Wisdom Teeth Surgery

[ToJesusMyHeart]

Tell it like it is. 

 

Piece of cake or misery-in-your-mouth?  :unsure:

[Nihil Obstat]

Surgery itself, easy. You fall asleep, then wake up kind of loopy. Assuming you are being put under. I cannot imagine that surgery with waking anesthetic. Gross.

Recovery can be either quick and easy, or absolutely awful, depending on several factors. Mine was terrible, but I know people who were back to work the next day.

[ToJesusMyHeart]

I'm also kind of bitter about it and wondering when wisdom teeth surgery began as a common practice?

 

Mary and Jesus didn't have their wisdom teeth removed SO WHY DO I HAVE TO GOSH DARNIT!?!!!?

 

I just want to be like Mary.....:*pouts*

[Nihil Obstat]

I'm also kind of bitter about it and wondering when wisdom teeth surgery began as a common practice?

 

Mary and Jesus didn't have their wisdom teeth removed SO WHY DO I HAVE TO GOSH DARNIT!?!!!?

 

I just want to be like Mary.....:*pouts*

I am not sure. :sweat: I know mine definitely needed removal, because they were getting infected frequently.

At the same time, I know many surgeons and dentists are pushing the surgery as preventative. I do not feel so good about that. If the wisdom teeth never become a problem, then you are out a fair bit of money for an unnecessary and rather harsh surgery. Seems like a bit of a racket.

[Basilisa Marie]

I had mine out a couple of years ago.  My experience was a mixed bag.  

 

I had to have mine out because they were starting to get impacted on one side, and were angled to get impacted on the other. My dentist showed me the x-rays and everything. :)  The leading theory is that our jaws used to be big enough to accommodate all the teeth, but have gotten smaller over time.  People called them "wisdom" teeth because they usually came in around adulthood, aka signifying you're getting "wiser".  We don't hear about people in the past getting wisdom teeth surgery, but loads of people certainly went to barbers to get teeth pulled.  My dad didn't have his out, and they got infected, gave him super bad breath, and it was a whole lot harder on him when he had his surgery.  I know some people who have never had them out, because they were angled properly and their jaws were big enough for them to grow in.  But for most people nowadays, it's pretty rare to have them grow in properly without causing issues. 

 

As far as the surgery went, it was a piece of cake.  My oral surgeon was very kind and explained everything to me, because I told him I was nervous.  Went I went in, they asked me questions about school and stuff until I zonked out from the anesthesia. So I woke up about a second later and all four were out.  I didn't feel a thing, and my mom had filled my antibiotic and vicodin prescription while I was under.  I had a lot of bruising on top of swelling, because they had to break into the side of my jaw and break the tooth to get it out on my bottom ones.  It sounds way worse than it was, though.  So don't be surprised if you have bruising more on one side or the other.  

 

Recovery wasn't great for me, though.  It took me about three times as long to clot, and I was terrified that I would get dry socket or something.  Turns out that if you're a lady and have the surgery done during your "time of the month," it can take longer to clot than normal due to the natural hormone cocktail in your system.  I really wish I would have known that, it would have saved me some worry. :)  I ate a lot of mashed potatoes and milkshakes with spoons. It was hard to eat, but I had to eat because I couldn't take my pain meds on an empty stomach, or I'd throw up (learned THAT the hard way, that was pretty terrible).  One night I had a dream that my mouth was a pirate ship getting blown apart by cannon fire, because my drugs had worn off while I was sleeping and the pain was waking me up.   :hehe2:  I lost like ten pounds camping on the couch while recovering.  But towards the end when felt good enough to walk around I learned to make gazpacho.  That was SO GOOD after so much potato.  

 

Then when I got back to school I wasn't careful with what I ate and didn't clean my "holes" properly and my incisions got infected, so I had to go to ANOTHER dentist to get it checked out.  He was also really nice, cleaned everything up, and gave me some more antibiotics. But it was fine! I got to miss a super boring session of RA training, so it was totally worth it.  

