Wisdom teeth advice?

[breadmama]

I'm not looking for any horror stories (my imagination is running enough possible scenarios, sorry to say... :rolleyes: )

...but I have to have oral surgery next week to remove two wisdom teeth that until now haven't caused me any problems. One of them is going to be a huge deal (lower), the other (upper) should be a "breeze."

Anyone have any recovery advice or other helpful hints to make this easier?

Thanks in advance... :)

[DeeK]

One word ... ice. I kept ice on my cheek as recommended by my dentist and had very little swelling.

No drinks through a straw and if you are prescribed pain-killers take them a little in advance of need. That way they kick in before you feel too badly.

I only needed one dose of pain killer, but was very glad to have it at the time.

Good luck. I had two bottoms removed due to infection and it went very well. By the second day I felt good enough to go to DisneyWorld for the day.
Hope yours goes easily too.

[Terri_A]

All four of mine were impacted, but thanks to great drugs - I hardly remember the experience at all!!!

I will say that ice, is indeed key to not looking or feeling a mess for days.

A helpful hint to keeping ice on your cheeks...my mom would fill two (new) sport socks with ziplocks of ice, tie them together and hang them over my head so they hung on my cheeks...that way I didn't have to hold them - it worked great!

Good luck!

[ISAIAH30_18]

Oddly, the weekend I had mine removed was one of the greatest weekends of my life!!!!
I had two impacted and two that were...whatever the word for not impacted is :) (sorry, I'm frazzled from a crazy day with a 2 yr old).
The whole procedure from going to sleep to getting in the car was 12 mins.
I think the reason I healed so well was that I followed the directions exactly...well, the person taking care of me did I should say.
Changed the dressings every 2 hours or something like that, gave meds at the exact times....I mean whatever they told us, we did...or didn't do. They gave me demerol to take home, and I think that's the main reason the weekend was so good. :) I am pretty sure I took 1 more dose after I felt like I could do without, just to be sure. I was pretty much better after 24 hours, just tired and the obvious eating challenges.
Tea bags are good if you aren't clotting very well, by the way.
My brother, on the other hand, decided he knew better than the doc about post-op care....and well, he has a horror story to tell. :rolleyes:
Kim

[maddolee]

I had all four pulled. The bottom two were impacted and one of them was a huge deal.

Just wanted to echo the ice idea - the PPs idea of hanging socks over the head is a great one! DH got me bags of frozen peas, which worked really well since they could kind of "mold" to the side of your face better.

And if you get painkillers, take them if you feel you need them. Sounds silly, I know, but I didn't and wish I had.

Good luck and let us know how it went.

[lhall]

The Dr. prescribed me codine and I remember almost nothing for 3 days! :D :D

My bottom two (don't have the top ones) were cut out because they were coming in crooked. The pain was too much for tylenol, but I have a small mouth and my jaw was bruised.

Leigh

[GingerPow]

Had this done years ago, for two impacted wisdom teeth.

You'll come home looking like a chipmunk, ice packs on & with the perfect excuse to do nothing!

Just sleep, take your pain medication whether it's prescription or Tylenol (Tylenol P.M. is great for a situation like this), sip on cool liquids, eat soft foods that do not require chewing for the first couple of days; oatmeal & Cream of Wheat, applesauce, Jello, broth (not too hot), mashed potato (again, not too hot), ice cream. You'll want to stock up before so you're all set. Stop at Blockbuster and stock up on DVD's too!

Make sure your schedule is clear for a couple+ days. I've known hard-chargers who thought they'd be fine the next day, but that's not realistic. You need to rest, which is very helpful. The swelling will come down in a day or so, too. Keep the refilling the ice in the packs you'll be sent home with, very helpful.

