeah, this one is a little more annoying. It got pulled at about 3:30, and still hasn't stopped bleeding almost 7 hours later. This one is actually giving me some pain now. Stupid huge roots. Ugh.
Anyways, I guess my advice to everyone is to find a dentist who will do it them-self, rather than ship you off to an oral surgeon (unless it's actually necessary). It might take a few visits, but you'll still be able to eat. Well, eventually anyway. :(

[diehldun]

Yeah, this one is a little more annoying. It got pulled at about 3:30, and still hasn't stopped bleeding almost 7 hours later. This one is actually giving me some pain now. Stupid huge roots. Ugh.

Have you used moistened gauze and chew on it tightly for about 30 min? That really stopped the bleeding for me.

It turns out that a "bone splinter" was what was rubbing against my tongue. Sure glad he fixed it! Basically, most of the pain is now gone! (I still take motrin before I go to sleep to numb it; would not recommend vicodin...)

[Boggle]

Dentistry is a business in which I recommend seeking out the most expensive service you can afford. While in many commercial enterprises ppl will charge what they can get and this often has little bearing on the quality of the product / service. I do not think this is the case with dentists. I really think in this industry, you get what you pay for.

[notjustjay]

I dunno about this whole "feeling high" business, I must have missed out. For me, I just felt incredibly tired.

I had four removed when I was about 18. As I recall, I sat in the chair and I was asking the dentist lots of questions about what he was going to be doing. He didn't want to go into details for fear of scaring me, but I wanted to know. He ended up doing what a lot of people get done, apparently: drill into the tooth, break it up into pieces and remove the little pieces. I explained that since I was in engineering I wanted to know details; he read beyond that and said that what I probably was really looking for was assurance and confidence, and not to worry, he said, for he did these procedures daily.

Next came the anaesthetic, through an IV. I felt a vague burning sensation travel up my arm, and they gave me a ball to squeeze. They asked me to count down from 10. I think I made it to 7...

If you've never been under anaesthetic, it is a very, very peculiar feeling when you wake up again, not having any idea of the passage of time. You may not realize it, but when you sleep normally, you are still subconsciously aware of the time elapsed. With anaesthesia, you're counting from 10, you're at 7, and suddenly you're lying down in the recovery room, with a bit of a headache, mouth stuffed with cotton, and feeling very, very tired. I continued to sleep for a little while before gradually becoming aware that the operation was done.

When I was leaving the office, a thought occurred to me and I asked the dentist: how did I make it from his operating chair to the recovery room? (I'm a big guy, 6'3" and 240 lbs). He smiled and said it took 3 people...

The pain was a dull throbbing feeling on and off afterward for a few days, nothing sharp. The stitches working themselves loose was probably the strangest feeling. I too had to go through all the rinses and water-squirting to keep everything clean.

I think I still have my wisdom teeth somewhere in a little box.

[Capt Underpants]

Yeah, this one is a little more annoying. It got pulled at about 3:30, and still hasn't stopped bleeding almost 7 hours later. This one is actually giving me some pain now. Stupid huge roots. Ugh.
Anyways, I guess my advice to everyone is to find a dentist who will do it them-self, rather than ship you off to an oral surgeon (unless it's actually necessary). It might take a few visits, but you'll still be able to eat. Well, eventually anyway. :(


Bummer, Counterfit... I'm sorry to hear that.

I got out of the office at around 2:15. Came home and immediately began using the ice packs. I used someone on here's advide and tied two together with a sock and let them sit on the side of my mouth. So far, I have had no pain... haven't even used the pain pills. And there doesn't seem to be any swelling.

My bleeding stopped quickly, and I started off eating some noodle soup with soaked up crackers, and all was well. I was too afraid to try and chew it, so I just swallowed it all whole. We'll see how it is tomorrow when I wake up, but so far so good :)

[Oryan]

I just had my wisdom teeth out a few weeks ago. I had an IV to put me under. I didn't have any problems with anything or any dry sockets, thankfully. However I apparently am in the 5% of people who get hiccups from the pain medicine I was prescribed. It was fun to watch my coworkers go insane for two days as I kept hiccuping. :D

[Marconis]

Hi, I'm 14 years old and had all four wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. I got it done local, so it was one hell of a fun ride during the procedure. Afterwards, pain started to kick in after my numbness went away. Now, today, I woke up with an enormous right cheek. Pain was on and off. Im still bleeding so I still use the gauze pads. As for salt water, i'm afraid to gargle so i jsut put it in my mouth and move my head back and fourth. Just about...twenty minutes ago, I had a gauze pad in on the left side and i felt some sorta pop. Got me reallly nervous. Im a very anxious kid so this kinda sucks. I can taste blood a little bit. Im nervous becasue now there is a lot of discomfort on teh left side ever sine the "pop". I hope its all in my head. :o

[Oryan]

Hi, I'm 14 years old and had all four wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. I got it done local, so it was one hell of a fun ride during the procedure. Afterwards, pain started to kick in after my numbness went away. Now, today, I woke up with an enormous right cheek. Pain was on and off. Im still bleeding so I still use the gauze pads. As for salt water, i'm afraid to gargle so i jsut put it in my mouth and move my head back and fourth. Just about...twenty minutes ago, I had a gauze pad in on the left side and i felt some sorta pop. Got me reallly nervous. Im a very anxious kid so this kinda sucks. I can taste blood a little bit. Im nervous becasue now there is a lot of discomfort on teh left side ever sine the "pop". I hope its all in my head. :o
That doesn't sound like fun. My initial reaction to a "pop" would be to not worry. It's probably just your jaw being sore/stiff from biting on gauze pads and not moving as much as normal. I hope you feel better soon! :)

[Marconis]

Thanks, I guess i can describe the pain a little better now. It's kinda (this is on my left side) throbbing that you feel when you have a loose tooth. Like something, to me since im anxious, the stitch, some how came out? But it feels like something is lifting out my molar in front of where my wisdom tooth used to be. I just rinsed with salt water, so i feel a little better.

