R
RunaPups
Junior member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2022
- Messages
- 3
- Location
- USA
Hi all! Just wanted to share my wisdom teeth removal success story to anyone that needs to read something positive!
I am 35 years old and just had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth out plus a 5th tooth (molar). A little back story:
Several years ago, I was told I needed my wisdom teeth out. I have a pretty severe fear of the dentist, and even a normal teeth cleaning usually involves me cancelling my appointment several times, and finally months overdue, getting the courage to go in but having a MASSIVE full blown panic attack. I have GAD and health anxiety, so it makes none of this easy. 4 years ago I made the appointment, and got through the consultation. I came in for my surgery and sat down in the chair and had a nasty panic attack. The oral surgeon told me to leave because "he didn't have time or energy to deal with this." and I was told I was not allowed to come back. I sobbed for days after I was so embarrased.
Fast forward to a March...I decided it was time to finally try again. I had gotten x-rays at a cleaning and it showed my wisdom teeth (even though not erupted) were now severely decayed inside my gums, and I now had a molar that needed pulled also, due to a large filling falling out and said at this point there was nothing else he could do to save the tooth.
My dentist already knew of my past try with the awful oral surgeon, and referred me to someone 30 minutes from my house that he said was really wonderful. So I reluctantly called with tears in my eyes and made the consultation. It was two weeks out, and I lived those 2 weeks in complete terror.
The day finally came for the consultation, and my dentist was not lying...the oral surgeon was SO nice! He really put me at ease, he sat and listened to all my fears about never having surgery before and being terrified of being put under and not waking up. I also have a long list of serious allergies to many antibiotics and other medications I was super worried about. He told me not to worry, that he would take really good care of me! I left the office feeling surprisingly confident and not nervous! But that of course changed. I later found out that he is my state's head of dental anesthesiology board!
The date of my surgery was April 14th. I couldn't sleep the night before and actually ended up throwing up twice and getting hives I was so nervous. The wonderful oral surgeon gave me some anxiety medicine to take the hour before the surgery, so I kept telling myself I just had to make it to the time to take the medicine. I took my medicine and felt so much better within 15 minutes! I got in the car and headed to the oral surgery office!
This is where it gets fuzzy....the only thing I remember is the surgeon coming in a shaking my hand, getting the super tiny IV needle in my hand, and him telling me he was going to tape it to my hand. They put some nice warm blankets on me and that was it. That anxiety medicine made me so relaxed it was crazy! The next thing I know is, I opened my eyes and asked when it was starting...when the nurse told me they were already done! I was in shock! I was out for a little over a hour to get the 5 teeth out. She asked me how my eyesight was, and I said blurry, so she had me wait a little while until it cleared up and I literally walked myself (while she was supporting me) out to my car/husband.
I am so mad at myself because it was literally NOTHING to worry about and was so easy!!
I am now almost 2 weeks into recovery as of this Thursday 4/28.
Recovery:
I know I am not the typical patient being much older than the normal person getting their wisdom teeth out, and I know my experience won't be like everyone elses, but.....
My recovery has been so insanely easy. I was worried with my age and getting 5 teeth out with 4 of them being impacted would have been awful...but let me tell you, it's been cake! I literally never once, took a pain killer. Not even any otc. I never had an ounce of pain. He didn't put me on antibiotics because he told me it was more of a preventive thing and with my history of allergies to them, he felt like he would hold off until there was a problem. He gave me a special ice pack to wrap around my face and that felt wonderful. On day 3 he had me switch to heat on my cheeks to reduce the swelling. He prescribed me a pain killer and a mouth wash to rinse with morning and night, and to flush my sockets out with after meals. I also have to use salt water rinse 3-4 times a day.
The swelling wasn't so bad, but day 3 was by far the worst. I looked like a squirrel with a bunch of acorns stored in my cheeks! The swelling was also somewhat down into my neck, and I had a little bit of a sore throat which they had warned me about prior to the surgery. I did end up getting some yellow bruising on my cheeks and down my neck on day 3, but nothing terrible. I stuck with soft foods for the first 5 days because I couldn't open my mouth that well. I drank a ton of protein drinks, ate ice cream, jello, yogurt and pudding. All in all not too bad being on a junk food diet! I had my surgery on Thursday and took Friday off, and was back to work that Monday! I did feel very exhausted the first week though, and I think that was maybe partly due to the IV sedation wearing off. I did also have nausea the first day from the IV sedation, so if I ever need another surgery I will know to ask for zofran after!
Today is day 10 of my recovery, and everything is looking great! As of 3 days ago, I could completely open my mouth like normal, have no swelling on the outside of my cheeks, and today I went out for my lunch break and successfully ate a burger and fries with no problems! It looks like my sockets are starting to fill in, all the swelling on the outside of my cheeks is gone, but still a little lingering swelling inside my cheeks. The only part that has been annoying is having to carry this big bottle of mouth wash everywhere in my purse with me and the syringe!
To anyone afraid, DON'T BE! You will do great and come out on the other side just like me and be able to post your success story!