You are correct, don't let people tell you horror stories. I've never heard one, truly, we all managed just fine! You'll be fine, there is nothing unbearable that you'll have to deal with. Everyone heals differently, and as previously mentioned, follow the instructions they send you home with, take the meds & all will be fine. Before you know it, you'll be eating popcorn and apples again! ;)

[colleency]

I don't remember mine. I was still in high school, and they knocked me out completely.

However, I will recommend that if you have any bleeding problems after the surgery, a moist bag of real (non-herbal) tea, held over the spot will stop the bleeding. I used this after a root canal, and it worked very well.

[bensdad]

I had all 4 plus 1 extra pulled at the same time :eek: After the valium took effect (Took it 20 mins. before appointment) everything was just fine :p . Don't remember too much after that. I do know I wasn't able to do too much for the rest of the day. I was given percadane? for the pain :D worked real good.

[tbb113]

It was the best dental procedure of my life. I was sedated (highly recommend this) and then given long acting novacine so I could get home and medicated before the novacine wore off. Used ice packs for a while (suggestion...buy more than you need so there is always a frozen set in the freezer. I bought the gel strip things and still have them almost 20 years later). It couldn't have been to bad...I think they were pulled on a Friday and I went to a wedding on Sunday!

[Beth]

I had mine out -- I think all four at once. Could that be right? I remember coming to a little just as he finished -- he commented that one a kind of tough. All I felt was a little pull. No pain whatsoever. I got home and was still numb enough that rinsing and spitting was difficult -- and I remember that being the hardest part of the whole thing. Well, that and hearing stories ahead of that. ;) Hope it goes just as well for you.

[zwieback]

If your dentist doesn't give you an oral syringe thing, make sure you go get one. My dentist didn't give me one so, I just bought one from the grocery store (I think I got it in the baby section). Make sure that you squirt out the holes after you eat. Of course, this will be once the stitches are out.

I had all 4 taken out at once and I was knocked out during the procedure. I had headaches for a week afterwards (mainly because I was getting food stuck in the holes -- that's when I bought the syringe) but, other than that I didn't have any problems.

[gertdog]

I was sedated (and like Tyra highly recommend it!) and had all 4 out at once (two were impacted). It really wasn't bad- and this is coming from someone who is a big baby about dental procedures.

The one suggestion I had is that if you aren't sure how you handle prescription pain meds, use with caution. I eagerly popped the Vicodin that was prescribed for me, and it made me sick, which wasn't pleasant when I had a numb jaw and was already woozy from the sedation. As it turned out, Tylenol was adequate for my pain anyway. If I had it to do again, I'd have taken the Tylenol first, then tried the prescription med if the Tylenol wasn't enough.

As for sedation- my oral surgeon explained to me that he believes people often have less pain after a procedure when they were sedated b/c they don't spend an hour or however long with their jaw all tensed up. So you still have the ache where the tooth was pulled, but not the full-on mouth/jaw achiness.

[little_bopeep]

For some reason (don't ask me why), I was put in the hospital for mine. They were all heavily impacted and had to be broken out, so maybe that's why. Didn't have any problems at all with recovering....except that people kept making me laugh and it hurt my cheeks! :rolleyes:

All advice about following directions is right on---happy meds, ice, and rest.

[Robyn1007]

I had mine taken out 2 at a time about 3 years apart. The first time it was infected before hand so I had to take antibiotics for a couple of days before the surgery. The second time it was fairly normal. I wouldn't say either were easy but they weren't nightmares. The first recovery was more difficult, maybe due to the infection. The second round the actually surgery was worse (I wasn't knocked out for either). With the second surgery by the next day I was craving salty so bad that I made ramen noodles and cooked them to death to make them soft and then used the seasoning. My tongue was numb so I couldn't taste the salt and added more :eek: . Good luck!

Robyn

[jellyben]

I had all four out at once and I wasn't put under. The pain wasn't too bad after but my mom hung around for a few days to baby me anyway. I remember taking a cab home afterwards and walking the short distance to the door and getting lots of funny looks. Turned out I was drooling blood but couldn't feel it because my face was still numb!! It was hard to talk normally for a few days after-I remember because I had a phone interview the next day but never got called back, probably because I sounded drunk!