[Marconis]

Okay, now Im nervous even more because I just read that someone had said"Don't eat anything warm/hot or it could cause a dry socket" Well, i had Pastina twice already. :eek: I hought it was okay since it was soft.

[diehldun]

When I was leaving the office, a thought occurred to me and I asked the dentist: how did I make it from his operating chair to the recovery room? (I'm a big guy, 6'3" and 240 lbs). He smiled and said it took 3 people...

That's what I was wondering too with me! Apparently, I was "kind of silly" after the IV and asked that question about 10 times to the poor nurse.

Believe me... you won't feel the pain for the first day; it kicks in on the 2nd and 3rd day. Today, it hurt quite a bit, and my entire face/cheek/mouth area is stiff, making it hard to talk and communicate (embarassing since my mom dragged me to the shopping mall today).


This is my question:
I'm still afraid to eat "normal" food. I had the operation on Wednesday- what do you think?? So far, I've been relying on mac & cheese, ice cream, water, yoghurt, and salt water. Doesn't sound too pleasant, but I really don't want food to get stuck in the "holes"! :eek: [and as I said before- there's going to be a delicious paella dinner tomorow that I really want to go to but I'm not sure if i can eat!]

[Marconis]

Yeah I'm experiencing some pain right now. Is it normal that my cheeks are still swollen even more than a day after surgery? I'm really nervous so it's nice to talk to people who just had it done :)

[diehldun]

Yeah I'm experiencing some pain right now. Is it normal that my cheeks are still swollen even more than a day after surgery? I'm really nervous so it's nice to talk to people who just had it done :)

The swelling should be at its max at the THIRD day following the surgery. This is also when the face is the most stiff, making it hard to eat or swallow or even talk. By the fourth day (today for me), most of the pain should begin tor receede, with some (not all) of the swelling begining to mellow down.

Hopefully by now, your bleeding has stopped!

BTW: I got your PM, but for some reason AIM says that it doesn't have a connection, even though I'm using the internet/Safari... :confused:

[Marconis]

My bleeding has stopped a lot, just a TINY bit is still bleeding but my doctor said that's normal. As for swelling, it's going down a bit and there isnt much pain at all. The thing I really hate most about this is...........FOOD. I get so jealous when I see the rest of my family eating such amazing food when im stuck with pudding and yogurt!

[Capt Underpants]

My bleeding has stopped a lot, just a TINY bit is still bleeding but my doctor said that's normal. As for swelling, it's going down a bit and there isnt much pain at all. The thing I really hate most about this is...........FOOD. I get so jealous when I see the rest of my family eating such amazing food when im stuck with pudding and yogurt!

Go find some good tastin' soup or something. I'm not a soup person myself, but I've been living on it for the last 24 hours. Pudding and yogurt have to get old.

[Timepass]

Go find some good tastin' soup or something. I'm not a soup person myself, but I've been living on it for the last 24 hours. Pudding and yogurt have to get old.

I agree. After I had my wisedom teeth pull I live off my grandma home made vegitble soup for a few days. I really like the stuff so it didnt bother me to much.

If you want I can give you a nice taco soup reciepe that I really like. (has no crunch stuff in it. It something you can opitionly add when you eat the soup. 9 time out of 10 I dont bother adding it) I think it gets it name because it does call for a package of taco mix.... meh either way its really good.

[Marconis]

I agree. After I had my wisedom teeth pull I live off my grandma home made vegitble soup for a few days. I really like the stuff so it didnt bother me to much.

If you want I can give you a nice taco soup reciepe that I really like. (has no crunch stuff in it. It something you can opitionly add when you eat the soup. 9 time out of 10 I dont bother adding it) I think it gets it name because it does call for a package of taco mix.... meh either way its really good.

Haha, no thank you. That sounds really hood though. I'm going to have my mom make me some nice homemade soup, or just canned soup. And yes, pudding and yogurt does get old.

[dmw007]

I left this morning with my parents quite nervous... didn't know what to expect. However, everything went well, and was a lot better than I thought (I even got to keep my extracted wisdom teeth!). For those who are getting them removed soon, I desribe the process below:

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The day before the operation, they won't let you eat/drink anything after midnight if you're getting IV/anestesia. So make sure you eat/drink everything you need before, because you'll get thirsty in the morning.

After getting to the office, they sat me down in a special operating room. They hooked up some heart monitoring machines, and finally put a mask (could someone explain this?) and at first said it was "oxygen", but I heard one of the nurses ask the doctor "nitrate..." or something like that. He inserted the IV needle, which is SIGNIFICANTLY less painful than a flu shot. He said to "breathe in-and-out" a lot into the mask, and before you knew it, I was out completely. I don't even remember falling asleep or when! So far, no pain or discomfort at all!!!

The next thing I knew, I awoke in a different chair. The total operation was less than an hour. There were cotton swabs in my mouth, and was groggy at first; I knew that I was in the office, but was kind of disoriented and couldn't balance myself at all (others must have thought I was like a drunk alcoholic while trying to walk!). So they got a wheelchair and wheeled me down to the car. It was during this part that I felt most disoriented, and I actually don't remember much, if any of the "journey" from the office to the car, and from the car to the house.

When I came home, I think the effects of the anestesia began to wore off. I became a little bit more alert; I've been at home for 2 hours.

So far, all I have is a slightly-swollen right cheek, and Angelina-Jolie like puffy lips, which is rather uncomfortable. Overall, my whole bottom lip feels numb and feels strange. I am bleeding, but it's not like a fountain and am always biting down on the cotton swabs, which I replace about every 45 min-1 hour.

