L
Limelight83
Junior member
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2014
- Messages
- 8
I'm writing this because this is the kind of practical information I would have liked to have read before I got my wisdom teeth removed. I just had the removed on Monday and it's almost four days later and I feel great!
- Dentist vs. Oral Surgeon: If you need to see an oral surgeon to have your wisdom teeth removed your dentist will let you know. I made sure to flat out ask my dentist, "Do you feel comfortable enough to remove my wisdom teeth?" She laughed it off and said yes, and pulled up my X-rays and explain to me exactly why an oral surgeon wasn't necessary. (i.e.: They were all partially irrupted and none of them were too close to a nerve.) So when it doubt, don't be afraid to speak up.
- Don't Listen to Your Friends: I found that when I told people that I was getting my wisdom teeth removed they immediately wanted to tell me how bad it was for them. (I heard everything from "I think my dentist had to dislocate my jaw" to "I was in the hospital for a month after my wounds became infected.") I was also getting a lot of unsolicited advice, like "You should only do two now and then do the rest later, because you might not be able to handle the pain." My dentist laughed when I told her this and she assured me I'd be fine.
The surgery and recovery time will vary from person to person. The only person you should be listening to is your dentist or oral surgeon.
- Sedation: What kind of sedation you pick is a matter of personal choice. My opinion? IV sedation (AKA deep sleep) is a little excessive for this kind of procedure. Unless your wisdom teeth are imbedded into the bone, I don't see why in good faith any doctor or dentist would put a patient under such powerful anesthesia that has its own set of risks and I'd be wary of any dentist or oral surgeon that is quick to offer it. (Remember, IV sedation is expensive and doctors know that -- you might have just paid off their mortgage.) I found a Xanax (taken 2 hours before my appointment) took a little of the edge off -- enough for me not to freak out or cry. And although I requested laughing gas, the novocaine shots did their job and I could not feel a thing except pressure and decided at the last minute to forgo the use of gas. To block out the noise, I pulled up Spotify on my phone and listened to music while my dentist did her thing.
- Needles: Speaking of novocaine, if your dentist knows what he/she is doing, the shots should not hurt one single bit. (This is something I wish someone had told me before my appointment. I was perhaps more nervous about the needles than the tooth extraction.) First thing of all, they numb your gums with some gel substance. I couldn't feel the needle go in. Second, unless your dentist is a complete masochist, plunging in the anesthesia slowly will avoid any "burning" or "tearing" sensation. I had a total of about 8 injections. None of them hurt. It should take a dentist about 45 second to 1 min 30 secs to administer the shot. Any faster and I think your dentist might just hate you.
- Be Honest With Your Dentist: My dentist knew I was very nervous because I talked to her. In addition to getting my wisdom teeth out, she was always looking out for me and my comfort level. After the novocaine set in, it was hard to communicate with her so we worked out a set of hand signals that I could use to let her know how I was doing. (Thumbs up if I was doing OK; Time-out sign if I needed a break or was feeling any pain.)
- Don't Wait: Reason I got my wisdom teeth removed was because one of them got infected and the gum area around it swelled up. The pain I felt during the infection was way worse than anything I felt after my wisdom teeth were removed. Before the procedure I couldn't eat any hard foods, which only has tortured me further now that my wisdom teeth were removed. If I hadn't waited this long, I wouldn't be in my 3rd week on a soft food-only diet. It's the worst.
- There Will Be Blood: If you get queasy at the sight of blood, sorry to tell you there's going to be a lot of it, especially when you change your gauze as soon as you come home from your appointment. In fact, when I was getting prepared to change the gauze, my mouth was so numb I didn't realize blood was leaking from my mouth and splattering all over my house. I just pretended like I was on CSI and cleaned it up. The bleeding will stop fairly soon after that as long as you keep applying pressure and biting on the gauze. (I had all four removed at once, so the amount of blood will vary.)
- Don't Do It Alone: Even though I didn't go under heavy anesthesia, I still had someone drive me and take me home after the appointment. Why? I didn't know how my body would react to the whole procedure and I didn't want to risk it and you probably shouldn't either. I also recommend that if you live alone (like me!) that you spend at least the first night with someone watching over you. You never know what could go wrong and it feels nice to have someone take care of you.