Overall, not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

[sab1976]

I feel your pain. Literally. :( I, too, am having my wisdom teeth removed next week (Friday). Some moments I'm fine and others I'm really, really nervous.

I'm having all four taken out. The bottom two are completely impacted, the top left is only slightly "out" and the top right is almost all the way out. My oral surgeon explained that the bottoms are always a little harder than the top, so don't worry about that too much.

I'm going to be under light anestesia for the procedure and it should only be an hour long. Are you going to be put out as well?

I hope this goes very well for both of us and that we are back here sharing good experiences. Good luck and let me know how it goes. :)

[funnybone]

I had all 4 removed about 10 years ago. They were not impacted, and it really was a breeze. I remember going out to a dinner party the next night. I wasn't eating steak, but I had no problems with swelling, being out, or just pain in general. I only remember having to take the antibiotics and no pain killers. I'm sure you'll be fine. The horror stories are when the teeth are impacted.

[Beth]

The one I felt the doctor pulling on a little was impacted, and I don't remember them saying anything to me about it before hand. It still wasn't a problem for me.

Are we making you feel any better yet? ;)

[JackieO]

DS just had all four impacted wisdom teeth removed two weeks ago. Entire procedure took fewer than 45 minutes. (He was pretty woosy from the sedation afterward.) You've already received good advice, but let me underscore a few things:

Stock up on the soft foods you want to eat before your procedure (movies, too! :D )

DS was really wigged out at the prospect of dry sockets. Best way to avoid that is to follow the directions: don't try to rinse and spit (and you'll want to do that), and avoid the straws. You need to give your mouth time to clot the holes.

Ice, ice and more ice. Couldn't get DS to keep those ice packs on for anything....consequently, he looked like a chipmunk for several days. The two-sock idea sounds great; wish I had known that several weeks ago! :rolleyes:

DS was given Vicodan (sp?) -- 15 pills AND the opportunity for one refill! WAY more than he needed (or should have been prescribed, IMHO). He really only needed pain meds for the first 24-36 hours.

You'll have more pain in the lower jaw than upper because you move your lower jaw.

Good luck....and if you have problems or questions, don't hesitate to call the oral surgeon's office (or even post back here!)

[blazedog]

i've had way too many dental procedures in my life including a tooth implant and wisdom teeth extractions.

If your dentist is skilled and there aren't underlying issues (infection), there is almost no pain after the surgery -- what I would call very mild discomfort.

I followed the procedures given -- i.e. washing with salt water when specified and ate tepid soup which didn't require chewing but the anticipation was so much worse than the actuality.

I always went home to bed but on a scale of things I would rather have a tooth extracted than be sick with a cold.

[ClaraB]

One thing I'd like to echo is to be careful with the narcotics you've been given, if you haven't taken them before. I took Tylenol with codeine after my wisdom teeth extraction and it made me sick, except I thought it was the antibiotics that were doing it. I stopped taking the antibiotics (with my dentist's OK), and ended up with an abscess - not fun. Anyway, if narcotics don't sit well with you, try using ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil), but use 800 mg (4 of the OTC pills) at a time - it has worked wonderfully for me for root canals, and is safe to take at that dose if you don't have kidney problems (just take it every 6-8 hours, instead of every 4). I'm a surgical RN and we use it regularly on our patients for post op pain. It will probably be more effective than plain Tylenol. Hope you have an easy recovery.

[Paula H]

My two tips come from two completely different ends of the spectrum:

(1) Anaesthetic is your friend. Or at the very least, sedatives. I had a general anaesthetic for my wisdoms, and I think it's one of the best decisions - I didn't feel stressed/tense, and didn't have to be aware of any of the goings-on during the procedure. I realise that this is a personal choice, given the risks associated with any anaesthetic, but for me, it was great.

