Wisdom Teeth Out--any hints

[albionmoonlight]

Tomorrow I am getting all 4 wisdom teeth cut out.

Any hints or advice?

[QuikSand]

An old- time bit of advice is for you to go out today and eat a bunch of fresh pineapple. There are weird acids in pineapple which supposedly have a forward tonic effect.

The worst that will happen is you blow a few bucks on some yummy pineapple. (Fresh fruit, the bright yellow stuff - not that creepy gray canned stuff)

[cartman]

Well, albionmoonlight, my friend, I hope none of them are severely impacted. Anyways, always ask for full anethesia. I too had all four of mine removed about 10 years ago, and they knocked me out beforehand. I don't remember getting home.

Vicodin was my salvation, and make sure to have some sort of covers on your pillows. My stitches broke and I bled all over my bed. When I woke up, my dog was sitting there staring at me and whimpering, figuring I was dead!

But the best part is that your wisdom teeth will not bother you anymore. To me that was worth the three or four days of discomfort afterwards.

[CamEdwards]

if you smoke, don't smoke for a few days after the surgery. It can help promote dry socket, and you REALLY don't want that.

[Fritz]

bah, its not so bad. Stay awake for it.

[Sybot]

Actually I was awake when mine were removed. It wasn't so bad.

[ice4277]

My advice:

Don't read anything anybody writes in this thread, you will undoubtedly hear some horror stories, but the odds of something bad happening are pretty low.

[Craptacular]

It's not bad with just local anesthetic if you don't mind the feeling of someone twisting and yanking your teeth out with a pliers. It doesn't hurt of course, rather it's just a weird feeling.

[cthomer5000]

1. full anasthesia all the way. The surgery felt like i blinked my eyes, and I felt drunk when waking up.

2. The worst pain (for me), were the first 2 days after coming off drugs (probably a week afterwards).

3. Prepare to have the faint taste of blood in your mouth for a few days. It can get kind of nauseating.

[henry296]

Get 2 bags of frozen peas to help ice down your jaw.

Todd

[albionmoonlight]

I am going to be knocked out--which will be nice (I've never been under ansthetic before).

I'll try the pineapple--can't hurt.

I wish I had thought about frozen peas before I put down good money last night for a fancy icepack.

The oral surgeon says that mine are about in as good a position as possible for removal, so hopefully there will be no complications.

The irony is that they are not bothering me at all. I am getting this done because they are all trapped 1/2way under the gumline, which will supposedly lead to infections, etc. down the road. I figured that--if there is a risk of future problems--I may as well do it now while I have good dental insurance.

[Draft Dodger]

I only had 2 out at once, but I wasn't bothered afterward at all - in fact, I picked up food on the way home.

[ctmason]

I only had 3 for some freakish reason and had them taken out with just local anesthetic. Interesting experience, to feel the pressure being removed from your other teeth but feel no pain.

The worst part was that the Oral Surgeon was a real jackass, and didn't use a rolling tray to hold his instruments, he just tossed them casually onto the napkin thingie on my chest!

Make sure you get that pain prescription filled ASAP. My dad jacked around for a good two hours before getting mine filled (plus we had a 45 minute drive back from the oral surgeon's office) so I was hating life for a while there.

So help me God during the 2 hours of the most intense pain of my life, I saw David Carradine in my bedroom telling me to "embrace the pain, hover over it, control it..."

[Frozenrope]

A few things I remembered from my wisdom teeth removal experience.

1. Cream of Chicken soup. I lived on that for 3 days.

2. Get that perscription meds right away; agreed with above post.

3. Vicroprofen ----- mmmm, like a cool buzz. Don't take too much!

4. Pain takes a while to wear off; don't get frustrated.

[Easy Mac]

Its not bad at all. I don't really like to be put to sleep, but I don't remember anything about the surgery.

I was eating a steak the night after my surgery, and I never felt any pain from it. My were impacted sideways, so if I felt nothing, you won't either.

[JeeberD]

I got knocked out when I got all four taken out. I remember talking to the surgeon about the Rockets chances at winning the championship (this was in 94 or 95) and then all of a sudden being woken up by the nurse.

I remember passing by a golf course on the ride home and starting to cry because "I like golf".

I remember sleeping a lot that first day.

I only took the prescription drugs once, right after I got home. After that I just took ibuprofin and was fine.

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience at all...

[KWhit]

You guys who are recommending full anasthesia are nuts.

I had laughing gas and it was some kind of incredible.

Definitely the way to go.

[Franklinnoble]

Full anesthesia... bah... just pound a fifth of Jack Daniels about ten minutes before you get to the dentist. You won't feel much, and, as a nice side bonus, your oral surgeon gets to enjoy your reeking breath.

[korme]

drink some danky dank milkshakes

[mckerney]

You get Vicodin, so the only advice is make sure to get a refill if one is offered.

