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Wisdom Teeth Removal Under IV Sedation

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OaklandAsGirl

Junior member
Joined
Mar 18, 2012
Messages
13
Location
Northwest US
Okay, someone told me I should post in this part of the forum after my surgery, and I'm more than happy to! I hope I can help anyone who's come to this site worried about their own wisdom teeth removal.

I'm 25, had two impacted/one partially impacted/one erupted tooth, and I had them all surgically removed with IV sedation on Monday. (I'm now at work in the wee hours of Sunday morning.) I had to schedule the appointment ages in advance to be sure I could get vacation time for work. (I work 12 hour shifts at a radio station Saturday through Monday; I also work at a local TV station two or three days a week when I'm off from the radio station. I totally could have gone back to work on Tuesday, but I asked not to work until Thursday. It's probably a good idea, just in case, for anyone thinking about how much time off they'd like to ask for.) So, basically, I fretted for over a month, read horror stories, became convinced I would die and the oral surgeon would come out and tell my boyfriend he "did all he could," and I was sure my face would just fall right off! After all, The Texas Wisdom Tooth Massacre was about to happen in my mouth!

Before the surgery, my boyfriend and I were sitting in the waiting room. My heart was beating harder than it was when I was standing literally inches away from Conan O'Brien's tushie. (That was a blessed day!) When they took my blood pressure before the surgery, it was like 150/89 haha. Way higher than usual. I wanted to die. The oral surgeon was wonderful and sweet and answered all of my questions. Plus, it was only 9 AM, and he said he'd already done two wisdom tooth extractions that day. That's one thing to set your mind at ease. They do these ALL THE TIME. They know what they're doing.

Anyhow, I was at the freaking out peak when he was putting in the IV and my boyfriend had to leave. Basically, I remember asking him what was in the IV, and then I was out. The next thing I knew, I heard the nurse and my boyfriend chatting in the room. I guess they have a few different operating rooms, so I was still in the same place. My arms and legs were perfectly fine, but my head felt like it weighed 50 pounds. I could barely move it, and when I opened my eyes, I felt nauseous. I talked with the two of them with my eyes shut for about ten minutes. My boyfriend said I was all incredulous and said, "It feels like there are rock people in my mouth!" I don't remember saying that haha, but I remember pretty much everything else. I think I was a bit silly when he brought me to my house, but nothing too nutso. I did, however, dry heave when I first got home. As SOON as I did that, though, I felt fine. It was like 30 seconds of nausea.

I had a bunch of questions about post op stuff, so I'll give my own answers to those questions here. I'm sure others are the same way. I'd never had any dental work done other than cleanings, so I had no idea about anything. (I'm one of those lucky cavity free peeps. I might have some I don't know about, though, seeing as it's been a few years since I've had my teeth thoroughly examined. When I went to the dentist to ask about wisdom teeth, I just had a panoramic x-ray.) Feeling returned to my mouth pretty quickly. Within an hour, I could feel everything inside my mouth exactly the same. My lower lip and chin remained a bit numb for another hour. The wooziness from the sedation was gone within about half an hour. My arms were numb off and on most of the day, though. The left arm was worse, and I think it had to do with the length of time that the blood pressure cuff was on it. But yeah, all of the anesthesia wore off pretty quickly, for me, at least.

The pain was basically non-existent for me. My surgery was much easier, though. He had to section my bottom teeth in two because they were pushing the second molars, but that was it. The top teeth came out whole. The whole surgery couldn't have been more than half an hour. It was 9:30 when I last looked at the clock in the operating room, and it was 10:10 when I "woke up." I only had to take 400 mg of ibuprofen every six hours for about the first 24 hours. After that, it was merely a stiff jaw for about two days. It was my bad because I wasn't moving it at all. I spent Thursday night forcing myself to open my jaw to an appropriate extent, and all stiffness was gone by Friday. As of now, the top extraction sites and the lower right are perfect. My lower left's still a bit crappy, but it's not really bad. The extraction site is much larger on that side, since the tooth was partially out. So, the second molar is the TINIEST bit loose and the gums are quite loose around it. I know it's normal, though, so I'm not too concerned. I have a followup appointment in a week or so, so I can ask them. That second molar also got pushed out of its initial position by the wisdom tooth, so it sticks up a tiny bit. It's making eating a bit hard. Once it's settled, I don't think it will be too bad. I've lost six pounds in a week, though. Screw Atkins; get on the wisdom tooth diet! I'm hoping I can eat a little more normally come Monday because that's when I want to resume running and working out. (I do four or five days a week.)

So, yeah, ridiculously easy surgery, one day of post op pain, two days of jaw stiffness, a touch of discomfort from my gums and second molar being a bit loose by one extraction site. And OVERWHELMING hunger for my inner fat kid. (I'm still eating 1000-1500 calories a day, though. I'm not quite an Olsen twin yet.) It's not too bad. Let me know if any of you have any questions about your own upcoming wisdom tooth extraction. I'd love to help! :)
 
Hello i just finished your journal, you've been a great
help I'm having one of my top wisdom tooth out which Is
impacted . I'm having it out by sedation I'll be aware but
Not aware of my surroundings . I'm having it out on
2nd October at 11 am . Im really worried that I will
look like my hamster .
Wish me luck Helen aged 46
 
Hi Helen46 :welcome: to the forum.

I just popped in to wish you GOOD LUCK :clover::clover::clover: I am sure you will be fine, and if you do end up with your cheeks being a bit puffy, it won't last for long. It is worth getting the wisdoms out if it means you will be out of pain and worry. If it is just one wisdom tooth the swelling shouldn't be too bad if at all.

Best wishes to you :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug::butterfly:
 
hello, I'm 15 years old and due to have my wisdom tooth out tomorrow (bottom right) as it hasn't even cut through yet I'm slightly nervous about having my gums cut, being only 15 I still don't understand the sedation and I'm scared I'm going to feel what's going on, I keep reading horrow stories which is making it worse and I was just wondering can you feel anything? :) xx
 
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