(2) Arnica! (the naturopath side coming out now) I have a tendency to bruise quite easily, so for a week leading up to the procedure, I took arnica drops every day, then from the day before I increased the dosage. As soon as I came to, they started putting arnica drops on my lips (at my request), and once I was home and drinking water, I added drops to every glass I had for a few days. The only bruising I had was a slight yellow tinge on my jawline a week later - much better than the huge bruises I usually get from even a mild bump...

Good luck for it all.

[breadmama]

I appreciate the anecdotes and advice...my mantra will be "meds, rest, ice..." I like the idea of stocking up on soft foods and ice packs ahead of time. I think I will try to do some cooking ahead to make this week more manageable. (Heavy work week followed immediately by oral surgery. Bleah. But, a long weekend to recover will be great.)

Any other ideas are welcome...and thanks so much for sparing me the gory details. :)

[Food Fussy]

My advice is to not have them pulled while you're on your honeymoon in the Poconos. If it becomes unavoidable however, find yourself a sweet, loving man, a fireplace, and lots of applesauce and chocolate pudding!

[silverrr]

i had mine removed 2 different times...upper...then lower.

my advice to you is that if you are sensitive to anesthesia, be careful how quickly you go home after the surgery is over. i ended up fainting because the anesthesia hadn't worn off enough when i was home. it was very scary.
but other than that, the recuperation time isn't so bad. i just remember keeping ice packs on my cheeks and eating soft things. it takes about a week to feel back to normal.

[LaraW]

I will be a dissenter and say if you can get by with a local anesthetic and Tylenol, I'd strongly recommend it. I had 1 impacted wisdom tooth removed, and that was what I did. The oral surgeon told me that my recovery time would be faster if I could do it w/o the general anesthetic and if I didn't take the pain meds.

I will say that I only had 1 small wisdom tooth, and I do have a fairly high tolerance for pain, but far and away the thing that worked the best was keeping ice on it (follow their instructions - I believe it was 20 min on, 20 min off for several hours following the procedure) and swishing my mouth out with salt water per their instructions.

I did also take the Tylenol that first day/night, every 4 hours but by the next day I was pretty much back to normal.

[Beth H]

I will be a dissenter and say if you can get by with a local anesthetic and Tylenol, I'd strongly recommend it. I had 1 impacted wisdom tooth removed, and that was what I did. The oral surgeon told me that my recovery time would be faster if I could do it w/o the general anesthetic and if I didn't take the pain meds.

I'll join your dissent! I also just had a local anesthetic - I took a Walkman (this is pre-ipod days) and cranked up the music so that I couldn't hear anything when he was removing the teeth. I had maybe a little discomfort, but certainly no pain. It wasn't worth the risk to me (although I know it's small) to be put under full anesthesia for this procedure. Plus, general anesthetic really makes me feel drained and yucky for at least a day afterwards.

[ChristyMarie]

All 4 of mine were impacted - removed while I was knocked out cold thank you very much. :p

Two things no one else has said:

1) Baby food is your friend. The fruit only though. LOL.

2) You can also wet then chill the tea bags. Oh yeah babyeeeee! That feels good on those gums. And it does help stop the bleeding.

Go into it with a positive attitude, stock up on food and movies and just baby yourself until you feel better.

[Valerie226]

DH has had more awful dental procedures than I care to think about.
A big "yes" on the ice. have several so one is always chilled.

I don't think anyone else has mentioned this although I confess, didn't read every post. sleep propped up in a chair, like a recliner. Not lying down flat reduces the swelling dramatically and you heal much faster. When DH has any dental process done he sleeps in a sleeping bag in a recliner, as upright as possible. Any elevation is better than flat in a bed. depending on what's been done he will sleep in the chair for several nights.

Good luck & follow all the dentist instructions.