So I guess the healing proces has begun! IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS, that all I have to say! It's annoying having to replace the swabs every so often and having puffy cheeks/lips, but I'm sure that'll stop soon.

I will say, I was INCREDIBLY grouchy to my mom on the car-ride home and initially at home; once the anestesia wore off, I don't think I was a grouchy! :p (I felt like a grumpy old man!)

Well, thanks again for all the responses/support I got in this thread. If anyone about to get it done has questions, I'll be reading this! :)

Thanks for the post on your experience diehldun.

I go to have mine removed on Friday (June 30th) and I am nervous as heck- although, your post has helped calm my nerves a bit. :o :)

[dextertangocci]

Does everyone have wisdom teeth?

[dmw007]

Does everyone have wisdom teeth?


Most people do, but not all. :)


I happen to be one of the unfortunate to have been born with them. :(

[diehldun]

but I was only born with 3!

(on my mom's side- basically no one has them. I wish I had her genes!)

[Counterfit]

I had a gauze pad in on the left side and i felt some sorta pop. Got me reallly nervous. Im a very anxious kid so this kinda sucks. I can taste blood a little bit. Im nervous becasue now there is a lot of discomfort on teh left side ever sine the "pop". I hope its all in my head. :o
If you felt it on the top, go call the dentist NOW. There isn't much keeping the socket and your sinus there separated. Having that rupture is a bad thing, it's why they tell brass players (especially trumpet) not to play for a few days.

Anyways, the bleeding stopped not long after I posted, and I had a bacon BBQ cheeseburger with fries, and some Dublin Mudslide from Ben & Jerry's. Yum. :D I'm getting more pain from this one though, so I've actually had to take that ibuprofen.

[Marconis]

Oh wow. A cheeseburger. I'm too scared to have one of those now, as I got mine pulled early Thursday.

[Chundles]

Does everyone have wisdom teeth?

My younger sisters (twins) don't have any wisdom teeth. None whatsoever, lucky little buggers.

[Killyp]

I've had 9 teeth removed overall. The first time round (when I had two removed) I had a general aneastehttitipic. Of course, I would be the one to get all the student doctors practising antastepticisics. I had eight, EIGHT ***** injections before the proper doctor finnaly said "oh for goodness sake" and did it himself. I went straight out after that.

Of course that kind of thing wouldn't happen over in the US, all the student doctors are over here from every country other than the UK, running (or not) the NHS.

[amberblake]

heya every1... i had all 4 wisdom teeth removed here on thursday at 4 its now early early sunday mornin about 1 30 AM :p ... ummm they had to put about 2 needles in each gum because it wudnt freezee...where i go they dont put u under cuz sometime people dont wake up :rolleyes: .... but ummmm it didnt hurt when she was pullin them outmy face...welll... what hurt were the dozen needles and her holding my jaw as she forced them out... oh ya she cut both sides of my lip tryin to get em out lol it also didnt help i couldnt understand her :o ...but i have a question... ive been eatin soft food since i had them removed... i really want a hamburger and a ciggarette...well not so much a ciggarette as a hamburger man i want a hamburger....can anyone honestly tell me when i can have a hamburger without worryin about it gettin stuck in me gums lol :D i really want a hamburger.. ummm to all u babys cryin bout it hurtin tough it out u pussies :p it doesnt even hurt... but ya if u cud answer me...please add me or send me an email to either my yahoo or msn account..they are as follows :D yahoo ID : decree_of_fallacy.... or my msn email address: glock_9_in_the_lineing@hotmail.com... i really want a hamburger so if u cud hurry...please :confused: :( :mad:

[Marconis]

I had mine done on Thursday as well. :) I want a freakin hamburger as well. And hey.......as for pain, certain people experience different degrees of it based on how tough the extraction was. Luckily, mine is subsiding.

[diehldun]

does anyone know when the threat of a "dry socket" takes place... like 2-3 days after the operation, or for the entire recovery period?

Because the pain is pretty much gone from my jaw now except for the bottom left area. I still need motrin for it (not excruciating, but I can feel pressure), and my mom says I have bad breath (a symptom??) :confused:

I'm leaving for Alaska in a week, so I'm trying to minimize any complications or infections before going!

[Electro Funk]

does anyone know when the threat of a "dry socket" takes place... like 2-3 days after the operation, or for the entire recovery period?

Because the pain is pretty much gone from my jaw now except for the bottom left area. I still need motrin for it (not excruciating, but I can feel pressure), and my mom says I have bad breath (a symptom??) :confused:

I'm leaving for Alaska in a week, so I'm trying to minimize any complications or infections before going!

i think you only run the risk in the initial 3-5 days after the operation, but if your that worried about it, why not phone the dentist and ask?

[asphalt-proof]

I had mine out in high school. The doc knocked me out and I woke up very disoriented in the recovery room. I don't remember getting home but I do VIVIDLY remember the dreams I had that firts night. I dreamed that I was eating a very juicy steak. When I woke up, it turns out I had been chewing the gauze all night long. There was blood all over my sheets, pillows, face, shest.etc. There was no pain but the amount of blood all over the place freaked me out. Looked like a horror movie scene. I have had surgeries on my ankle and knee since and neither one of those surgeries made me as quesy as the wisdom teeth removal.

[Marconis]

Im rather nervous about a dry socket as well, and it's funny you should mention that because i still have pain on the bottom left side as well.


PS.--What do you guys do about brushing your teeth? I only brush the front teeth cause Im too scared to brush the molars.

P.S.S----Can you get dry sockets even after the stiches are out?

