Wisdom Teeth Removal

[ErikCLDR]

Hi Everyone,

I went to the Dentist and they told me I need my wisdom teeth removed. Luckily I was born with only 3. What are your experiences with this?

I have the choice of Nitrous Oxide and Novocain or they'll put me out. The hygienist said I should just get put out because its easier for the doctor, but I would assume there would be a major cost difference with that and safety risk (not that I don't trust the anesthesiologist but I would think they would rather not put you to sleep). My regular doctor said that with the Nitrous Oxide you're so out of it you wouldn't care if it was raining liquid lead.

Any thoughts?

BTW this will be my first surgery.

[tobefirst]

I had mine taken out a few years ago. I was knocked out. I'm such a wuss, though, that I wouldn't be able to do it any other way. The actual surgery was the least uncomfortable part. Spitting up blood and the pain afterwards was much worse.

They are right, though, about not caring what is going on around you when you're out. I didn't feel or notice anything, and after they woke me up, all I wanted to do was sleep in their lobby. My mom had to practically drag me to the car...where I fell back asleep on the 2 minute ride home.

[BBC B 32k]

milkshakes for a fortnight, how nice.

hard choice to make, glad it is not mine.

i recently had surgery for a groin hernia and did not 'go under', believe me you will be so whacked that when the large nurse shaves your meat and two vege you wont give a damm :D

[c.greene914]

You don't need to be put out. I had mine taken out when I was 17 without being put to sleep. Your doctor's right. You will be so drugged up you won't care what he's doing, and most likely won't remember anything about when it's finished.

[barr08]

I had mine out a few years ago, and I wasn't put out. I actually look upon that day fondly, whatever they gave me felt really good, and I didn't have to go to the scary Jamaican in the alley in downtown Hartford :eek:.

It effects different people differently. I know some people who say it was the worst time of their life. I know other people who felt fine the whole time. Personally, I was somewhere in the midde.

[atszyman]

How old are you?

If you're in you're late teens, early 20's you can go ahead with the conscious/Nitrous oxide route without too much difficulty. I had mine done at 18 in this manner and I didn't have too many issues. I'm not quite sure if the Nitrous mix was right, I never felt that out of it, but thanks to the Novocain I didn't feel anything, just heard some of the crunching and felt some pushing as they got the teeth out (did all 4 at once).

Now if you're older the teeth are going to be rooted/burried deeper in the jaw so you'll probably want to be out completely like my wife was.

[odinsride]

I had mine taken out when i was about 16 or 17 and had Nitrous Oxide. It was great stuff :) I remember the doctor telling jokes while he worked on me and me laughing, not even caring that he was cutting teeth out of my jaw.

It sucks when it wears off though...

[Sdashiki]

I was 15 when I took mine out, lucky me. They hadnt even formed roots yet so it was more like enamel and dentin floating in my gums.

I was knocked out by IV drugs for the 45 min procedure.

He stuck in the needle, let the stop go, and I said "How long until I'm knocked out" he replies "About te............" I dont remember anything for the next 4 hours, which included leaving, going to McDs for a shake, going home, upstairs, changing clothes and getting into bed.

That was some good sh**.

Make sure you ask the Doc what pain meds he will prescribe after. if you know yer drugs, ask for something stronger claiming youve had what he wants to give you and it didnt work. cuz typically they prescribe stuff thats kind of weak, ask for nothing less than Percocet or Tylenol 3.

Very few chances will you get to have legal narcotics handed to you!

[adrianblaine]

They put me out when I had all 4 of my mine removed. I don't remember even getting a choice though. That just may be how he did it for everyone.

[zach]

i got knocked out for getting all 4 of mine out. nitrous is kinda fun though, i got that for another dental procedure once.

both options are 100% safe. the general anesthesia is considerably more expensive, IIRC, so if cost is an issue, i'd just do nitrous.

and also if i remeber right they give you novocaine even if you get knocked out.

[ErikCLDR]

I am 16, 17 in September.

The two on the bottom you can see. The one on the top is not yet visible.