[blazedog]

I'll join your dissent! I also just had a local anesthetic - I took a Walkman (this is pre-ipod days) and cranked up the music so that I couldn't hear anything when he was removing the teeth. I had maybe a little discomfort, but certainly no pain. It wasn't worth the risk to me (although I know it's small) to be put under full anesthesia for this procedure. Plus, general anesthetic really makes me feel drained and yucky for at least a day afterwards.

I absolutely back you up. You feel no pain with local anaesthesia if it is administered properly -- The dentists I have gone to (including dental surgeons) make sure they numb it all properly and test for numbness. The recovery is so much less because it's essentially just the same as when you have it to have a filling.

With regard to pain killers after the fact, I've only had mild discomfort (wisdom teeth extracted, root canals, tooth implants) with all my dental procedures --

[Paula H]

I absolutely back you up. You feel no pain with local anaesthesia if it is administered properly

Sorry, I should've elaborated - I had a general because I have problems with locals (they take ages to kick in and even then, only mildly - trust me, this ain't fun when you're having moles removed!) and my dental surgeon thought a general would be a better way to go, given this.

I've also got a couple of clients with a similar problem with locals (although not as extreme as mine), and they've found a huge difference in healing between having a less-than-effective local and having a general for wisdom teeth extraction.

But I guess this is only an issue if you know you've had problems with locals in the past - I think for most people, locals do the job nicely. Just freaks like me need a bit extra!

[BarbaraL]

I had all 4 out, but had one side done at a time (Left upper and lower; then right upper and lower) - left me a side to eat one, plus was a little less stress on my body. The bottom teeth were impacted, the upper teeth were not.

I had them out under local anesthesia, which was fine; I didn't feel a thing (although I heard some disquieting noises!). One thing that worked for me -- the dentist (endodontist, or whatever the correct term is) gave me a prescription for pain medication at the initial evaluation visit, and had me fill the prescription ahead of time, and bring it with me the day of the surgery. That way, I could take my first pain medication while still in the office, and it kicked in before the office anesthetics wore off. It would have been very unpleasant to have to fill the prescription while recovering from the surgery, or even to wait until I got home to take the first pill.

When I returned to work (summer job during college), I wore a baseball-type cap. Everybody commented on the cap; I confessed to my friends that I wore it because everybody noticed the cap, and didn't notice (or didn't remark on) my swollen cheeks!

Good luck! It's not the most pleasant way to spend a day, but you'll get through it just fine.

[sab1976]

Hi Breadmama,

I just wanted to check in because I had my surgery this morning. I had "light" (not full general) anestesia and it was awesome! It felt like the whole procedure took 5 minutes. In fact, when I started to realize that they were finishing up, I was confused because I thought they forgot to do the two bottom teeth!

Then I went to the recovery room for about 20 minutes to sit with my husband. And now I just took my first percaset after eating (with a mirror in hand) mashed potatoes.

All in all, I have to say I wish I hadn't worried as much as I did, because it wasn't NEARLY as bad as I thought it was going to be. Now I'm off to recover!

Hope everything went well with your surgery this week as well! :D

[breadmama]

Well, sab, you sound perkier than I felt the first day! :) My surgery went really smoothly, and as I thought, the one tooth that was not impacted was a breeze. The other one was the bigger problem, and is certainly much more sore and swollen. The dr. was able to get it out without having to leave the roots behind, and without nerve damage (as far as we can tell ).

I was groggy and piggy-backing the Tylenol 3 and Motrin the first day, nauseous and only taking Motrin the second day, and on this 3rd morning, I'm sore (but only on the impacted side) and still taking Motrin. Also, my swollen cheek has migrated downward and it's smaller, while I've now developed an enormous, tender double chin!!! :rolleyes: I think I preferred the first look to this one...

I haven't felt like reading at all yet...maybe today I will be interested in the magazines I bought for this recovery time. :)

I go back to the surgeon Monday for a follow up.

Thanks for all the good thoughts and advice, everyone! Much appreciated!