Thanks mom!
- First Night Sleep After Surgery: Talk about the worst night of my life, but not because I was in any pain. I worried so much that I was going to bleed over everything that I couldn't relax. I slobber a lot when I sleep, so I would wake up in a panic any time I felt something wet. Yes, your spit will be a little bloody, but nothing like the gore you first encounter when you first get home. And if you are bleeding a lot, pressure is key! Also, sleep with your head elevated.
- Don't Push It: I really wanted to eat something solid the next day after my surgery. Big mistake, that chicken was really tasty but my wounds felt really sore after the meal. Give time for your mouth to heal.
- Salt Wash Is Your Friend: A teaspoon of salt dissolved in water is your one-way ticket to heaven. I mean, nothing is more soothing than that after you've had your wisdom teeth removed. Plus it cleans up the excess blood and disinfects the wounds.
- Painkillers: Whatever you are prescribed, take one as soon as you get home. It was a little weird for me, because my mouth was still numb, so I had throw back my head and toss in a pill and water and hoped that my body would swallow it somehow. You don't wait to wait until the novocaine wears off. That being said, don't use your wisdom teeth surgery as an excuse to take painkillers for the next 7 days -- that stuff isn't good for your body and some of the stuff dentist prescribe is HIGHLY addictive. My experience was after 36 hours, I found the Vicodin (which is an opiate, and counts heroin as a close cousin) to be more a nuisance than help. It made be feel sluggish and woozy. I switched to plain ol' Ibuprofen for the next 24 hours and after that I stopped completely so I could figure out how much pain I was actually in. Not much apparently except for some direct soreness in the wound areas.
- Your Mouth Will Feel Different: I don't know how to explain it but I'm definitely aware my mouth has less teeth. Eating feels different in a way I can't describe. It's not a bad thing, but just... well, different. It's a sensation I'm still getting used to. It's almost kind of like I miss my wisdom teeth.
(NVR 4-GET U WISDOM TEETH!)
I'll add more if I can think of anything else.
- Dentist vs. Oral Surgeon: If you need to see an oral surgeon to have your wisdom teeth removed your dentist will let you know. I made sure to flat out ask my dentist, "Do you feel comfortable enough to remove my wisdom teeth?" She laughed it off and said yes, and pulled up my X-rays and explain to me exactly why an oral surgeon wasn't necessary. (i.e.: They were all partially irrupted and none of them were too close to a nerve.) So when it doubt, don't be afraid to speak up.
- Don't Listen to Your Friends: I found that when I told people that I was getting my wisdom teeth removed they immediately wanted to tell me how bad it was for them. (I heard everything from "I think my dentist had to dislocate my jaw" to "I was in the hospital for a month after my wounds became infected.") I was also getting a lot of unsolicited advice, like "You should only do two now and then do the rest later, because you might not be able to handle the pain." My dentist laughed when I told her this and she assured me I'd be fine.
The surgery and recovery time will vary from person to person. The only person you should be listening to is your dentist or oral surgeon.
- Sedation: What kind of sedation you pick is a matter of personal choice. My opinion? IV sedation (AKA deep sleep) is a little excessive for this kind of procedure. Unless your wisdom teeth are imbedded into the bone, I don't see why in good faith any doctor or dentist would put a patient under such powerful anesthesia that has its own set of risks and I'd be wary of any dentist or oral surgeon that is quick to offer it. (Remember, IV sedation is expensive and doctors know that -- you might have just paid off their mortgage.) I found a Xanax (taken 2 hours before my appointment) took a little of the edge off -- enough for me not to freak out or cry. And although I requested laughing gas, the novocaine shots did their job and I could not feel a thing except pressure and decided at the last minute to forgo the use of gas. To block out the noise, I pulled up Spotify on my phone and listened to music while my dentist did her thing.
