Wisdom tooth removal coming up, freaking out!!!

[jaydee]

Hello all! So here it is, I am a 25 y/o male who has a pretty extreme case of anxiety regarding any medical procedure and especially dental stuff! I had bad experiences as a kid going to the orthodontist. Fortunately I have worked up the courage to get back in the chair and take care of my health. This past July I managed to go in for 7 cavity fillings and have since returned to have a deep cleaning. The bad news is the dentist broke the news to me that I need to have all 4 wisdom teeth removed!

So I did quite a bit of research on the whole procedure and I found a very nice oral surgeon who I am fairly confident in. Yesterday I went to the consultation appointment and he broke it down for me. I have 3 normal extractions (Uppers and bottom left) and then the bottom right is a complete boney impaction. I am going to be put out completely with IV sedation (thankfully).

I am very nervous about this whole procedure, I am losing sleep. I have not scheduled an official day for the procedure because I am waiting to hear back from my employer about time off. I really need to put this behind me. Can anyone give me some insight as to how much pain I should be expecting?? I am kinda nervous about the sedation but really mostly the recovery process. It sounds so brutal!! Can anyone share their experience with this sort of procedure. What type of pain are you left with and how intense is it?

Thanks in advance, I am so glad I found this site!!!

 

[Thephilsblogbar]

Well done for going to the dentist to get your teeth fixed (fillings etc)

As for your wisdom teeth I have not had mine removed yet.

 

[bun]

Hey! Im in the same exact boat you are in right now. Its perfectly normal to feel this way. ^^
Except im not even that terrified of the procedure itself, just the waiting process because im anxious of it since mine have given me hell. Its most likely best to get this asap, your surgeon sounds really welcoming and nice Im sure they will do everything they can to make you feel comfortable. <3

From what ive heard you can get given a nice anti anxiety pill the night before.
Its a good thing you'll be put out, thats also what Im gonna try and do for myself because I know for a fact I cant handle being aware or awake of whats going on. @.@ My consulation isnt until monday and its killing me to just sit and wait in pain. :/ *i developed canker sores from mine riiiip*
Try and look at it in a good way. Or check out everyone's success stories, Im scared myself to get this done but it'll really help in the long run. And you wont have to deal with any pain. reading everyone else's stories has pretty much kept my nerves down about going, you should try it, it may help you.

The operation itself shouldnt be painful, its just the recovering process Ive heard that kinda sucks. Lots of resting and changing gauze pads (depending on your bleeding) being gentle with your mouth and brushing should be done carefully and rinsing with salt water will be a thing you do for a while. Its really important that you take good care of yourself/mouth for the first three days or you might get dry socket. (ouch...) Not saying that to scare you, just be careful I feel like your the type of person that would take care of himself diligiantly so dont worry about it.
They also give you a bunch of different medications to take after its over so you wont have to worry about any pain really, just the swelling of the mouth from the extraction sites.

But hey the best part is to look forward to tons of yummy ice cream and soft foods! And watch lotsa tv and play video games!! And get pampared.

This is just the run down of it, someone else can prolly give way better answering then me lol I know alot more of the process but since I havent had it done yet I cant help too much. :< Ive done some heavy duty research all about wisdom teeth+the sedations and just about everything these past few months. I can only give what ive read.

Also good for you for getting your teeth fixed! You should feel really proud of yourself!!

 

[jaydee]

Bun - Thanks for the optimistic take on the whole situation. It feels good to know I am not alone in this. Sorry to hear that your wisdom teeth are already hurting you! Mine are not bothering me...yet! Im gonna get this knocked out before any issues arise. I scheduled my appointment for November 29th and bought myself a ticket to Mexico in January to motivate myself and give me something to look forward to! I hope to hear a good success story from you! I will post my experience also. We got this !!! Also thank you for the shout out to my cavities! That was a HUGE step for me and I honestly felt this way to an extent before I had those done too.

So at my consultation the doctor put a lot of emphasis that he was going to make this experience as stress free as possible...so he gave me a script for a few xanax to take before! As far as pain medication goes he is giving me 600 mg ibuprofen with something called Ultracet (tramadol and acetaminophen) to take as well. I have no experience with Ultracet, has anyone else? I am hoping it is strong enough because I am a huge baby about pain.

At this point as far as the actual procedure goes, I am confident between the xanax, laughing gas, IV sedation I probably won't care too much about it right before it all goes down. This idea of recovery is what is killing me. This is a completely loaded question but can anyone give me a 1-10 on how bad the pain was? Or maybe attempt to describe it. Is it a sharp pain or is it a dull ache?

Thanks everyone!!!

 

[Teeth]

Hi jaydee,

I got my all four of my wisdom teeth out (all four were impacted, but I don't think I had any bony impactions) about two months ago. I was put under IV sedation for the procedure (no laughing gas, though).