 

So basically, my experience with the dental professionals was great, they were quick and did a great job and friendly and all that.  My recovery wasn't so great, but that was because of my own specific situation, and like Nihil said, there are plenty of people who are up and eating burgers the next day.  It seems like everyone has a unique experience with it.   Just get a bunch of easy-to-swallow foods ready, like mashed potato, jello, smoothies (no straws! The suction can prevent you from clotting), anything like that.  Having someone who can take care of you can be a total godsend.  And even if you're unlucky and things go wrong, don't worry, getting that fixed isn't anything to worry about.  The worst that can happen isn't so bad!  :)

[Nihil Obstat]

The first real food I was able to eat was scrambled eggs. I ate a lot of scrambled eggs. Soft, little bite-sized pieces, and good nutritional value.
I was not able to eat anything for days though. I think I was on day four at that point. My recovery was extremely awful, but a lot of the reason for that is that the painkiller they gave me actually caused my initial Crohn's flareup. (Toradol, if you are wondering. Basically from now on I cannot take any NSAIDs, ever. I am at a much higher risk for NSAIDs causing GI bleeds.)
So it is hard for me to tell which parts of the recovery were bad because of the surgery, and which parts were bad because of Crohn's disease. :P
 
Uh... I would highly recommend not eating beef broth on an empty stomach. :unsure: That was the first thing I tried to eat, I think the day after the surgery. Very bad call. I felt nauseous for the rest of the day, and now even just thinking about the taste of beef broth makes me feel a bit queasy.

[AnneLine]

Had mine out in 2 groups.  1st group (lowers) because it was required by the religious community I was entering.   I really was terrified, but it wasn't too bad... demanded and got general anesthetic, and was very glad.   My oral surgeon was a dear.  He suggested eating cheesecake, which was a great idea.... lots of protein, soft and cool.   :)   and tasty :)

 

Had no problems with dry socket, although my cat was very confused because I was so out of it (and I probably smelled odd, too...).... My mother had brought me back to my apartment after the surgery and she and a friend somehow got me dumped into my bed (I was still pretty woosy)..... and she said the cat came up by my face, gently touched my cheek, and then curled up next to me.  MY recollection of it was a giant tabby coming and staring at me... a GIGANTIC EYE... and then the cat started to take a swipe at my face.... and I kinda shivered and dipped out... :P   Obviously a slightly different memory... with similar content!

 

I did realize AFTER the surgery that the teeth had been bothering me.  Not a lot... but I was aware of them.  And that went away totally after the surgery healed.   No real pain after about 2nd or 3rd day... but I did have a swollen jaw... my mother said I looked a lot like Richard Nixon... big jaw and a considerable 5 o'clock shadow!  (obviously, this was in the 80's!)

 

The second pair (the uppers) were removed proactively by the dentist, who just insisted that there was no reason to keep them, that they would cause problems down the road, and yes, we are doing this right now, local anesthetic, no questions.   I wasn't happy... but he said they would just come right out and I'd never miss them.  He knew what he was talking about, I guess, because literally I had no pain that couldn't be controlled by advil, and they healed within a day or so.  

 

I'm a total dental wimp, by the way..... hopefully this will be just as uneventful for you as it was for me.

 

You might think about this:  I delilberately chose to do my first pair on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.... and I found something to offer it up for.  You might want to 'take charge' of your upcoming one as well... makes a difference in your inner mind set, I think, to have a good use for what pain you will be going through...

 

Praying for you... let us know when it is, oK?

Edited June 12, 2013 by AnneLine

[Tony]

All I know about mine was, it went really well (Supposedly, I was sleeping) and when I woke up,  I stumbled around like I was drunk  :P    I had to be helped to the car lol. Apparently I saw someone I knew while leaving, but I don't remember it.  I'm pretty sure I was given Nitrous (Laughing gas) but that might not be the same for everyone.  I was told that I would be tired/not want to do anything for a few days but the moment my  mouth stopped bleeding (about a day). I got sick of laying down and went back to what I normally do :P

 

I'll pray it goes well

[AnneLine]

I think we wandered into the same stuff, Tony.    Definitely felt really drunk!

 

But whatever it was, it did the job!

[Not The Philosopher]

My surgery went pretty smoothly, although it took a while for me to recover. I had to be ultra serious so that I wouldn't laugh and make my mouth hurt.