- Needles: Speaking of novocaine, if your dentist knows what he/she is doing, the shots should not hurt one single bit. (This is something I wish someone had told me before my appointment. I was perhaps more nervous about the needles than the tooth extraction.) First thing of all, they numb your gums with some gel substance. I couldn't feel the needle go in. Second, unless your dentist is a complete masochist, plunging in the anesthesia slowly will avoid any "burning" or "tearing" sensation. I had a total of about 8 injections. None of them hurt. It should take a dentist about 45 second to 1 min 30 secs to administer the shot. Any faster and I think your dentist might just hate you.
- Be Honest With Your Dentist: My dentist knew I was very nervous because I talked to her. In addition to getting my wisdom teeth out, she was always looking out for me and my comfort level. After the novocaine set in, it was hard to communicate with her so we worked out a set of hand signals that I could use to let her know how I was doing. (Thumbs up if I was doing OK; Time-out sign if I needed a break or was feeling any pain.)
- Don't Wait: Reason I got my wisdom teeth removed was because one of them got infected and the gum area around it swelled up. The pain I felt during the infection was way worse than anything I felt after my wisdom teeth were removed. Before the procedure I couldn't eat any hard foods, which only has tortured me further now that my wisdom teeth were removed. If I hadn't waited this long, I wouldn't be in my 3rd week on a soft food-only diet. It's the worst.
- There Will Be Blood: If you get queasy at the sight of blood, sorry to tell you there's going to be a lot of it, especially when you change your gauze as soon as you come home from your appointment. In fact, when I was getting prepared to change the gauze, my mouth was so numb I didn't realize blood was leaking from my mouth and splattering all over my house. I just pretended like I was on CSI and cleaned it up. The bleeding will stop fairly soon after that as long as you keep applying pressure and biting on the gauze. (I had all four removed at once, so the amount of blood will vary.)
- Don't Do It Alone: Even though I didn't go under heavy anesthesia, I still had someone drive me and take me home after the appointment. Why? I didn't know how my body would react to the whole procedure and I didn't want to risk it and you probably shouldn't either. I also recommend that if you live alone (like me!) that you spend at least the first night with someone watching over you. You never know what could go wrong and it feels nice to have someone take care of you.
Thanks mom!- First Night Sleep After Surgery: Talk about the worst night of my life, but not because I was in any pain. I worried so much that I was going to bleed over everything that I couldn't relax. I slobber a lot when I sleep, so I would wake up in a panic any time I felt something wet. Yes, your spit will be a little bloody, but nothing like the gore you first encounter when you first get home. And if you are bleeding a lot, pressure is key! Also, sleep with your head elevated.
- Don't Push It: I really wanted to eat something solid the next day after my surgery. Big mistake, that chicken was really tasty but my wounds felt really sore after the meal. Give time for your mouth to heal.
- Salt Wash Is Your Friend: A teaspoon of salt dissolved in water is your one-way ticket to heaven. I mean, nothing is more soothing than that after you've had your wisdom teeth removed. Plus it cleans up the excess blood and disinfects the wounds.
- Painkillers: Whatever you are prescribed, take one as soon as you get home. It was a little weird for me, because my mouth was still numb, so I had throw back my head and toss in a pill and water and hoped that my body would swallow it somehow. You don't wait to wait until the novocaine wears off. That being said, don't use your wisdom teeth surgery as an excuse to take painkillers for the next 7 days -- that stuff isn't good for your body and some of the stuff dentist prescribe is HIGHLY addictive. My experience was after 36 hours, I found the Vicodin (which is an opiate, and counts heroin as a close cousin) to be more a nuisance than help. It made be feel sluggish and woozy. I switched to plain ol' Ibuprofen for the next 24 hours and after that I stopped completely so I could figure out how much pain I was actually in. Not much apparently except for some direct soreness in the wound areas.
- Your Mouth Will Feel Different: I don't know how to explain it but I'm definitely aware my mouth has less teeth. Eating feels different in a way I can't describe. It's not a bad thing, but just... well, different. It's a sensation I'm still getting used to. It's almost kind of like I miss my wisdom teeth.
(NVR 4-GET U WISDOM TEETH!)I'll add more if I can think of anything else.
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