My sister went to the same doctor and got Vicodin for after the surgery. I assume I would get the same. What ever I don't use I can sell to my friends hahahahahha kidding.

I think I'll probably stick with the nitrous oxide. I'll see what the doctor has to say about it when I have my consultation in a couple weeks.

[MacNut]

Had all 4 taken out at once, knocked out cold for a few hours. Got a good sleep out of the deal.

[miniConvert]

I hope you don't mind me asking, but why are they being removed?

I've heard of people having their wisdom teeth out. I've still got all of mine.

[MacNut]

The main reason for having them removed is over crowding of the teeth. Mine were impacted and pushing on the other teeth. Over time the pain will get worse if you don't get them removed.

[ErikCLDR]

The main reason for having them removed is over crowding of the teeth. Mine were impacted and pushing on the other teeth. Over time the pain will get worse if you don't get them removed.

Yup. My jaw isn't big enough to accommodate more teeth. The wisdom teeth them grow in at an angle and push the other teeth. That can make the front teeth get pushed together and change there position.

[miniConvert]

Yup. My jaw isn't big enough to accommodate more teeth. The wisdom teeth them grow in at an angle and push the other teeth. That can make the front teeth get pushed together and change there position.
Ah ok. Me and my big mouth :rolleyes:

[applehero]

I only have 3 as well, but as a result of going through years of orthodontics as a teenager, I get to keep at least 2. The odd one (on the right side where there is not a lower tooth to connect with) apparently has a cavity and will need to be pulled. I'm 31 and that is my first cavity, which doesn't hurt and since I hate going to the dentist, it's been a year and I still have the tooth. My wife and mom keep telling me to 'cowboy up' and go get it pulled, but I've never had any kind of surgery, never broken a bone, nothing other than the occasional scrape and bruise **knocks on wood** so it's easier said than done.

I don't envy you, I would make them knock me out. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to come to and realize that something was stuck somewhere that it should have been, if you know what I mean. :eek:

[SamIchi]

:D I only had 1 wisdom tooth. Had it taken out last year. I'd say go for the gas. I wouldn't want to be awake when the whole operation is going on, it's stressful. But if you think you can take it go ahead. And plus you would have to go through needling stuff, they put you to sleep you won't even know, well until after that its. Good Luck to you.

[Mal]

I wouldn't have ever considered anything but getting knocked out for mine, but like tobefirst, I'm a wuss. Of course, I was a little worried about the needle too, but that wasn't bad (it's pretty small and painless). I had all four taken at once, and I didn't even know anything had happened when I woke up. Of course, I was sore for a couple days, but not too bad, even when I didn't take the pain pills they gave me. Mine went really well, but I think I would've hated not being knocked out (drugs like novacain don't always work on me, I had to get about 3 times the original amount when I just had a wart removed, because it apparently didn't affect me like they expected).

jW

[iKwick7]

Never had the surgery myself, luckily. I did, however, have a chalazeon (spelling?) removed- very similar to a stai (spelling?)- basically a small little bumb on the inside of the eyelid.

Didn't get knocked out fo rthat one, just super numbed up- a numbing cream followed by a needle to the eyelid. That was fun. Then I couldn't feel a thing, which was good. I could feel "movement" around my eyes, but couldn't actually feel anything. Very fun, especially with the amount of blood that was all over my shirt and apron thingy when they were done. Score!

[imac/cheese]

I only have 3 as well, but as a result of going through years of orthodontics as a teenager, I get to keep at least 2. The odd one (on the right side where there is not a lower tooth to connect with) apparently has a cavity and will need to be pulled. I'm 31 and that is my first cavity, which doesn't hurt and since I hate going to the dentist, it's been a year and I still have the tooth. My wife and mom keep telling me to 'cowboy up' and go get it pulled, but I've never had any kind of surgery, never broken a bone, nothing other than the occasional scrape and bruise **knocks on wood** so it's easier said than done.