[CrossCuT]

All 4 of my wisdom teeth were impacted so I think that is about has bad as you can get.

The surgery itself was a breeze because I was asleep though.

 

The recovery wasnt too bad I suppose. I had Vicodin! It made me sleepy.

 

Best thing: ICE YOUR FACE

The swelling will not look to bad right away and youll think "Oh gee, this is swell!"

Just give it a day and youll join the chipmunk race ahaha! But it wont be to bad as long as you remember to ice!

Once the swelling goes down, you can put warm cloths on!

Dampen a towel and microwave it. 

 

Also prepare liquid/soft food beforehand so its ready! You wont be able to open your mouth very far initially, but it will get better. :)

[ToJesusMyHeart]

My surgery went pretty smoothly, although it took a while for me to recover. I had to be ultra serious so that I wouldn't laugh and make my mouth hurt.

Oh, poo. I'm a sanguine and naturally love to laugh! Lamesauce. 

 

Thank you guys for your advice and sharing your experiences with me. My surgery is scheduled for Friday the 21st of June, but I might have to re-schedule. 

 

(The sanguine temperament is fundamentally impulsive; sanguine people are sociable and charming. They tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends and tend to be boisterous. They are usually quite creative and often daydream. Some alone time is crucial for those of this temperament. Sanguine can also mean sensitive, compassionate and thoughtful. Sanguine personalities generally struggle with following tasks all the way through, are chronically late, and tend to be forgetful and sometimes a little sarcastic. Often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun. They are very much people persons. They are talkative and not shy. Sanguines generally have an almost shameless nature, certain that what they are doing is right. They have no lack of confidence.)

 

http://personality-testing.info/tests/4T.php, if you want to know your temperament. :)

[TheresaThoma]

I had mine out, but as the oral surgeon put it I have a "boring" mouth. All mine had come through and I only got them out because one of them was starting to push forward causing some pain. They figured if they were going to take one they should take them all. Because they were all erupted I didn't need stitches or anything which was wonderful. I went under full IV sedation which is great, you fall asleep and then a little later you wake up and it is all over.  The only issue I had was I tried to go back to work like three days after the surgery and immediately stopping the heavy duty pain meds. Combine that with not drinking enough fluids and I almost passed out, my boss sent me home. The most pain I had was from my jaw joint more than the actual areas. I guess they put a lot of pressure on it while getting my teeth out. 

My suggestions:

Keep ahead of the pain with the meds. You don't want to wait until you are in pain to take the meds because it takes some time to kick in.

Applesauce is about the best thing every as an after surgery food. Its soft cold and MOIST. Your mouth will feel very dry and while it is still numb it is almost impossible to drink water.

[BG45]

All I remember about mine was the medicine and weight loss.  I couldn't eat solid food for a week or so...not that it mattered, whatever was in the drinkable medicine they gave me knocked me out cold.  (To illustrate that point:  Israel and Hezbollah had a small war.  I saw one news clip from it.  The TV in my room in the house was on CNN.)

 

Anyhow, TheresaThoma's advice rocks.  Applesauce is your best friend, and there's no shame in taking your meds 10-15 minutes early so that you nip it before the pain comes back.

[HisChildForever]

Mine was a breeze. All four were impacted i.e. growing sideways under the gums, only one had broken through gum though - it became infected, which led me to the dentist, who immediately sent me off to the oral surgeon. Honestly, the infection was more painful than the recovery after surgery. I remember leaving campus early and missing a night class because the pain was so bad I couldn't concentrate. So I had all four out at once, they put me under because they had to cut open the gums. One tooth they had to drill out, so that side of my face was a bit more swollen than the other.

 

I had my surgery on a Friday morning, I remember sleeping a few hours after because the anesthesia had me groggy. I took one Vicodin that evening and it made me feel so nauseous (and honestly didn't help with any pain/discomfort) that I said screw it and just took ibuprofen. I took ibuprofen mostly for swelling because I didn't experience much pain, just discomfort. I was good to go to class Tuesday morning, swelling was pretty much gone. I think it was a week after surgery I had to go back to get the stitches out (or any pieces that didn't dissolve). But yeah that was pretty much it.