[Black&Tan]

Well, its been a few days since mine were out. It was a busy weekend. My dental experience overall has been very good. They started out with nitrous to numb me up. It really didn't seem to affect me all that much, although I didn't even feel the IV needle going in. I remember the extractions, although barely, and there was NO pain. The hour flew by and I was completely aware when I left the surgeons. There was a good deal of bleeding, and I changed the gauze multiple times. I rotated two ice packs for about 6 hours. I eventually pulled the gauze out after 4-5 hours and let the bleeding stop on its own. Doctors orders. It stopped sometime during the night, although it would have been wiser if I had an old pillow and pillowcase.

I used the pain medication religiously for the first 2 days, and experienced no pain whatsoever. I have stayed with soft foods - jello, pudding, eggs, finely diced pasta. I had cake style donuts on Saturday. I had coffee on Sunday morning.

Keep up with the salt rinses!!!

I brushed my teeth Saturday night for the first time since my surgery. I was careful, but it felt soooo good.

My only complaint overall has been my back. The stress and abundance of sleep caused it to spasm, so I've been taking Advil and herbal muscle relaxants. Today, it finally feels better.

I believe, as someone earlier said, your experience/recovery all depends on the skill of the surgeon. Mine even called me at the end of the day (Friday) to see if I was experiencing any problems after the extractions or if I had any questions!

[pjarvi]

I had the 2 furthest back on my left side removed about 3 years ago. The top one came out quite easily, but for the bottom I remember the dentist getting a leg up on the chair, bracing my lower jaw somehow, and going to town with a wrench for god knows how long trying to rip that sucker out. I remember him saying that he was going to go at it for one more minute and if he couldn't wrench it out, he was going to cut it out.

As I sit here now, my lower-right furthest back molar is painful as all heck. Rotted and cracked, but thankfully I just got Dental insurance again, so I'm making an appointment first thing tomorrow morning to get it pulled.

[killuminati]

How do you remember that? Aren't you usually knocked out during the procedure?

I have a consultation in a week and then my surgery is in 3. I'm pretty nervous but this thread is helping a bit (except for that last post :p).

I've been following this thread from the start and just want to thank the OP for making it. I never would have thought of making a thread about it.

[Timepass]

How do you remember that? Aren't you usually knocked out during the procedure?

I have a consultation in a week and then my surgery is in 3. I'm pretty nervous but this thread is helping a bit (except for that last post :p).

I've been following this thread from the start and just want to thank the OP for making it. I never would have thought of making a thread about it.


as I said earily never watch them work on another person. It kind of scary when you releize how much force they are using to ripe out the tooth. And yes they basicly ripe a good part of it out. They cut down to it and proceed to rip it out.

[LtRammstein]

Heh. I was in the same boat as you. I got my wisdom teeth out before college too. I wasn't as nervous as you are, but then again it was early in the morning so I wasn't quite awake. I remember going in, signing papers (I was 18 at the time), and sitting in the chair. They put an IV in my arm, I asked them was it was, and it was the pain killer along with some saline solution. Before they put the mask on, I told the doctor, the nurses, and my mom that I was going to count backwards from 100 and see how far I can get. So the mask came on and I started to count. 100... 99... 98... I got all they way down to like 90 then I barely remember starting to say like "78." It seems to be that things wear off over time, and I started to come out of my slumber, the doctor freaked out and put like a 10x bigger dose in to make my sleep.

After the surgery, they helped me to a resting room where I tried to sleep, but I couldn't really, my cheeks were HUGE! So they helped me to my car. Of course my mom, being as nice as she is, decide that we should go get some bagels for everyone. Me on the other hand was upset and tired and I really wanted to go to bed and sleep. Once we got home, my brother helped me out of the car, and had to practically carry me upstairs. Before I passed out on the bed, I mumbled, "I got to 78..." He laughed.

Anyways, it isn't all that bad. Just make sure to eat REALLY REALLY REALLY soft foods afterwards. I ate mostly apple sauce, mashed potatos (sp), and Jello.

Steve

FYI: Whey you sleep, keep your head up, or you're going to be choking on your own blood!

[Marconis]

Were any of you perscribed clindamycin when you got your wisdom teeth out?

[coldixiereb007]

i had my wisdom teeth out monday 6/26....the worrying before hand is by far the worst part. second to worst would be the iv insertion, but only because i HATE needles...and even it wasnt that bad. i had all four out monday morning, and was back at work wednesday afternoon. the main thing is to not use a straw, i still havent and am not planning on it for awhile. as far as painkillers, i had some combumax, which is a mixture of codine and ibuprofin, but i think i only took one or two of them; motrin or tylenol will work just fine after the first day, if you need any pain killer at all. im still a little sore, but the only thing i havent tried to eat is a sandwich (or anything with a lot of bread).

by the way...some easy foods to eat the first day or so are lima beans, cut up hot dogs, snack pack pudding cups (dont bother refrigerating them), and french fries....but just remember to nibble...

[killuminati]

Mine are coming out in 3 hours, even after how well it went for the OP I'm still nervous.

They only told me I couldn't eat 5 hours before surgery. Does that mean i'm not getting the IV thing? I wanna fall asleep like the OP got to, it sounds so easy.

[Black&Tan]

Mine are coming out in 3 hours, even after how well it went for the OP I'm still nervous.

They only told me I couldn't eat 5 hours before surgery. Does that mean i'm not getting the IV thing? I wanna fall asleep like the OP got to, it sounds so easy.


They told me 8 hours...they want you to have an empty stomach. I suppose it's so you don't have any bladder malfunctions or vomiting issues.

Do you know how quickly a dentist can move away from a patient when he start to gag.....

[MacNut]

They tell you to have an empty stomach so if by chance you are allergic to the anesthesia there wont be any clean up.

[killuminati]

OK, thanks for explainin that.

1 hour to go :eek: :( :) :cool: :o

[Lau]

They tell you to have an empty stomach so if by chance you are allergic to the anesthesia there wont be any clean up.