I don't envy you, I would make them knock me out. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to come to and realize that something was stuck somewhere that it should have been, if you know what I mean. :eek:

You have to get your wisdom tooth pulled because it has a cavity or is there another problem ith it? I still have all four of my wisdom teeth and two of them have had cavities (now they have fillings) but I can't imagine that you would need to have it pulled just for a cavity.

[applehero]

You have to get your wisdom tooth pulled because it has a cavity or is there another problem ith it? I still have all four of my wisdom teeth and two of them have had cavities (now they have fillings) but I can't imagine that you would need to have it pulled just for a cavity.

I would tend to agree, but the dentist I went to said it needed pulled. I'm eventually going to get a 2nd opinion.

[aloofman]

I've had two wisdom teeth removed on separate occasions. I didn't have gas for either, just a lot of local anesthetic. This worked out fine, pain-wise, but one of them was a difficult extraction and it's kind of an anxious feeling to be lying there while the surgeon yanks your jaw around. After multiple sets of braces, retainers, and pulled teeth, I'm definitely not afraid of dentists, but this one she had to actually smash the tooth into pieces and yank out each part separately, which took a while and felt uncomfortable, even though it didn't hurt. No way to really anticipate that, so if you don't like dentists already, do the gas and you won't have to worry about it.

As someone else said, it actually is the aftermath that has more pain. Pain relievers are a must, and I needed a syringe to flush out the hole in my jaw where a tooth used to be, or food would collect in it.

[ezzie]

i was completely out when i had all 4 of my wisdom teeth cut out. they were all impacted, and they were all upside down and sideways...i am not kidding. it was nasty. :(

i did wake up near the end, and i was conscious for maybe the last 5 minutes. then i proceeded to stagger to the "recovery" room and talk to the fishies in the fish tank. i nearly duked on the sidewalk on the way to the car...*that* was my most painful part, what with those freshly butchered gums. ;)

seriously, i'm not trying to scare you. :) i'm sure you'll do just fine...it sounds like you'll have a much easier time of it than i did!!! enjoy the smoothies!

[TheQuestion]

I was wide awake the entire time with mine. I have a heart murmur so no nighty-nite medicine. Worst hour of my life. But the percocet was awesome.

[ehurtley]

I was knocked out for mine.

Then again, I also had a root canal done at the same time, so I got to miss out on actually experiencing *both* of those procedures. :-p

Just make sure you follow all the directions the dentist gives you about keeping the wisdom tooth area clean.

[mduser63]

Local anesthetic and Nitrous Oxide for me. I remember it well, but it didn't hurt at all. The cracking noises were a little disturbing at times, but not too big of a deal. I just watched Star Trek on the TV in the ceiling the whole time. Although, I must admit, the Nitrous Oxide made it so I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was going on in the plot. Now, afterwards is a different matter. Having 4 gaping holes in your mouth that are bleeding profusely is simply no fun. Painful and annoying. I should add that I took the first dose of the hyrdrocodone (Lortab/Vicodin) they gave me and hated the way it made me feel so much that I decided I'd prefer the pain. There's no way I'd ever get addicted to prescription painkillers...

[theLimit]

I was 25 when I had my wisdom teeth removed. I had needed the surgery for years but I never had insurance that would cover the procedure and I had to save up for ages. I knew the wisdom teeth were causing damage because the pain was nearly unbearable. I was knocked out for the operation. I know I was gassed, but I think I had an IV as well. I only remember being asked to count backward from twenty, I had been through that before so I tried counting as fast as I could and still only got to fourteen before I was too tired to go on. I had six teeth removed, my four wisdom teeth and the two molars on the bottom that were nearly cut in half by the wisdom teeth over time. After I woke up my wife told me that they had to tie my arms down because I had punched the doctor in my sleep. I guess it hurts even if you don't consciously realize it. I got a week's worth of Tylenol 3 for the pain, but they barely helped so I would definitely recommend asking for Vicodin.

[Ugg]

I had all four removed when I was 25. I was in and out of the office in 30 minutes and the actual extraction only took two minutes. They just used novocaine. I think they asked if I wanted to be gassed but I said no. I hate the effects of painkillers and only take tylenol if I hurt really, really bad.

