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What should I expect when getting my wisdom teeth out?

B

brit_

Junior member
Joined
Mar 23, 2019
Messages
1
Location
Ohio
Hi everyone, I’m going to be getting my wisdom teeth out in a few days (I’m 16 if that has any effect on anything) and I’m absolutely terrified. As my consultation appointment was cancelled, I don’t know what to expect. I believe that all 4 teeth are impacted and will all be coming out. I’m also scared of needles so I’m worried about the iv (if that’s how they do it). If you could offer advice for before and/or after the procedure that would be much appreciated.
 
I had all four out at once, and all mine were impacted. It was a while back...I had them done at 18. It honestly wasn't nearly as bad as I thought. I am assuming since they are all impacted, you will be getting general anesthesia, so you will be asleep.

When I had it, they actually used a mask to put me out, then did an IV. They took the IV out before I woke up. I didn't even know I had it until I noticed the bandaid on my inner elbow. I went in, woke up, and couldn't believe it was done already.

The after surgery recovery wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't terribly painful either. Take your medicine as directed and on time to stay ahead of the pain and you will be fine. It is amazing how quickly your mouth heals if you follow the after care directions. No drinking from a straw or rinsing for a few days.
 
Hi Brit,
I also had my wisdom teeth removed at 16 (all 4 impacted under IV sedation). My IV only took a minute to place and shortly after that they give me the medication and I went to sleep. When I woke up my mouth was so numb that I couldn’t even tell if it was opened or closed. They sent me home biting on some gauze which I changed out a couple of times before the bleeding stopped.

Some things that I wasn’t really told about that sorta took me by surprise is that they hooked me up to a bunch of monitors (heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen) and put me on oxygen with the little tubing that goes under your nose. It makes sense that they did that looking back but it’s just something I wasn’t really anticipating. I felt a little groggy coming out of sedation but mostly okay (just sleepy). I went home, took pain medication, and slept. I would recommend using ice packs on your jaw after the procedure to reduce swelling/bruising. Also, I had stitches where all of the teeth were removed (also not sure I was told about that in advance). The stitches are meant to dissolve but don’t always (not all of mine did) so when I went for my follow up appointment with the oral surgeon they took the rest of the stitches out (also wasn’t prepared for that) but it was easy and painless.

As Mountain Mama said, it is better to stay ahead of the pain. I was given 800 mg ibuprofen and also oxycodone. I did not respond well at all to the oxycodone (it made me really nauseous and made me throw up-not fun!) so I only took 1 and then stuck to the ibuprofen alone which honestly was enough.

You will notice as it starts to heal that a layer of white stuff will form in your mouth and that’s Normal and goes away with time. Once the stitches are out they will give you a syringe to irrigate the tooth sockets after you eat to keep them clean until they heal over. Your food will be restricted to soft stuff for awhile and you will need to avoid straws. Make sure you read and follow all of the after care instructions and you will do just fine! It honestly took a few weeks to feel myself again. Initially, I was super drained of energy (in the first week or so) but I think the medication side effects combined with not eating much and the body just trying to heal took a lot out of me. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
Had all 4 done at once just today. 3 impacted with 2 soft tissue impacted + 1 molar extraction. Only thing I remember is some cracking and the dentist saying "Just a little bit of pressure, you're doing great." Next thing I know it's all over. Took about 30 minutes from time the IV went in to the time I was ready to leave.

You'll probably get a prescription for pain killers and some special care instructions. Your mouth will be swollen for several days. Right now my jaw is really stiff and throat sore. I don't want to get it open since I don't want to pull my stitches or get a dry socket. Hard to eat anything. Just drinking water today.
 
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