I think it's more so you don't throw up and choke, but obviously the clean up isn't very nice either. ;)

[penter]

its interesting that this post is still going. lol
anyways, i got mine out about a month ago. they put me to sleep, so i dont really remember anything, but everyone tells me that i started acting silly as hell and saying the stupidist things. i do remember one thing just barey, though: i jumped out from behind a door to scare my grandmother! But its fo funny bc i was half awake, couldnt feel my mouth (therefore could barely say "booh!") , and could barely stand up.
anyways, i hated not being able to eat "real" food. i was dying for a steak, but all i could have was soup :(

[Counterfit]

Well, as a follow up to mine...
Since it got pulled, I've had a piece of bone sticking out right next to the socket just a smidgen. Then this past Friday, I noticed something that felt a bit like the coating of a popcorn kernel in the socket, which I thought was odd as I hadn't eaten popcorn in a while... Well Saturday night comes around, and I'm getting quite annoyed with this thing, so I wiggle it out with my tongue and spit it into my hand.

It's another small piece of bone, that didn't quite make it out when the tooth got pulled. I could tell it got messed up by the tooth getting ripped out because it was quite twisted (since it was also very thin, as I don't think the bone in that area does much after childhood). Anyways, I think I should still call my dentist about this other piece still sticking out...

[MacNut]

Well, as a follow up to mine...
Since it got pulled, I've had a piece of bone sticking out right next to the socket just a smidgen. Then this past Friday, I noticed something that felt a bit like the coating of a popcorn kernel in the socket, which I thought was odd as I hadn't eaten popcorn in a while... Well Saturday night comes around, and I'm getting quite annoyed with this thing, so I wiggle it out with my tongue and spit it into my hand.

It's another small piece of bone, that didn't quite make it out when the tooth got pulled. I could tell it got messed up by the tooth getting ripped out because it was quite twisted (since it was also very thin, as I don't think the bone in that area does much after childhood). Anyways, I think I should still call my dentist about this other piece still sticking out...Did they pull or chip the teeth out. I don't get how pieces could be left if they were pulled straight out.

[penter]

sometimes the teeth brake on the way out. my cousin's tooth split in half as it came out. amybe the dentist just didnt notice it. :rolleyes:

[d wade]

i am not gonna get too detailed...

but getting my wisdom teeth removed was the worst experience of my life. i wasnt put 'under.' just given novacaine, so i was awake during it.

i bled for days afterward, face was puffy for about a week, and the percocets they gave me were not strong enough, so i was in excruciating pain for the following 4-5 days.

hope all goes well for you :D

[killuminati]

Wow!

That was nothing! About 3 seconds after he put the IV in I was out, and then I woke up 30 seconds (aka an hour) later and it felt like I was really crunk. Apparantly I said the most ridiculous things to the nurse, and I played music for her on my cellphone :o

And the recovery isn't nearly as bad as I thought. I haven't even taken any T3 yet and barely any pain. Barely any swelling. When I woke up this morning I had forgotten about it, until I moved my tongue to the back of my mouth and felt these mamoth craters.

Anyone else having it done soon, you should be excited. When we wake up it's such an awesome feeling, even better than being drunk or high.

[diehldun]

Well, as a follow up to mine...
Since it got pulled, I've had a piece of bone sticking out right next to the socket just a smidgen. Then this past Friday, I noticed something that felt a bit like the coating of a popcorn kernel in the socket, which I thought was odd as I hadn't eaten popcorn in a while... Well Saturday night comes around, and I'm getting quite annoyed with this thing, so I wiggle it out with my tongue and spit it into my hand.

It's another small piece of bone, that didn't quite make it out when the tooth got pulled. I could tell it got messed up by the tooth getting ripped out because it was quite twisted (since it was also very thin, as I don't think the bone in that area does much after childhood). Anyways, I think I should still call my dentist about this other piece still sticking out...


OH MY GOSH! That happened to me too! Since I removed mine last month, three "bone-splinters" (as they're called by the doctors) came out.

Apparently, if not enough blood is circulated to the areas where they cut/operate on, then the bone becomes "decayed" and basically the body rejects the "dead bone matter" after the operation. Hence, they began to seep through the inside-bottom area of my jaw about 1-2 weeks after the removal.

Anyways, I too am amused that this thread is still chugging along! :D A month since, I feel perfectly fine. I went to a 1-month check-up and everything is going along perfect; the wounds have healed fine and no infection. Now for the rest of my life I don't have to worry about it!

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA to those who have to get them removed! Just kidding. :)

[benthewraith]

OH MY GOSH! That happened to me too! Since I removed mine last month, three "bone-splinters" (as they're called by the doctors) came out.

Apparently, if not enough blood is circulated to the areas where they cut/operate on, then the bone becomes "decayed" and basically the body rejects the "dead bone matter" after the operation. Hence, they began to seep through the inside-bottom area of my jaw about 1-2 weeks after the removal.

Anyways, I too am amused that this thread is still chugging along! :D A month since, I feel perfectly fine. I went to a 1-month check-up and everything is going along perfect; the wounds have healed fine and no infection. Now for the rest of my life I don't have to worry about it!

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA to those who have to get them removed! Just kidding. :)

A month since your wisdoms came out, mine have been out since Jan. 2nd. I actually had a nice time with my wisdoms, I only had one dry socket, and no infections, despite the fact that since I had to travel, the thing they stuck in my socket for dry socket didn't come out until February. My stitches did bother me though, they felt like stuff stuck. :S

Anyways, I fell asleep like, one minute into surgery. I was given versed and some other sedative, and fell asleep. When I got out of the car, I gagged on blood that I was seeping. Needless to say, I had to go through all my gauze to stop bleeding. Finally, after four hours, I had stopped bleeding. I didn't bleed anytime after that, though two days later I was able to eat solid foods and drink coke! :D

Actually, in all honesty, I ate solid foods immediately a day later. I had too.