You mentioned that you were mostly nervous about the recovery process/the pain following the procedure, so here's just a quick run-down of my recovery experience:

I was very, very (probably irrationally) nervous about feeling nauseous/getting sick from the pain meds, so I got my prescription for Vicodin filled at the pharmacy but didn't plan on taking any of it because the most common thing I heard/read was that it's usually the painkillers that make you feel nauseous. And guess what? I didn't take any Vicodin at all. I got by with just Advil (I think I took 6 per day for the first three days or so of recovery) and then took no painkillers afterwards.

After the local anesthesia wore off after a couple of hours, I think the worst that the pain ever really got for me was maybe a 4 or 5 out of 10 on my personal pain scale. Pain is so hard to describe because I know it's different for everyone, but the point is, it really never got very bad for me at all. It was very, very manageable. Also, my doctor's office told me to make sure to take 3 Advil after you get home from the procedure BEFORE the anesthesia wears off to stave off any pain. I highly recommend you do this. I - for whatever reason - thought that it would be better for me to take only two Advil initially and then space the rest of them out, which (I think) made it slightly less effective than if I had just taken three in one go (but bear in mind, I am not a doctor, so take this advice with a grain of salt). Taking three advil at once is equal to basically a prescription strength dosage of pain medication.

In any case, the pain I experienced was more of a dull ache. It wasn't a sharp pain. Again, let me just stress to you that in spite of not taking ANY of my Vicodin, my pain was only as bad as a 4 or 5 out of 10 on the pain scale. And that was only on the first day. It definitely got better by the second and third days, to the point where I just stopped taking any pain killers at all.

The most annoying thing I had to deal with (pain-wise) was the fact that I suffered from trismus (lock jaw) after the procedure, which lasted a good...almost two weeks? That made my jaw very tight and sore and made it impossible for me to open my mouth properly for awhile. That, too, faded over time though!

You'll do great!!!!! I know it's easy to worry, but it sounds like you are in good hands with your doctor, and you should be very proud that you've come so far in your journey. It's fantastic you've been able to tackle fillings and a deep cleaning already. You'll get through this procedure just as well, and if you ever need support - we're all here for ya!

 

[jaydee]

Thanks Teeth, all of that info is exactly the type of stuff I need to hear!!!

 

[bun]

Bun - Thanks for the optimistic take on the whole situation. It feels good to know I am not alone in this. Sorry to hear that your wisdom teeth are already hurting you! Mine are not bothering me...yet! Im gonna get this knocked out before any issues arise. I scheduled my appointment for November 29th and bought myself a ticket to Mexico in January to motivate myself and give me something to look forward to! I hope to hear a good success story from you! I will post my experience also. We got this !!! Also thank you for the shout out to my cavities! That was a HUGE step for me and I honestly felt this way to an extent before I had those done too.

So at my consultation the doctor put a lot of emphasis that he was going to make this experience as stress free as possible...so he gave me a script for a few xanax to take before! As far as pain medication goes he is giving me 600 mg ibuprofen with something called Ultracet (tramadol and acetaminophen) to take as well. I have no experience with Ultracet, has anyone else? I am hoping it is strong enough because I am a huge baby about pain.

At this point as far as the actual procedure goes, I am confident between the xanax, laughing gas, IV sedation I probably won't care too much about it right before it all goes down. This idea of recovery is what is killing me. This is a completely loaded question but can anyone give me a 1-10 on how bad the pain was? Or maybe attempt to describe it. Is it a sharp pain or is it a dull ache?

Thanks everyone!!!

You are welcome. ^.^/ And same...Ive been hoping to find someone who's kinda going through this sorta thing.
Theyve been hurting since October. :'D Im getting some relief since I got pills today though!
Thats good they arent bothering you. The pain is just so unbearable sometimes...
Wow going to Mexico sounds fun!! Yess treat yourself a nice reward! And thank you. :") I hope I dont have to wait to long after my consulation.
Same!! we got this. > and life will be so much better without these annoying teeth.
your welcome ;-; getting fillings done can be a tedious process.

 

[bun]

Ah Teeth thank you so much for that answer! ;w; Ill also be getting an Iv sedation and Ive been nervous about the thought of feeling sick or naseous myself.

Hopefully jaydee gets a nice recovery like that too.

 

[jaydee]

Bun - I too am nervous about the potential for nausea. I brought it up to the OS at consultation and he said that he can put something in the IV that will help take care of the nausea! I think you should mention to your doctor that you are worried about nausea and maybe that can be an option for you as well!

 

[bun]

I forgot to mention but I had my consulation this past monday and mine didn't go too well unlike yours sadly. I was a crying mess the entire time. The surgeon seemed nice but didn't seem too phased that I was freaking out he didnt even bother calming me down but the nurses were rather nice at least. He told me I had a mild form of gingitivitis which also didnt help me any and didn't say much after that.

