Worst fears realized

[Guest]

What a nightmare.
I've just had my appointment/x rays with the oral surgeon who has told me I now need three of my four wisdoms out. He said the bottom two are deeply impacted and "will need quite a bit of digging out" (his words). He said this can't be done under sedation and will need a general anaesthetic.

He said that the bottom two are very close to the nerve and he thought I was at risk of nerve damage.
He said I should expect a lot of swelling and pain following the surgery. " He said "this will knock the stuffing out of you - you will need a good week off work and should not expect to be bouncing back to normal until a few weeks after that" He also said no foreign holidays until about six weeks after the surgery.

He also said my age was a factor - I'm 35 (something I know Gordon has argued in past threads) but he said I'm not 18 anymore and this will take it out of me. He said I should expect a slow recovery.

I have worried for ages that it would be this bad after my dentist very tactfully told me mine were "nastily impacted and won't be pleasent to remove"

Any help about what I can expect after the op would be much appreciated. My surgeon frightened the life out of me today and I just hope he painted the worst picture so that anything better is a bonus but I'm not sure"

My wife says when she had hers done about ten years ago there were people screeming the place down when they came around from the GA. I take it I'm going to be one of these.

Will they give me pain relief? Is this going to be the complete nightmare that I think it is going to be.

Also how does the GA work? is it a needle in the arm job or mask over the face etc??

Gutted!!!

 

[Guest]

What a nightmare.

Will they give me pain relief? Is this going to be the complete nightmare that I think it is going to be.

Also how does the GA work? is it a needle in the arm job or mask over the face etc??

The normal practice here is to inject a long acting local anaesthetic during the GA, so that when you wake up everything is nice and numb for a good few hours afterwards, which should give you time to take some painkillers and allow them time to kick in, it's much better to premptively stop pain than it is to try to deal with it when it's started.

GA is usually induced (i.e. started off) with an injection in the hand or arm, it can be supplemented by a face mask but if it's used you probably won't remember it.

I still say your age doesn't enter into the equation. Different if you were 65...

 

[Guest]

Hi there,

Don't panic too much about how your surgeon described things to you. Sure, all or some of what he said is true for some people. Obviously I can't see your x-rays or teeth but to be honest it is usual for us dentists to paint the worst possible picture (mainly so that if everything happens as described you won't panic or think that the treatment wasn't carried out properly!! We don't like people suing us!)

There is every chance that you will be very surprised by how much better you actually feel compared to this description. Everything he said is possible of course, but this is the worst case scenario! You will live, you will recover, you will be ok.

I always tell people about the risks involved in specific procedures and that there is a chance that they will need time off work for recovery- but i then also highlight that many people also recover quickly with no ill-effects of the procedure.

Talk to someone in the drug store and tell them that you are having wisdom teeth out. They will recommend some anti-inflammatory painkillers which you can take immediately after the procedure (before the numbness wears off). Also a good tip is to buy some arnica (a homeopathic treatment for brusing and swelling). Arnica is very effective and can be taken orally and/or as a cream. You should start taking it a day or two before hand to get the best effect of it.

I hope that this finds you well. Remember- wisdom teeth don't grow back- once they're out they're gone forever, and you can get on with living- whether or not this means a period of recovery!

Kind regards,
Mike

 

[Guest]

Hi 3bigcats,

I am not a dentist but would like to give you my 2 cents (I'm from the USA) i am 23 and have just had all 4 wisdom plus a molar removed all at the same time not much more than 2 weeks ago.

I too was sacred out of my mind and didnt want to go in as my two bottom wisdom teeth were serverly impacted i had the root literatly wrapped around my jaw!!!

I dont think your dentist should have been so literal with you if you dont like him my suggestion would be too look around for someone you do like you will need someone you can trust and talk to before the op and after, tell your dentist you are scared too if he is good he will try to help calm you.

I was put to sleep too and this was a major concern for me but it is not as bad as i thought it would be, the nurse will put little stickers on your arm and a little clip on your finger it doesnt hurt she is just hooking you up to an EKG machine to watch your heart beat blood pressure etc...

The dentist will put a tiny needle in your arm it kinda looks like a blue butterfly with a clear plastic thing on the end you will feel a tiny pinch but nothing major just like getting a injection but on a much smaller scale.

The dentist will then take a syringe and put in the other end of the blue butterfly filled with whatever he will use to put you to sleep you may get dizzy and feel werid any concerns menchion it to your dentist but i was told this is normal and to relax and in under 30 seconds was fast asleep.