[DMPDX]

Mine are coming out in one week and 5 days. :eek: So I know what youre goign through.

[Counterfit]

Did they pull or chip the teeth out. I don't get how pieces could be left if they were pulled straight out.
Both were removed by (relatively) normal extraction. The first one also took some bone with it, due to the roots on one side being crossed over each other, rather than nested together (which made it take about 15-20 minutes extra).

And as for the bleeding, it took a few hours for each to stop. The first was because I kept putting the new gauze in between my back molars (actually, the lower one is a wisdom tooth), rather than over the socket. I think that's what I did with the second one too. And of course, I asked for hot and sour soup after each one. It wasn't all that hot when I finally ate it. :rolleyes:

[inmycircles]

I was worried and scared more than you could imagine. Then I found it was really NOTHING to worry about (i'd give it a 2 out of 10 on the pain scale). I was so thankful to be through it (although, after going through it, i have to admit it wasn't that difficult to go through) that I made a web site for people like me...Goodbye, Wisdom Teeth!

www.goodbyewisdomteeth.com (http://www.goodbyewisdomteeth.com).

[xgzipx]

Last month, i had a horrible pain while the lower tooth was coming out. Then i went to see the dentist and she extracted the upper one since it's bitting the gums and leads to the gum swollen & pain, she will do surgery on the lower one after recovering from pain. But only the lower one is impacted based on X-ray, but she already extracted the upper one.

The 3 wisdom teeth were out with no impact.
Then i go see the another dentist again, He advised me to take out the rest 3 wisdom teeth. Ouch! :(

I really have no idea what to do since the tooth cannot be replaceable when it's gone. Is it advisable to take all 4 out?

Can we use those wisdom tooth as backup in future, so that it can be pushed later to fill in the place of the lost molar?

Call me a "psycho". Does it change the physical look?

[penter]

Don't worry. This is a normal procedure. I removed ALL 4 of my wisdom teeth in one operation, and everything went smoothly.
Nothing about your looks will change. if anything, it will be better for your teeth, because wisdom teeth cam become a problem: getting on the way, thus not letting you bite down completely, or biting on the gum. Orthodontists often request that the 4 teeth be removed.
Simply put, you have no reason to want to have them in your mouth.
hope this helps :)

[NEENAHBOY]

Don't worry. This is a normal procedure. I removed ALL 4 of my wisdom teeth in one operation, and everything went smoothly.
Nothing about your looks will change. if anything, it will be better for your teeth, because wisdom teeth cam become a problem: getting on the way, thus not letting you bite down completely, or biting on the gum. Orthodontists often request that the 4 teeth be removed.
Simply put, you have no reason to want to have them in your mouth.
hope this helps :)

+1. I would implore you, however, to go to an actual oral surgeon for the procedure, as they use techniques that can drastically reduce healing time.

On a side note, I'm shocked you didn't just have all four taken out right away. You couldn't pay me to do that twice. :eek:

[xgzipx]

Don't worry. This is a normal procedure. I removed ALL 4 of my wisdom teeth in one operation, and everything went smoothly.
Nothing about your looks will change. if anything, it will be better for your teeth, because wisdom teeth cam become a problem: getting on the way, thus not letting you bite down completely, or biting on the gum. Orthodontists often request that the 4 teeth be removed.
Simply put, you have no reason to want to have them in your mouth.
hope this helps :)


Thank you, penter! It helps!
I'm going to take all 3 out under GA.

[penter]

Yeah, mine was under GA (I'm pretty sure).
And yeah, it was with a dental surgeon. No sweeling whatsoever, thats how good he was.
Remember to not eat solids after the surgery (for 3 days to a week), because if pieces of food get on the stiches and gets lodged there then you can get infections. try to keep the area as clean as possible.

[Chris from pa]

Oh dear. My mom scheduled an appointment to have my wisdom teeth removed this Wednesday. She figues I better get them out before I head off to college.

As never having been through surgery or anestesia, I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I did some searching on these forums, and read some grotesque horror stories about infections, "dry sockets", vomiting after waking up, etc. :eek:

What is the IV/anestesia needle like? As I've always been terrified of needles since I was a child, even getting a flu shot is big deal to me. Do you "go out" knowing that you're going to sleep (take a long, gradual time), or is it instantaneous.

I guess I'm nervous also because I've never been operated on, and my mom vomitted right after waking from her wisdom teeth operation back in the 1980s. After hearing about "dry sockets", I've even become worried about eating afterwards.

I went to a consultation with my mom to talk to the doctor. He was trying to calm me down, but I think it's the unexpectedness and mystery that's making me so terrified! And what a rotten day to celebrate my summer holiday (getting the operation on the first day of vacation :( )

I know how you felt back then. I am going to have to get mine removed next month and I am freaked out. I guess you can say the ansteshia is what I fear most. Like you, I never went through any surgerys in my past and I am really freaked out. I was watching some you tube videos and I am more freaked , due to the fact that people look all messed up after anasteshia. Did you have trouble moving after the surgery , I hope I dont?

[Nukemkb]

I had 6 removed at one time (4 wisdom and two whatevers). thank god for nitrous! try driving home - there's some memories:eek:

[MacGeek7]

I had 6 removed at one time (4 wisdom and two whatevers). thank god for nitrous! try driving home - there's some memories:eek:

I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to drive or operate heavy machinery after an operation like that :rolleyes:

[Sideonecincy]

I know how you felt back then. I am going to have to get mine removed next month and I am freaked out. I guess you can say the ansteshia is what I fear most. Like you, I never went through any surgerys in my past and I am really freaked out. I was watching some you tube videos and I am more freaked , due to the fact that people look all messed up after anasteshia. Did you have trouble moving after the surgery , I hope I dont?
Ah don't worry, I got mine taken out and it wasn't bad at all. I woke up really out of it but after the drugs wear off, I just took some Tylenol and I was fine within a few days.

