So I have to get my wisdom teeth taken out, someday. I was told this about 14 years ago, but they didn’t bother me then, so I didn’t think about it. Well for the past month or so, they’ve been really pushing hard. Hard like the whole right side of my face throbs, hard like I feel like I’ve got braces on again and I’m pretty sure they’re pushing some of my other teeth around. So there’s that.
About a month ago I had what I thought was a sinus infection (well one that wouldn’t go away), so I made an apointment with an ENT, he said not only was it a really bad sinus infection, but I have polyps in my nose. A few days ago I saw him for a followup. Yup, polyps still there, he said we’ll keep working with the Nasonex, but when they shink enough, he’ll have to remove them. This, apperently is a day surgery, under general anesthesia.
So I got to thinking, I really really really don’t want to have either of these done. I’m hoping the polyps clear up on their own, and I’m going to ask my dentist if he can just push the wisdom teeth back up into my head. That oughta keep them in check for a few more years. But assuming neither of these solutions work, I was wondering if they can do them both at once. As long as I’ll be asleep, maybe one doc can take out the polpys and the orthodontic surgeron can take out the teeth. I asked my nurse MIL and she said it’s not usually a problem as long as you can coordinate the doctors. But I still wonder if they can do that. I could see doing a polyp surgery and a minor (somewhere else) surgery, but with wisdom teeth being soooo close to the sinuses I’d wonder if they would actually do that or not. (My polyps are in my nose, not my sinuses (so far, no x-rays done yet) but still).
So can they do that?
Would you do that?
While I’m under, maybe they can clean my teeth and fill any cavities (I hate having people work in my mouth, hate it hate it hate it)
Well, it would depend on how long they’d have to keep you under, but if it could be co-ordinated, yeah I’d do it to avoid having to go under general twice in a row. That is assuming they’d leave you to recover from the first lot. General stuffs me right the hell up, I hate it.
They won’t do that…a dentist needs you awake to fill cavaties since you have to ‘bite’ in order for them to make sure the filling doesn’t screw up your ‘bite’. Been there asked that question before…
My sympathies, Joey. I had a polyp the size of a whole pecan removed from my left vocal cord less than a month ago, and I was terrified. It was my first experience with general anesthesia, and through sick coincidence was on the 22nd anniversary of the day a good friend of mine died during surgery (and as an interesting side note with your specific situation, the only friend who came to the house to see me when I had my wisdom teeth out). But I came through with flying colors and an actual speaking voice for the first time in four months, which is a good thing.
I doubt that they could coordinate these two procedures, but it never hurts to ask. I’d start with your dentist. If it’s nothing but logistics (he doesn’t have “priviliges” or whatever), see if he can put you in touch with someone who can.
Hang tough, and you’ll get through it. Just don’t lie about your height and weight.
Someone I know had surgery on her eardrums. After the surgery, she appeared in church with a couple of bandaids around her face. Why the bandaids? She’d casually mentioned to the surgeon fixing the eardrums that if she’d thought about it sooner she’d have gotten her dermatologist to come remove several not exactly suspicious moles as long as she was going to be under. Surgeon said, “what, these moles? I can remove them.” And so it was done.
Now admittedly, that’s not the same situation you’ve got. But it’s worth asking your doctors.
