So, I got my wisdom teeth out 8 days ago, and it STILL hurts horribly. My doctor says I have something called “dry socket” and there is nothing that he can do about it except wait for it to finish healing. My question for you all is, how long did it take for you to heal? How much longer must I be in this terrible pain. I can’t even take Vicadin because it makes me really sick. :mad:
This is not going to give you much hope but here it goes.
A month.
I was horribly swollen for about a week, and throwing up from the codeine. Then I had “dry socket” and my bones were exposed so he put some clove oil soaked gauze in there. More vomiting ensued. It literally took a month for all of the pain and swelling to be gone.
My thoughts are with you.
You might consider putting some clove oil on it though. it did take the pain away, it was just too much clove taste for a day and a half.
I was pretty lucky, I guess. I had my upper wisdoms pulled, and they had healed in three days. I was very cautious and ate a liquid diet and didn’t smoke. Only needed to take tylenol the first night.
thinks
Like a week or two. I got the stitches removed after 2 weeks, and I don’t remember it hurting TOO much after that. Even right after I had them out…I was only in BAD pain for one day where I had to take the narcotics he gave me. After that I was on Advil.
I guess I was one of the lucky ones. Mine only hurt for two or three days. My throat, on the other hand, was sore for a little over a week from the tube that was put down it.
Hope you’re feeling better soon,
–sublight.
My wisdom teeth still aren’t through. I’m 31. I think this is unusual, but the dentist has never said anything, so I dunno.
About a week and 1/2 of super sharp pain.
How did you get that dry socket, did you drink from a straw ?
No, I did everything just like the doctor told me. I didn’t eat anything solid, I didn’t drink from a straw, or do anything that would cause any suction. It didn’t do any heavy activities. The only thing that I can think of is that the Vicadin made me vomit and maybe that had something to do with it. I don’t know anything about it, but that is all I can figure.
But a LONG time.
Mine were severly impacted when I finally had them out (hint to younger posters: DON’T put it off). One of my upper teeth had a root that actually penetrated my lower sinus cavity. The person who was supposed to give me a ride to and from the dental surgeon’s clinic cancelled at the last moment, so I had to be awake through the whole process of having my four largest teeth broken into four pieces each and then pulled/ripped/drilled out. NOT fun, especially since I’m resistant to the effects of novocaine.
I then proceeded to develop dry sockets in all four places, despite following all precautions. I was on codiene and a liquid diet for two weeks, and was still in agony most of the time. There was still a great deal of pain from two of the sockets for another week, and general tenderness for the next two or three weeks. I also had some side issues from the codiene, but I’ll spare you the details of those.
There was, however, one mildly amusing-- if masochistic-- result. For about six months after the procedure, I had a small hole in the bone of my sinus cavity. Every time that I had to breathe deeply or quickly through my nose there was a little whistling sound, sometimes audible to those around me, which was invariably accompanied by an icy-cold needle of pain. Luckily the bone regrew before winter set in…
I’d get a second opinion on this. If it is dry socket there IS something that can be done for it. My dentist puts a dressing with some kind of medicine in the socket, and by the time the dressing dissolves, enough healing has occurred that the problem is solved.
Scotti
I’ll let you know after next weekend. :: sigh ::
I think it took about a month for my mouth to heal up. Pain from the surgery was only bad for a couple of days, but I was a fairly young’un at the time. Definitely get a second opinion about “nothing I can do for you” – I seem to remember having my sockets packed with something to protect against dry socket.
This thread tells about my wisdom tooth experience - it was incredibly easy:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=42589
I think the length of time is different for almost everyone.
I had mine out 8 years ago, they put me under, and, apart from coming out of the general sobbing, I had no significant pain. I had a prescription pain killer, I took one, then regular tylenol took care of it the rest of the time.
I had no problems with dry socket, even though I continued to smoke. I was back on solid food within 24 hours, albeit in very small bites, because the stitches were tight, and I had to chew with my front teeth.
I flew 1200 miles less than a week afterwards(spring break was over and I had to go back to school), had minimal swelling.
My roommate, on the other hand, swelled up like a chipmunk, was in severe pain for about a month afterwards, and had dry socket in 3 out of 4. And she’s a non-smoker.
So, I don’t think there is a set amount of time. But, if it’s not getting better, go back to your dentist/oral surgeon or consult a different one. This was supposed to fix problems, not create new ones.
I got my four out the day after Thanksgiving (2000). Two days of low pain, swelling on the third day, and then about 6 days of reduced swelling and mild pain. All gone after 2 weeks.
Dry sockets suck, I didn’t have any but my mom did and she said they’re not pleasant.
{{heraldgwena}}
My doctor did mention this guaze that they could pack it with, but he said that the problem with it was that I was healing so fast that it would be hard for them to put it in and most likely doing so would just irritate it and make the problem worse. He also said that it would make it take longer to heal, and that it tasted really bad. He did say that if it STILL hurt in a couple of days he could still do it, but it really didn’t sound like it was worth it. However, if it still hurts this bad tommorrow he said to come back in and they would do it. That is one reason that I asked, because I wanted to know if it would be worth the trouble. I mean, why do it if it would be better the day after it is done. Although, those people who say it took a month are making me think that it might be worth it. Thanks for all the help though. I appreciate it. 
you’re gonna hate me.
I went to Wendy’s for a burger about ten minutes after I woke up.
Sorry about your luck.
It took about a week for me to heal reasonably well, eating mostly pudding & soup. My only problem was that I (stupidly) tried to play my bassoon a couple days after I had them out, and I destroyed a few stitches in the process.
A friend had dry-socket, and was in very very bad pain for a week or two, but has since healed with no lingering effects.
I had one of my top wisdom teeth pulled at the same time that I had four other teeth pulled for braces. I actually never felt any pain from the wisdom tooth. The oral surgeon gave my a prescription for tylenol with codiene. I never took any of them at all. It took a few days for me to get comfortable, but that was because of the other four teeth that were pulled. I don’t recall feeling any discomfort whatsoever from the wisdom tooth.
I’m one of the lucky ones, too. I had all four out, in two different operations, and felt no pain, got no dry socket, despite the fact that I never stopped smoking, and no swelling at all.
I’ve had friends that looked like they were packing twelve-pound sacks of Hamster Nummies in their cheeks after wisdom tooth extractions, though.