Could be worse, I am having surgery in September to have my jaw broken and pulled forward. They have to put stints in my mouth, or something, but I won't be able to eat solid food for 4 weeks. I don't know how I am going to get through it, but 4 weeks isn't long period of time.

[Nukemkb]

I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to drive or operate heavy machinery after an operation like that :rolleyes:

heck no! they say, you have someone to drive? don't mention it is your other self....:p

[tresbien]

just thinking about getting mine removed gives me a pit in my stomach and a cold sweat starts.

But I also cried the last time I went to the dentists, its an irrational fear stemming from childhood experiences.

[d_and_n5000]

I'm in braces, and I've already been let know that I managed to get all the ****** traits of my mom's family's teeth, and none of the good ones. Namely, I got the eyeteeth that don't come out for anything(had to get the baby teeth surgically extracted), but I got all four wisdom teeth, whereas my mom's family never get wisdom teeth. So that'll be fun. And I've already heard all about the dry socket. My aunt said that hers was worse than her 30-hour labor with my cousin.

[Chris from pa]

just thinking about getting mine removed gives me a pit in my stomach and a cold sweat starts.

But I also cried the last time I went to the dentists, its an irrational fear stemming from childhood experiences.

I know, I am going through the same thing t the same time. When do you get yours removed? I get mine done in August. I know how you feel and if I go first I will message you of how it went down.

[mustang_dvs]

I guess I was lucky -- after 7 years (eek) of not going to the dentist, terrible jaw pain convinced me to get checked out. Thankfully, it wasn't cavities, but I did have two wisdom teeth, one of which was laterally impacted (and curiously, I had none in my upper jaw).

The doctor explained that it would take between 45 and 90 minutes, and that I would be under twilight anesthetic, and would probably be sore for 1-2 weeks after, even with oxycontin/percocet.

They put me under and had both wisdom teeth out within 15 minutes, so I sat in recovery for an hour, until the anesthetic wore off. Recovering at home, I took only two doses (one day's worth) of percocet and was able to eat pain-free within three days.

[tresbien]

I know, I am going through the same thing t the same time. When do you get yours removed? I get mine done in August. I know how you feel and if I go first I will message you of how it went down.


I haven't gotten mine taken out yet, which is why I'm probably so scared.

[noodle654]

Getting your wisdom teeth out is nothing. It wasnt that bad, I got all 4 out and I had very minimal swelling. My gums healed very fast and I had no problems. I got them out in January 2008 on a Friday so I could recover over the weekend and not miss school. I was back on Monday. I still had some swelling, and my mouth felt weird, but all was well. The worst though was not being able to eat. I wanted to have a milk shake, but I am lactose intolerant and I didnt want to get sick. I had quite a bit of Vicadin which made me feel great for 3 hours before getting really sick for 6 hours. Wasnt too good. Just be sure not to eat anything hard and watch your the back of your mouth.

[xllovelyonelx]

Hi im 17 years old and i have never had surgery before. i get my wisdom teeth out in about 8 hours and i was terrified.. until i read about other peoples experiences. The only thing im still worried about is getting put to sleep and then the pain that ill have for the next week after the surgery.

Im kind of worried about what i might say to my mom when i first wake up haha :p

im glad that i found these answers from other people, i feel like i can get some sleep now before the surgery..... even though i will be getting more sleep then ever after ;) hahaha

[EricNau]

Good luck tomorrow, xllovelyonelx.

I'm sure it will go very well. I know my wisdom tooth surgery and recovery was far easier than I expected.

Let us know how it goes. :)

[Watabou]

Yeah you'll be fine. Don't worry about it too much.

I got my wisdom teeth(4 of them) out a year before and they just put me to sleep and I got up relatively seconds later feeling very sleepy. The nurse had to shake me to keep me from going back to sleep. :o

The pain wasn't that bad. It sort of stings and sometimes it got uncomfortable but I just popped in a Vicodin and I felt great! I could actually feel the pain ebbing away. :D

[fun173]

Hi im 17 years old and i have never had surgery before. i get my wisdom teeth out in about 8 hours and i was terrified.. until i read about other peoples experiences. The only thing im still worried about is getting put to sleep and then the pain that ill have for the next week after the surgery.

Im kind of worried about what i might say to my mom when i first wake up haha :p

im glad that i found these answers from other people, i feel like i can get some sleep now before the surgery..... even though i will be getting more sleep then ever after ;) hahaha


I just got mine out friday. It was not bad at all. i did not get put to sleep but i was drugged. I'm just scared I said something bad during the surgery :p You will be fine and the recovery is easy. I went out to eat on saturday and had some mozzarella sticks and played 2 hours of basketball tonight. It's not bad at all. Good luck!

[jswag129]