I do not remember anything about the operation just waking up in the dentists chair feeling very very sleepy it took me awhile to get my bearings you will need someone to drive you home afterwards i wouldnt even suggest taking a bus.

You will be kinda out of it for a few hours make sure your friend stays with you until you are fully awake at home but all you will want to do is sleep. Some people get bad nueasea from the IV incase your one of them have a bucket handy

I didnt have any problems with the operation it was done and over with before i even knew it and i dont even remember it - i woke up sleepy and calm i was given valiem in with the IV.

And yes they will give you pain releif to make doubley sure ask them before your apoitment you should ask them to give you antibiotics too to make sure you heal up with no problems so you dont have to go back.

I had no pain until day 2 but my jaw was pretty stiff but after taking my pain pills i was fine - they are right though you will need at least 3 weeks rest before going back to work.

After 3 days the worst is over and you start to feel better i suggest really soft foods for the first week mashed potatoes ice cream peas creamed corn milk shakes (no straw for the milk shake though) etc...

By the end of week one your pretty much feeling ok and by end of week two your starting to feel great by week 3 your back to eating pretty much what you want just chewing carefully as in my case my jaw is still a little stiff but no pain. My dentist told me by 8 weeks you should be back to normal 100%.

No nerve damage eithier i was sacred about that too seeing how severly impacted my wisdom teeth were the root wrapped around my jaw was a surprise and a concern for me but everything went extreemly well thats just a precaution the dentist is required to tell you as a worst case senario.

And Mike is right this is a one time deal after you get it done you will never have to go through it again - i am gald i went in and had it done sure beats living in the pain i was having from my wisdom teeth coming in!

I hope this makes you feel more at ease, if you have any other questions just post again and one of these kind people on this board or myself will help you i know they helped me before and after my op.

~lonewolf

 

[Guest]

Thanks Lonewolf - it really helps to speak to some one who has been ther seen it done it so to speak. One question if I may - you said "you will need at least three weeks rest before going back to work" My dentist said although he thought it would take about six weeks to be completely back to normal, he thought I would need about a week off work. Three weeks seems a long time to be off work and would be a real problem for me - will it really be as long as this?
Thanks for your advice

 

[Guest]

Hi 3bigcats,

I needed at least 2 weeks to feel up to attempting to much of anything, about 2 weeks and a bit now since my op and i am feeling back to normal just have a stiff jaw and have to be careful when i eat as i still cant open my mouth too wide but i can eat anything i want just in smaller bites which my dentist told me would last at least 8 weeks for me anyway.

It will depend on what type of work you do in my humble opion if you are doing pysical manual labour then try taking at least 2 weeks but if you are say an office worker and dont move around too much then 1 week will be just fine.

After 1 week i could walk around and do stuff but couldnt bend over id feel the pressure change in my head and mouth which would hurt until i stood back up which is why they tell you not to fly for a few months after your operation (they did for me anyway).

After 2 weeks this pressure subsided for me and can bend over go for a walk do gentle pysical exercise etc... as i menchioned above im entering week 3 now and am feeling great i can pretty much go and do what i want now just gently.

I suggested 3 weeks as this is what i needed in my case you could be different and need less - i could have gone with 2 weeks but wasnt up to the amount of pysical labor required of me.

And i know how you feel, i was helped out by this site after i learnt i had to go to the dentist all the info i was given helpped me calm my fears too so i knew what was going to happen before going which helped me immensely

I hope this helps and answers your questions if you need anything else just let me and the rest of the kind people on this site know and we can help you out

~lonewolf

 

[Guest]

Hi Lonewolf.
Thanks again for your time. My Op is due 24th June and I fly out to Greece on holiday 4th August. I did tell my surgeon this but he said that was fine.
Dentists - do you have any contrary advice to this?
Many Thanks Guys.

P.S. Lonewolf - I am indebted to your support and advice - still absolutely dreading it though

 

[Guest]

Hi 3bigcats,

You are very welcome on my advice i know how you feel so i just felt compelled to answer i needed the same advice before i went to at least feel comfortable with the idea i "had" to go.

You will be just fine for your op i was scared too but with support from everyone here i got comfortable with the idea and managed to feel better about going i will be thinking about you that day let me know how it goes.

~lonewolf

 

[Guest]

I will do - that's a promise and thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Hi 3bigcats,

Your very welcome and thanks for keeping in touch after your op . Your going to be just fine

~lonewolf

 

[rkorn]

How did the wisdom teeth removal go in June?

 

[James]

3bigcats did very well!

 

[Guest]

If it helps, I am having my remaining three wisdom teeth out next January. The first was removed last summer. AND I'm 46.