[mrgreen4242]

Hi Everyone,

I went to the Dentist and they told me I need my wisdom teeth removed. Luckily I was born with only 3. What are your experiences with this?

I have the choice of Nitrous Oxide and Novocain or they'll put me out. The hygienist said I should just get put out because its easier for the doctor, but I would assume there would be a major cost difference with that and safety risk (not that I don't trust the anesthesiologist but I would think they would rather not put you to sleep). My regular doctor said that with the Nitrous Oxide you're so out of it you wouldn't care if it was raining liquid lead.

Any thoughts?

BTW this will be my first surgery.

You don't need to be put out. I had mine taken out when I was 17 without being put to sleep. Your doctor's right. You will be so drugged up you won't care what he's doing, and most likely won't remember anything about when it's finished.

Nitrous Oxide doesn't do ANYTHING for me. I can get about the same effect by holding breathe for a couple minutes.

I'm getting my wisdom teeth out in about two weeks. I'm getting sedated... having all 4 out, I'm 27, and they are all fully in and have been there for years.

Anyways, good luck! If you've never had nitrous oxide and don't know how it effects you, you might want to talk with your surgeon about it specifically before hand.

[zach]

I was wide awake the entire time with mine. I have a heart murmur so no nighty-nite medicine. Worst hour of my life. But the percocet was awesome.

percoset is alllwaays awesome :D

[Joshua8o8]

I got all 4 pulled out at one time. I stayed up and got the gas because i dont like being put under anestisia. Ever since i watched a show on the discovery channel im pretty scared of being under anestisia. The show was about anestisia gone horribly wrong. People on the show was saying that they were put under anestisia but were not out, they were only paralized and had no way at all to let anyone know they were still awake!!! They could feel and hear everything that was going on during the surgery!!! How sick is that?!?! It is supposed to be super rare, but still even thinking about it gives me the creeps.

Anyway my surgery went fine. The Gas is wonderful, like your dentist said, you wont even care what the doctor is doing. He could have been cutting my face with a scalpel and all i would have said was " haha, ha, hey doc, what are yea doin ??? Im telling you that nitrous is some good sh!+. I would say the bleeding is the worst part of the whole ordeal. I had bad luck and was not able to stomach the pain killers the doc. prescribed me, I was not really able to eat much and i ended up throwing the vikoden up. I ended up not taking any pain killers at all. The pain was manageable. The only thing i could compare it to was the time i broke my hand, and it wasnt even half as bad. Hope the last half of my story helps! Dont worry, you will be fine!

[mrfrosty]

I just had a local and it was honestly no worse than having a normal tooth removed. Actually compared to the last one i had out it was a piece of cake.

It's probably due to too many pieces of cake that i have had to have a tooth or two out, which is rather ironic !

[mrfrosty]

Nitrous Oxide doesn't do ANYTHING for me. I can get about the same effect by holding breathe for a couple minutes.

I'm getting my wisdom teeth out in about two weeks. I'm getting sedated... having all 4 out, I'm 27, and they are all fully in and have been there for years.

Anyways, good luck! If you've never had nitrous oxide and don't know how it effects you, you might want to talk with your surgeon about it specifically before hand.

I remember trying the nitrous oxide when my wife was having a child, it was awsome! Like being paralitic drunk for 60 seconds

[jng]

I am 16, 17 in September.

The two on the bottom you can see. The one on the top is not yet visible.


For the not visible ones, they cut into your gums and dig themout. Those will hurt. And they sow it back up too and you'll taste blood for 2 weeks.

The main reason for having them removed is over crowding of the teeth. Mine were impacted and pushing on the other teeth. Over time the pain will get worse if you don't get them removed.

Yup. My teeth are huge. Had 4 bicuspids removed when I was 16 and then my 4 wisdom teeth when I was 17. They were screwing up my braces.

I wasn't knocked out either time.