I've never had surgery except getting my wisdom teeth pulled a week ago (3/8/12) so, it was tough to prepare for. Pretty much, i was scared about this entire procedure because i already knew how painful and inconveniant it is to have any procedure done to your mouth due to when i had four teeth extracted when i was like 10 which by the way is like taking a walk in the park compared to getting your wisdom teeth being extracted.. First off, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPANY TO ASSIST YOU THE FIRST 3-4 DAYS! You can barely talk, at least I couldn't. So, I was writing things down, lol. & boy was it annoying when i'd need help and could barely talk so it was like very low mumbling and my mom or boyfriend would ask, "what?" lol urrrrrg. have a pen and paper or TEXT! ha Anyway, the procedure it self maybe took 20 minutes tops (according to my mom) ..the oral surgeon had to help my mom get me in the truck bc i was still a little sedated lol then we actually ran a few errands, lmao..but lets just say, that was the easy part. as the day went on i was o.k taking the meds (oxycodeine and acetametaphine) drinking smoothies and attempting mashed potatoes were the first of it all... there also these little jello-ey fruit squeezes i used. (at walmart, publix a,nd/or starbucks) i suggest no grits, no cottage cheese (there little peices can get stuck in open wounds) Also, bite on that guaze until your not bleeding anymore, this part is crucial because after your done bleeding the most important part forms, BLOOD CLOTS. Well, into the night, it got worse. sleep was impossible & only bc i had a complicaton with the meds, assuming i took too much 3 total the first day - 1 every 4-6 hour.. im guessing i didnt drink/eat enough. i almost passed out and my hands were cramping up and i couldnt feel my feet and could barely walk...basically REALLY scary. my mom sat with me and helped me breathe in my nose and out of my mouth because based on the symptoms there wasn't enough oxygen getting to my brain..i was better in 15 minutes after calming down and breathing correctly and so i attempted sleep again.. you have to sleep propt up because its too much pressure to lay side to side or flat on your back and can ignitiate the blood to flow. The second day i was sketched out about my meds so i refrained from taking it UNLESS i really needed it and towards the end of the day my mouth got really painful for some reason for at least the first 3-4 days. I was VERY swollen and one side was more swollen than the other and in fact, my left tonsil had felt like they extracted that too. It was horrendous. i couldnt swallow bc it was so painful so i was basically drooling everywhere.. the pain in my tonsils were far more worse than my teeth.. it cleared up in about 2-3 days. i cant stress enough to get as much food/smoothie/fluid/ect in your stomach before you take the meds BC nausea was dreadful & i couldnt imagine throwing up during this recovery - gross - unsanitary.. on the third day my best friend was ramen noodles bc i just slurpt them up and was occassionally full. Nutella, peanut butter, squeeze it cheese (i know random but when you are deprived of actual good food you do whatever you can to get a taste with out affecting your surgery) sweet potatoes were okay, i ate milkshakes with a spoon, frozen yogurt, greek yogurt, sorbet, asparagus (3-4th day), drink gatorade, jello (the kind in the box as PUDDING- yum 3-4th day bc added milk) i also drank a lot of protein shakes with water to get some more nutrition.. no dairy for those under local for 24-48, i believe... Ok, by the 2nd day i started researching DRY SOCKETS.. do it.. but dont bug yourself out like i did, just take precaution.. i did whatever i could to avoid this bc dry sockets can prolonge your recovery to 2,3,4 weeks >_<. warm water and salt rinses constant after i ate and when my teeth felt a little throbby or sore!.. cold compresses are only needed within the first 24 hours.. then WARM/HOT COMPRESSES from there on out to loosen up the cheek muscles.. i even stayed in the shower extra long to let the warm water run on my face. i also read about acetametaphine (a part of my pain med) and wasnt please with it so i discontinued it my 3rd day and stuck to advil and ibeprofen when needed. when it came to showering, it was a pain in the beginning but you feel so much better afterwards.. brushing teeth was so hard because it was really hard to open my mouth bc of the pain.. but it is really important that you contribute to the healing process atleast by 3rd day & beyond bc it speeds up healing process by trying to open your mouth, stretch it out, smile, try to brush very softly (with a soft brissle toothbrush) in the back and ON YOUR INCISIONS. its important to keep it clean back there because it is SO prone to infections. whatever you do AVOID any little peices of food that can lodge itself back there.. rinse (not to hard n the beginning bc u dont want to dislodge a blood clot. try not to sneeze, blow your nose, breathe to hard through your mouth, touch your incisions with your tounge being that any of these can dislodge a blood clot. ALSO, i was on birthcontrol and i discontinued it ON PURPOSE due to the hormonal effect it has on our body can actually STOP a blood clot from even forming leaving your entire bone EXPOSED. (no bueno bc that makes your chances of a dry socket sky rocket) today is day 6 for me. a stitch (dissovlable) (only in three of my incisions the ends of stitches were exposed, the other im guessing is under the skin that grew over the holes) fell out yesterday but i accidently tore it 2 days ago and it has been trying to hang in there but came out today when i was rinsing. But as long as its after the 3-4 day and a stitch comes out, it's okay. there is no pain where the stitch came out either. there is no pain in any of my teeth. if your surgery doesnt progress then a trip to the doc is necessar! ive been eating pasta's ( my first real meal was last night) one side of my cheek still seems to be a little swollen inside (you cant see it on the outside) and is lodged a tad on my bottom right molar and is taking its time to heal (its as if i bit my cheek, thats it) other wise the healing process is going swell!! i am brushing 2-3 times on incision softly and keeping it very clean. My trip back to the oral surgeon was 5 days after my surgery and he said everything was okay, no infection, but that i just needed to really brush on the incision, even if it bled a little. So, i did and they actually felt a lot better, less pressure and achy.. im drinking protein twice a day now.. it takes a whole week for a layer of skin to form over the holes but i like to be sure so i have still refrained from little peices of food; ground beef, chicken, anything hard, fruits with seeds, ice cream with nuts.. ect. but yesterday and today i ate thin mints and a granola bar with extreme rinsing (bc i am at work & i dont have my tooth brush) i also lean my head a little down and use only one side to chew just so i dont lose control and it wanders in the back of my mouth..i also was able to drive the 4th day i believe.. so i hope this all has helped with sombody! you really do heal quickly if you take the right precautions and listen to your oral surgeon, even research the heck out of it like me!..:D Good Luck!!!

[Macky-Mac]

a 6 year old thread.........brought back to life!!! :p

is 6 years a record?

[AlphaDogg]

...is 6 years a record?

I don't think so, but I've never seen one been brought back to life with a 1408 word essay!

[(marc)]

I don't think so, but I've never seen one been brought back to life with a 1408 word essay!

... and not one newline.

[Firestar]

... and not one newline.
And awful grammar.