[mckerney]

Oh, also, if you're the type to get scared easily by a movie, watch Darkness Falls the night before your surgury.

[Abe Sargent]

I've never had my Wisdom Teeth extracted. Never needed them to be.

-Anxiety

[INDalltheway]

I had ear surgery last week with full anethesia. I do not remmember one thing about that first day.

On a related note, my friend had his wisdom teeth taken out and was playing baseball within a couple of days. It shouldn't be too bad.

[Kevin]

I was awake for the whole thing but on some pretty good relaxants. I didn't even mind him sawing one in half after he couldn't pry it out with his knee on my chest. I only took one of the painkillers and was eating solid food by the next day. More important than the pain killers are the anti-infection pills. Take those until they're gone.

I do clearly remember the cute nurse warning me repeatedly not to go to the bars downtown that night. (good advice)

Frozen peas are excellent ice packs. I remember that from a later surgery in a more southerly region.

[sterlingice]

I was knocked out for mine. Also, I slept for about 2 days after with codine coursing through my veins.

I didn't eat anything really for 2 days and then ate easy stuff like soup for the next couple.

I had no problems except a little dull ache. No dry socket or anything.

SI

[samifan24]

Hey albion- I'm having my wisdom teeth out at the end of the month so please let me know how it goes for you!

[DolphinFan1]

Originally posted by albionmoonlight
Tomorrow I am getting all 4 wisdom teeth cut out.

Any hints or advice?

No sweat. If they give you anesthesia you won't feel a thing. I had all 4 out in '96 and they gave me laughing gas. I don't remember feeling anything except a little pressure on the last one. Then it was over. Afterwards they tell you to eat a lot of yogurt. Good Luck.

[Bad-example]

A couple tips...

Ice water. Always have ice water at hand. It is important to drink fluids and ice water in small sips is very soothing. I like to use one of those giant commuter mugs 7-11 sells. Also a good tip for sore throats.

Ensure. Having a few cans of this on hand is great for when your appetite is off but you need to get some nutrition.

[MikeVic]

I had I.V. (however you spell it.. the tube that goes into your vein), and I could faintly hear some cracking, but no pain or anything. To me, the worst parts were not being able to eat anything like 12-24 hours before the pulling, and having the gauze in my mouth after for a few hours, and only being able to eat liquidy foods while the gauze was in my mouth.

I heard so many horror stories about the process, but found it to be not bad at all.

[Mota]

I've been procrastinating for a year now about my surgery.

I have this nice gouge in my cheek from biting into it with my wisdom teeth for the past 10 years. My dentist suggested that we laser off the excess skin on my cheek which should have fixed the problem. After 2 weeks of intense pain it was finally healed, and about 2 months later it all falls back into place and I'm biting into it again. I don't like that dentist.

[VIKING FAN]

I got Vicodin recently after a root canal and suffered for 18 hours with no relief. Called again and got Percodan and that worked. What a relief. Not everything works for everybody.

[korme]

Good luck albion, today's the big day!

[GrantDawg]

Originally posted by KWhit
You guys who are recommending full anasthesia are nuts.

I had laughing gas and it was some kind of incredible.

Definitely the way to go.

I'm with you KWhit. Laughing gas is the only way to fly.

[albionmoonlight]

Well, I am back at work. The way things work out, this is also my last week at this job (this is not coincidence. I made sure to have the surgery done while I had the good insurance), so I have a lot to do before I leave between turning over files, finishing projects, and making up for 2 lost days of work--otherwise, I might not be here.

Things went well at first, but last night I was up all night in extreme pain. I went to the surgeon this morning, and he cleaned out the wound and put some numbing medicine on it--I have the classic "dry socket."

Vicodin has been my salvation. I ran out last night, so I tried asprin to deaden the pain--4 of them did nothing.

Now that we know that I have dry sockets, I have more vicodin, and the suregon will check it out/clean it out again on Wednesday.

In short--I did not have the horror story that some people had, but I am glad that I took 4 days to recover (and if it were up to me, I would not be in work today, either).

Thanks to all for well wishes.

For those that asked for hints. 1.) Have pain pills ready. 2.) Make sure that you have lots of hot AND cold stuff to eat/drink right off. Cold drinks hurt me right off, but hot drinks were soothing. Accordingly, I drank lots of chicken broth instead of milkshakes for the 24/48 hrs afterwards. I think for some people, it would be the opposite--make sure that you have both on hand.

Thanks again.

[albionmoonlight]

Dola--


for the procedure itself, I was knocked out via IV. I remember nothing about the surgery. That worked for me. I'm sure that laughing gas would do the same thing.

[tucker342]

Good to hear that it went well:)

[JeeberD]

IV's are a wonderful, wonderful thing... :)