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wisdom teeth extraction..control/medication issues

C

carey24

Junior member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
2
I'm 32, I've been told for years my wisdom teeth (all 4) need to come out. I saw a dentist, he took xrays and says the bottom ones are partially impacted under bone. He said I need to go to an oral surgeon and they will do IV sedation. Now I can totally understand how normal people would welcome being "asleep" and not remembering anything.

I, however, am not normal. Here are my problems with this whole thing:

1. I am a control freak. Big time. Not with everything, just my body and what's happening to it. I have severe issues with my body being under a stranger's control and I don't know what's going on. I also do not want to have to rely on anyone to drive me or stay with me after. I like being independent and when I'm sick I just want to be left alone. I know myself, and I will have an all out panic attack if I have to be put under any kind of sedation where I do not know what's going on. I've also read that your mind can actually fight the medication to the point that you cannot be put out.

2. I hate taking medicine. I don't like how it makes me feel and I think most people are way too quick to take it. I have to have a severe headache (migraine) to even take Excedrin or aspirin. I have never taken a prescription painkiller and could happily go the rest of my life never taking one. I have no desire to feel loopy, drunk, groggy, sleepy, or any of the other side effects they have. Basically, I need to be myself all of the time.

3. I will not take antibiotics. (guys-no need to read the rest of this) I am on birth control pills continously for migraines. Antibiotics counteract the pill. Therefore if I take antibiotics, I will have a migraine, my period, and (just to add icing on the cake) they all give me a yeast infection.

I can see my bottom wisdom teeth. To me they look fully in, meaning I can see all of the tooth. They look just like the ones in front of them. I do not understand why this cannot just be done with local or even laughing gas.

I am not worried about pain at all. I have an extremely high pain tolerance. (I accidently stabbed my thumb with scissors, they went all the way thru- came out the other side, got stitched without being completely numb, and had the stitches taken out by a dr friend in a hallway of the hospital bc I refused to go back to the ER-I was going to take them out myself, he said he'd do it lol.)

I have an appt with the oral surgeon in 2 weeks. I'm really stressing myself out about this. Does anyone have any insight on: painkillers, are antibiotics absolutely necessary, laughing gas for extraction?

Thanks in advance!

added notes: I am not scared, perse. It's not my idea of a fun afternoon, but the thought of getting my teeth pulled doesn't scare me. The thought of sedation, on the other hand, absolutely petrifies me to the point of tears. I've read about people that don't remember anything and just know they woke up at home in bed. I could never do that. I need to know what's going on at all times. The thought of not remembering leaving an office and a whole ride home scares me to death.
 
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Hi and :welcome: here. I try to answer your questions:

1. I would happily be knocked out for surgery, but I don't think it's necessary in your case. Did you mention being scared? Some dentists offer IV sedation to all with dental anxiety of any kind, which is bad for people like you. In Finland, "normal" people (not phobic) have all or almost all wisdom tooth extractions done with LA only, so I think it's definitely possible, but where you live the system may be different. Ask them!

2. There are two kinds of prescription painkillers. The stronger ones which make you feel a bit drunk, and then others that don't. And they are good as well. After my wizzie operation I took 600mg ibuprofein which is prescription-only in that dose and I didn't get sleepy or anything. Actually, at this moment when I'm writing this I'm under the influence of another prescription painkiller, naproxen, because I have my... whatever is the euphemism for period, and I wouldn't have been able to go to work today without medication. I'm one of thos girls who are in lots of pain every month. Anyway, I don't feel loopy, drunk, groggy, sleepy or anything else like that. I never do. Nobody can notice I've taken prescription painkillers, I go to work or school and do the usual things just like any other day, and I don't even feel tired. So painkillers are nothing to worry about, nothing like you think.

3. I didn't have any antibiotics and I think most don't. But should you do something to your current situation, in some other situation you may desperately need antibiotics.

Good luck! :hug2:
 
Laughing gas is great, It really relaxes me and makes it so I don't care what is going on but, still be in controll.
 
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