I originally wanted general antesthia but I would have had to wait 3 to 4 weeks. As much as I really wanted it i decided it wasnt worth it, plus Ive just developed way too many issues as is from them so I decided to fully go with IV sedation. Sadly I was too much of a crying mess to really ask too many questions. :/

My removal is tommarow at 9:30am and boy have I been freaking out all week long. I have barely been eating due to a lot of stress and crying...I just want this to hurry up and be over so I can get a long term dental cleaning cuz I know I need one. (the last time I got one was last year)
Ill try and see if I can give you an update on how it went if im feeling up to it. :')

 

[jaydee]

Hey Bun! I am so sorry you did not think your consultation went as well as you would have liked. That is so so brave of you to decide to just get it over with the local! You have more courage than I do. I know you are anxious and it can be hard to eat but make sure you are taking in nutrients, protein will help you recover faster. I am sending you good vibes! I hope to hear back from you soon

 

[bun]

Hey dude! Well I got mine done on friday and it really wasnt that bad like i thought it would be! xD

I would have posted it then but honestly I was just too tired and exausted. And Ive honestly just did alot of lazing about all weekand Im gonna post a semi? story of everything detailed and later but basically I got there and I started crying cuz Im a wuss (lol )

They checked my temp and such, I was still crying a little more still then the nurse went away for a bit so I had about 5 mintues for myself and then the surgeon guy came in (who was actually really comforting this time along with that nurse) and I dont really remember much but.

I remember bawling my eyes out cuz I was terrified of everything about to happen, but even so everyone was trying to be soothing and calming. Then I got the Iv shot thing (it didnt really hurt, its just an annoying pinch) and like....1 second after I woke up. O_O;

And i didnt remember anything whatsoever. I dont even think I woke up in the middle of it or anything! So honestly when you get that shot your legit gone in one second flat.

Boy I feel silly for freaking out so much. But that really isnt the hardest part, its the recovery. Im on..day 4 i think? (Not sure if friday counts as a day or not, my app was at (9am after all) And well Ima tell you right now, it is not fun having being unable to chew.

I had to wait to get my meds and then when I got home I had to take medicine. I got some amoxillian, some ibuprofen, some stuff thats like ibuprofen but much stronger (some weird hypa something lol) and then I got this oral rinse. chrholixidine???

When i got home and tried to take the ibuprofen I nearly felt like I was gonna puke due to being numbed. Ahhh I humiliated myself infront of my bf and his mom and then i started crying like the crybaby Iam cuz I felt embarassed. I was able to finish the pill despite it being hard to swallow. (I guess they went od on the numbing; I had issues swallowing cuz of it I guess)

After that the rest of the day and night I just had gauze pads in my mouth from 2pm to 7pm (i was really scared and paranoid and I kept bleeding so I just kept them in). I salivated alot which was nasty LOL I decided around 8 to stop and let things heal on their own. I didnt eat anything at all that night just some sips of water but even then it was hard. I was too paranoid.

Saturday I pretty much just ate jello and some yogurt. That was also the day I had to begin that oral rinse (DISGUSTING omg) and brush my teeth and floss?? (gently of course but since im so fearful ive been brushing a little too gentle imo) My issue is that im terrified of dry sockets so I really havent eaten much (yesterday was when I started to attempt to eat more) and that was bad cuz all weekand I felt dizzy and faint so please make sure you eat. >_<

Tried eating soups but they werent really in my favor. I got some Ensures which were pretty decent so its just really been those and yogurt. (Outta jello cries)

I also didnt swell cuz on friday I had an ice pack around me till I went to bed! I also tried to lay elevated too and that wasnt fun either. I didnt feel much swelling or pain this weekand its just important you keep up with your meds so the pain doesnt sneak up on you. Yesterday I decided to try and sleep normally which went okay I guess.

My surgeon's consulation for a check up is tomarrow. I got a phone call on saturday that I needed to start eating normally ? And whats weird is he wanted me to try and get back to a normal diet by tomarrow too which i think is weird because isnt it a week your on soft foods?? Either way I sure hope my stuff is healing. Alright. My left side feels a bit funny but thats just cuz it was close to the nerve of my other tooth.

Sorry this got so long!! Anyways the iv sedation wasnt scary whatsoever its just a pain in the butt to eat soft foods only!

 

[bun]

Ill be sure to update you about tomarrow though. ^.^

Imo its so much easier to just eat jello and protein shakes. It also feels really odd to feel the sutures in your mouth thats something I cant wait to dissolve. Dx

 

[bun]

Its getting closer and closer to your date I hope you have a nice recovery~ <33

 

[bun]

Just checking in, its been a while and I was curious to see how your surgery went. Hope all went well.
Its been a week and a half since mine and Im feeling a shiz ton better and my holes are starting to close up.

I had a third follow up with my surgeon yesterday and asked a buncha questions. My teeth have been feeling a bit funny but thats normal he said. Also your gums may itch for a bit but thats a good thing meaning they're healing! Im able to use a straw now and my regular mouthwash and get a cleaning if I wanted to.

So basically I think some heads up Ima give you if your mouth will feel strange for a few weeks and it'll fade overtime. Hopefully your a fast healer and don't starve yourself like i did