# I gotta get three wisdom teeth out tomorrow - please tell me encouraging things! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 28, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624 "2011-07-28T15:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/61 "2011-07-30T04:38:09Z")
I didn’t have mine done by my dentist – I went to an oral surgeon. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/62 "2011-07-30T04:50:10Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I didn’t have mine done by my dentist – I went to an oral surgeon. I didn’t have mine done by _my_ dentist or _my_ oral surgeon. I had mine done by Army medical types, who frown mightily upon lowly E-4s inquiring about their specific qualifications. As in, “Shut the fuck up, Corporal.” I may be wrong, but my understanding is that, in the U.S., oral surgery is a specialty of dentistry. Thus, one may say, with some considerable degree of accuracy, that while not all dentists are oral surgeon, almost all oral surgeons are dentists. But thank you for picking the fuck out of that nit. Do you feel intelectually superior now? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/63 "2011-07-30T05:40:39Z")
I had three teeth pulled, two of them wisdom, about 9 months ago. Hadn’t been to a dentist in over 20 years. Was worried about the novocaine shots they gave me, 'cause I didn’t feel numb or anything, but the dentist poked me a few times and I realized I was fine, didn’t feel any pain. My eyes and whole face were squinched up tight the entire time he worked on me…the whole thing took about 4 minutes, tops. (Well, 20 minutes for the novocaine to kick in first). I felt no pain. Nothing. Felt the wrenching, and that was it. The only pain meds given was ibuprofen, and I didn’t even use much of that. Never felt any pain, ever. A little soreness, but very little; I was in \ shock for so long that it was two days later before I realized that no, pain wasn’t coming. It just never even entered the equation. I hope your experience is as pain free as mine was. 🙂 Aaaaand yet again I don’t read far enough to realize that it’s already over. Glad it wasn’t horrible 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/64 "2011-07-30T06:24:03Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Thanks! Yeah, my dentist said he almost never has dry-socket problems…apparently the way they do it now is to pack the holes with some kind of gel that eventually turns into bone, then stitch the gum up over it (if I understand what he said correctly). So there’s no gauze, just this gel stuff.\ That’s good - I got a dry socket with one of my wisdom tooth extractions years ago, and it was very painful for me. After reading this thread, though, I think my mouth is just weird - I can’t get frozen properly, every dental procedure hurts like a sonofabitch, and the pain afterwards is pretty strong, too. I think I have more nerves in there than normal - I’m not a big pain wimp, honestly! Glad to hear your extractions went well, **Infovore**. I always try to do too much too soon - if you’re like me, I’d advise you to take it easy for a little longer than you think you need to (like, don’t try to go on an all-day hike or anything 🙂 ). ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/65 "2011-07-30T07:43:02Z")
I had no problems despite doing most everything wrong. My wisdom teeth (along with a couple rotten molars that couldn’t be salvaged) were removed in the hospital under general anesthesia. I had been told beforehand that they had to “pack” the wounds with filling and I was not looking forward to that part. However, by the time I came to, the wounds had been packed, had sat for long enough and the packing had been removed. After the surgery I was STONED. I am very good with directions normally and I managed to get us to the hospital no problem. When it came time to find the highway again I couldn’t even guess which direction we should go in. I hope someone is driving you to and from this appointment and that they will not need to rely on you for directions. I gargled with salt the same day. Apparently this is not a good thing to do. Didn’t taste good either- bloody salt, mmmm! No pain, no complications. The stitches dissolved about a week later (like they are supposed to). It’s annoying having the little pieces of string floating around in your mouth but that was about the worst of it for me. I don’t remember what I ate but I think it was a lot of yogurt and soup. I am pretty sure I went back to solid food after just a day or two, I just had to be careful how I bit down. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/66 "2011-07-30T17:38:48Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > I may be wrong, but my understanding is that, in the U.S., oral surgery is a specialty of dentistry. Thus, one may say, with some considerable degree of accuracy, that while not all dentists are oral surgeon, almost all oral surgeons are dentists. > > But thank you for picking the fuck out of that nit. Do you feel intelectually superior now? Jesus, chill, dude. I wasn’t specifically addressing you. What I meant was, my REGULAR dentist didn’t do them. That’s all. Notice I said MY dentist. Not A dentist. The oral surgeon who did it was a dentist, but he wasn’t my regular dentist. Calm down. We cool? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/67 "2011-07-30T20:54:32Z")
> [@ExTank](#): > > I didn’t have mine done by _my_ dentist or _my_ oral surgeon. I had mine done by Army medical types, who frown mightily upon lowly E-4s inquiring about their specific qualifications. As in, “Shut the fuck up, Corporal.” > > I may be wrong, but my understanding is that, in the U.S., oral surgery is a specialty of dentistry. Thus, one may say, with some considerable degree of accuracy, that while not all dentists are oral surgeon, almost all oral surgeons are dentists. > > But thank you for picking the fuck out of that nit. Do you feel intelectually superior now? Well, yes, because I know there are four l’s in _intellectually_. Having said that, WTF? If you don’t want to read a thread about wisdom truth extractions in which someone points out that oral surgeons usually do it, then maybe this isn’t the best message board for you. After nearly 12 years one would think you’d have come to terms with the typical style of discourse here. Leave out the sneering sarcasm. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/68 "2011-07-31T04:41:44Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > \t wisdom truth extractions \ Freudian moderating? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/69 "2011-07-31T13:19:40Z")
**Infovore** , the really important question is how did your raid go afterwards? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/70 "2011-07-31T13:40:37Z")
> [@Daerlyn](#): > > **Infovore** , the really important question is how did your raid go afterwards? Actually, it got cancelled. ☹ I did end up chain running dungeons with friends, though, and that went fine. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/71 "2011-07-31T14:58:08Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Jesus, chill, dude. I wasn’t specifically addressing you. What I meant was, my REGULAR dentist didn’t do them. That’s all. Notice I said MY dentist. Not A dentist. The oral surgeon who did it was a dentist, but he wasn’t my regular dentist. > > Calm down. We cool? Yeah. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![curious11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@curious11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curious11)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/72 "2011-07-31T16:08:13Z")
Had all 4 removed under general anethesia. No one reading this thread got “sinus hole” after their wisdom teeth were removed? I’m the only one? Lucky me! Yeah, it’s as gross as it sounds. After every meal I would have to dash off to the restroom and force warm salty water through the hole through the sinus through the nose into the sink. The good news is that there wasn’t any pain involved with the cleaning process, just the most obnoxious “blowing bubbles in a milk carton” sound in my head. Eventually the hole closed up and now I’m, uh, back to normal. And I vote for vicodin over percoset. Percoset does not work for me. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/73 "2011-07-31T22:00:32Z")
> [@curious11](#): > > And I vote for vicodin over percoset. Percoset does not work for me. Huh. It was the exact opposite for me. I could have just taken advil, for all the good vicodin did. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624/74 "2011-08-01T00:17:39Z")
Man, you guys got the good drugs! Which is probably fine; all I got was prescription strength ibuprofen, but about a month ago I had what felt like a migraine \ and it was bad enough to keep me from sleeping on a night I needed to sleep. So…I took one of the vicodin my husband had lying around from his recent foot surgery. Um…yeah. I was literally sick all the next day; no more headache, got my sleep, but holy crap! I was nauseous all day and felt like I’d been dragged down 40 miles of bad road. Blech. I’ll save the vicodin for when it’s a real emergency! Or…just stick to the ibuprofen, since it worked. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-gotta-get-three-wisdom-teeth-out-tomorrow-please-tell-me-encouraging-things/590624.md?page=3)