Actually having the bicuspids removed was a bit more traumatic (but funny in retrospect). They wouldn't budge and my ortho surgeon, a woman, called a burly male student over who really had to struggle, while others held my head down to pull one of them out. Didn't hurt at all. Drugs are great. But it was just kind weird to see a giant man pulling at your face. In the end, whatever he did loosened up many of my teeth and I didn't have to wear braces that long :)

When you have your wisdom teeth out, get a little bucket to keep near your bed, for all the times you have to spit out blood.

And lots of Jello. Mmm. Lucky for me I love jello.

[Macky-Mac]

You have to get your wisdom tooth pulled because it has a cavity or is there another problem ith it? I still have all four of my wisdom teeth and two of them have had cavities (now they have fillings) but I can't imagine that you would need to have it pulled just for a cavity.

one problem with wisdom teeth is that they can be softer and not as structurally sound as your other teeth. A friend of mine left his in, cavities developed and then one day while he was eating a muffin, one of the wisdom teeth cracked and a large part of it broke off.......after that he had them all removed on the advice of his dentist

[PupnTaco]

I just had this done a couple months ago - and I'm 42. Let them knock you out (my doc used Nitrous Oxide to put me to sleep - it felt like 30 seconds of suffocating then I was bye-bye). The procedure itself is no big deal and the pain afterwards was nothing for me (I graduated from Vicodin to Advil after 24 hours)... just be sure you're meticulous about swishing with warm salt water several times a day & always right after you eat. After a few days, there'll be an unbearable stench that smells like decay... that's the gum tissue healing, it's normal.

Keep 'em clean & you'll be fine.

[steamboat26]

This one thing i am not looking forward to, everyone else in my family has had their wisdom teeth out :(
But on the upside, i will be able to get anesthesia, even if it is just nitrous oxide

[Taylor C]

Getting all four of mine out on Friday morning. Not really worried, but definitely not looking forward to it. I'll probably end up going with general anesthesia. I'm very against taking addictive medication, so I doubt I'll be taking my vicodin unless the pain is truly unbearable.

Luckily, after meeting with the surgeon today, a lot of my concerns were lessened. I'm getting the dissolvable stitches as opposed to those that need to be removed. How severe is the bleeding?

[ErikCLDR]

Well my big day is today.

I had my consultation a couple days ago and the doctor said that they're going to knock me out and use Novocain so when I wake up I won't be in pain. I am also strongly recommended not to make any big decisions for the rest of the day haha. He didn't say what pain killer I'm getting- my sister got Vicodin, and on the questionnaire it asked if I was allegic to Codeine or any other narcotics. I'm going to try not to use them unless I need it. I am usually pretty tolerant of pain.

My dental insurance covers $2000/yr. I've already used $400 for x-rays and a dental cleaning. So that means I have $1600 left and my parents still have to pay another $850. Meanwhile my doctor drives a BMW M6 :rolleyes:.

I'm not really nervous, I'm nervous that I am not nervous. I keep being like "oh yea I have to go do that" and then forget about it. I had a dream last night that I had my teeth removed, and my appendix at the same time "just to be safe" according to the doctor. After the surgery my appendix wound really hurt (for some reason my wound was on the opposite side) so my dermatologist (that came out of nowhere) took a needle and injected me with some morphine, stabbing it into my chest. He then gave me a HUGE bottle of Codeine and the instructions said to take two pills or 1.2 grams of it every 1-2 hours!!! Haha, I love dreams, they never make sense.

[phungy]

The cost is going to depend on the dentist but it will be 'cheaper' using ___caine. The dentists I volunteer for use xylocaine and lidocaine. Depending on how the third molar is positioned, the procedure can take from 2 minutes (after being 'drugged') to 20 minutes.

It also doesn't matter if you get put out or not because its going to hurt in the end.

Are you only getting one extracted? Did the dentist mention a number? (Third molars are 1, 16, 17, 32).

[ErikCLDR]

Well, I had the surgery- I had all of my 3 wisdom teeth removed- bottom and top right, I forget the numbers.

They gave me laughing gas to stick in the needle of the anesthesia which I thought was a little excessive. The last remember was hearing the doctor say "if you made it through that prick the hardest part is over".

All I can say is that percoset is amazing.