Getting wisdom teeth out this week.LOTS of questions!

[121903]

This is my first time posting in this forum, sorry for all the questions!

Ok so my top 2 wisdom teeth are fully erupted and my oral surgeon said they will be easy to take out.
My wisdom tooth on the bottom left side is partially bony impacted and the one on the bottom right is impacted as well.All 4 of them have cavities.He said my chance of nerve damage on my left side is 2-3% and only 1-2% on the right.

Question #1 My OS said that if there is any nerve damage that it will only affect sensation, not appearance.Is that true? So in other words I may not be able to feel parts of my mouth but at least my lip wont be drooping down to my chin, correct?

I really don't want to be asleep at all for the surgery but he wont just do a local anesthetic OS told me that he will do I.V. sedation but on the paper they gave me to show the prices for everything it says GENERAL anesthesia.I asked about this and the OS said it could go either way Like I could be totally out or just sedated.I'm really confused about that part.The price they have listed on my paper for general anesthesia is $363

Question #2 Why would they tell me it's I.V. sedation but have general anesthesia on my info page? Aren't they 2 completely different things? Also, is I.V. sedation less expensive than general?

Question #3 When you have I.V. sedation, do they still use a local anesthetic?
When I had fillings done by my regular dentist a few months ago I wanted to get them all filled in one visit(I had some on each side) he said he could only do like one quadrant at a time because it wasn't safe to have it all numb at the same time.So if I'm having all four wisdom teeth removed at once, how does this work?

Question #4 What are you supposed to use to clean out the extraction sites with if any food gets in there? Or does simply rinsing your mouth take care of that?

Question #5 How long should I wait after surgery before I can start using mouthwash again?
(I use something called CLOSYS if that makes any difference) It's not harsh like other kinds of mouthwash.

Question #6 When can I use my Waterpik again? Obviously I wouldn't use it on the extraction sites but i was just wondering when it would be safe to use it around the other teeth.


I have more questions but I can't remember them right now so I'll probably be back again later!

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help answer some of these questions for me

 

[carole]

Hi to the forum.

I am not a dentist but I will try help.

1. I had my wisdom teeth out some years ago. I looked the same and my face didn't droop but my tongue had some loss of sensation and I couldn't fully control how it moved. It eventually wore off. Your os is telling you the truth.

2. Make sure that you are given IV not GA, GA puts you to sleep totally. IV is sedation and you are not asleep and can move or follow instruction given to you by the os.

3. Yes, you are still numbed up with IV, so if you become aware of what is happening your gums are numb.

4. You use a salt water rinse after 24 hours and you don't spit you allow it to dribble out of your mouth.

5. I am not quite sure when you can use a mouthwash maybe a week or so, until then use the salt water rinse.

6. I don't know when you could use a waterpik.

You will get after care instructions to follow. Ask the os before having the work done. Have your questions written down. If after treatment you have any questions or worries contact the os and let them have a look or advise you.

If you post this in the dentist questions section there are dentists that answer question too.

Good luck with your treatment I wish you well

 

[121903]

Thank you for your help

 

[Francesca]

All I can say is I had all four wisdom teeth extracted all at once, under a general anaesthetic, so I was fast asleep. I wouldn't have had it any other way, and that was what was recommended. After that no pain, no issues with stuff getting caught in the gaps, I think there might have been some sort of gauze there at first for a short while, and then the gums cover up the gaps pretty quickly. As far as all your questions about mouth wash and using a Waterpik, can't really remember but I'm sure the dentist should have answers to all those questions? I wouldn't worry about the nerve damage too much, I had nothing of the sort. I'm sure it's one of those super-rare eventualities that they are required to mention. With every single surgical procedure they give you a list of things that "could go wrong", just to cover themselves, but the reality is they are so slim. I see you are in the States? That is where I had my wisdom teeth extractions, but it was covered by medical insurance so it didn't cost anything. Have you checked about that? I know it usually doesn't cover dental but wisdom teeth extraction is different. Good luck, it's not nearly as scary as it sounds, and unless you have a real issue with having a general I would recommend it - blink and it's over!

 

[letsconnect]

Question 3 - yes local anaesthetic is used, otherwise you wouldn't be numb

Question 2 - even though it may be an IV sedation procedure, it technically is regarded as general anaesthesia if there is a chance that the patient may not be conscious throughout or may not be responsive. "Deep sedation" technically is regarded as general anaesthesia as far as I'm aware. Unlike conscious sedation, usually this involves a mixture of drugs rather than straightforward midazolam. You are not "put to sleep" though as you would be with a hospital GA. But on the consent form it still has to say "general anaesthesia". Hence the confusion.

I'd recommend you ask your OS any questions you may have because he will be familiar with your situation and also, asking questions is part of what you're paying him for !