If anyone needs re-assurance or questions on how things went, I would be more than happy to try to answer them!
I am 35 years old and just had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth out plus a 5th tooth (molar). A little back story:
Several years ago, I was told I needed my wisdom teeth out. I have a pretty severe fear of the dentist, and even a normal teeth cleaning usually involves me cancelling my appointment several times, and finally months overdue, getting the courage to go in but having a MASSIVE full blown panic attack. I have GAD and health anxiety, so it makes none of this easy. 4 years ago I made the appointment, and got through the consultation. I came in for my surgery and sat down in the chair and had a nasty panic attack. The oral surgeon told me to leave because "he didn't have time or energy to deal with this." and I was told I was not allowed to come back. I sobbed for days after I was so embarrased.
Fast forward to a March...I decided it was time to finally try again. I had gotten x-rays at a cleaning and it showed my wisdom teeth (even though not erupted) were now severely decayed inside my gums, and I now had a molar that needed pulled also, due to a large filling falling out and said at this point there was nothing else he could do to save the tooth.
My dentist already knew of my past try with the awful oral surgeon, and referred me to someone 30 minutes from my house that he said was really wonderful. So I reluctantly called with tears in my eyes and made the consultation. It was two weeks out, and I lived those 2 weeks in complete terror.
The day finally came for the consultation, and my dentist was not lying...the oral surgeon was SO nice! He really put me at ease, he sat and listened to all my fears about never having surgery before and being terrified of being put under and not waking up. I also have a long list of serious allergies to many antibiotics and other medications I was super worried about. He told me not to worry, that he would take really good care of me! I left the office feeling surprisingly confident and not nervous! But that of course changed. I later found out that he is my state's head of dental anesthesiology board!
The date of my surgery was April 14th. I couldn't sleep the night before and actually ended up throwing up twice and getting hives I was so nervous. The wonderful oral surgeon gave me some anxiety medicine to take the hour before the surgery, so I kept telling myself I just had to make it to the time to take the medicine. I took my medicine and felt so much better within 15 minutes! I got in the car and headed to the oral surgery office!
This is where it gets fuzzy....the only thing I remember is the surgeon coming in a shaking my hand, getting the super tiny IV needle in my hand, and him telling me he was going to tape it to my hand. They put some nice warm blankets on me and that was it. That anxiety medicine made me so relaxed it was crazy! The next thing I know is, I opened my eyes and asked when it was starting...when the nurse told me they were already done! I was in shock! I was out for a little over a hour to get the 5 teeth out. She asked me how my eyesight was, and I said blurry, so she had me wait a little while until it cleared up and I literally walked myself (while she was supporting me) out to my car/husband.
I am so mad at myself because it was literally NOTHING to worry about and was so easy!!
I am now almost 2 weeks into recovery as of this Thursday 4/28.
Recovery:
I know I am not the typical patient being much older than the normal person getting their wisdom teeth out, and I know my experience won't be like everyone elses, but.....
My recovery has been so insanely easy. I was worried with my age and getting 5 teeth out with 4 of them being impacted would have been awful...but let me tell you, it's been cake! I literally never once, took a pain killer. Not even any otc. I never had an ounce of pain. He didn't put me on antibiotics because he told me it was more of a preventive thing and with my history of allergies to them, he felt like he would hold off until there was a problem. He gave me a special ice pack to wrap around my face and that felt wonderful. On day 3 he had me switch to heat on my cheeks to reduce the swelling. He prescribed me a pain killer and a mouth wash to rinse with morning and night, and to flush my sockets out with after meals. I also have to use salt water rinse 3-4 times a day.
The swelling wasn't so bad, but day 3 was by far the worst. I looked like a squirrel with a bunch of acorns stored in my cheeks! The swelling was also somewhat down into my neck, and I had a little bit of a sore throat which they had warned me about prior to the surgery. I did end up getting some yellow bruising on my cheeks and down my neck on day 3, but nothing terrible. I stuck with soft foods for the first 5 days because I couldn't open my mouth that well. I drank a ton of protein drinks, ate ice cream, jello, yogurt and pudding. All in all not too bad being on a junk food diet! I had my surgery on Thursday and took Friday off, and was back to work that Monday! I did feel very exhausted the first week though, and I think that was maybe partly due to the IV sedation wearing off. I did also have nausea the first day from the IV sedation, so if I ever need another surgery I will know to ask for zofran after!
Today is day 10 of my recovery, and everything is looking great! As of 3 days ago, I could completely open my mouth like normal, have no swelling on the outside of my cheeks, and today I went out for my lunch break and successfully ate a burger and fries with no problems! It looks like my sockets are starting to fill in, all the swelling on the outside of my cheeks is gone, but still a little lingering swelling inside my cheeks. The only part that has been annoying is having to carry this big bottle of mouth wash everywhere in my purse with me and the syringe!
To anyone afraid, DON'T BE! You will do great and come out on the other side just like me and be able to post your success story!
If anyone needs re-assurance or questions on how things went, I would be more than happy to try to answer them!
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