When I went for my initial appointment, I asked the doctor if he was going to pull all of them. “No. At your age (I’m 47), you wouldn’t be able to handle it.” I was OK with that (except for the “your age” comment) because I could be the starting pansy on the US Olympic Pansy Dream team.
So, today I go in and tell the doctor that I want the maximum anesthesia allowed by law. He complied and the next thing I knew I was walking into the recovery room.
At this point, they proceed to give me the bad news. Apparently, there was some sort of cyst between my tooth (which was growing sideways) and my jawbone. I already knew this because my regular dentist had spotted it on an x-ray and she didn’t like the looks of it. They never like the looks of things. Anyway, the dentist informs me that it was a very difficult extraction and the cyst had eaten away part of my jaw. He then proceeds to casually mention that I need to limit myself to soft foods (nothing that requires chewing) for three months. My reaction is far less casual. His reply is that it’s either this or risk breaking my jaw.
Hmmm. Tough choice. I’m a habitual ice chewer. The only upside that I can see is that I need to lose about 50 pounds and hopefully this will be a good start on that.
I had all four wisdom teeth removed when I was in high school. They gave me waaay too much medication. My memories of the event:
I was put to sleep
Doctor came in and asked how I was doing
Doctor came in and asked how I was doing
Doctor came in and asked how I was doing (yeah…I remember that three times…nothing in between)
Dad’s car stopping to pick up my prescription.
Waking up in bed
Waking up in bed the next day
Waking up in bed a few hours later
Then I started to come back to life.
Oh…one other memory…I wasn’t doing a good job clotting. Doctor told me to put tea bags in my mouth over the areas that were bleeding. Anyone else ever have the joy of putting two teabags directly in your mouth?
Hint - they left my mouth more violently and faster than they went in. It was a decade or two before I drank any tea again.
-D/A
Bone grafts weren’t mentioned. I think he’s just counting on the bone growing back. That’s what I’m counting on too. He did remove the cyst. I got the impression that it wasn’t the kind that could be drained.
I’m trying to avoid ice cream for now but I’m sure that won’t last. I’m getting by on Slim-Fast so far.
Chewing on ice is terrible too, my mom used to do it and it drove me nuts (plus it is bad for your jaw and teeth to be crunching all day long). I’m glad you have an impetus to quit.
As far as soft foods go, I found a list on this website:
Mush or porridge-type hot cereals like oatmeal, grits and Cream-of-Wheat
Cereals that soften easily in milk like Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes
Soft breads and muffins
Pasta cooked to a soft consistency
Potatoes and sweet potatoes without skin
Soft fruits like ripe bananas and melon
Pureed berries put through a strainer to remove skins and seeds
Cooked fruits without seeds or skins like apples and pears
Fruit juice
Avocados
Vegetable juice
Skinless vegetables that cook to a soft consistency or can be mashed, like carrots, cauliflower
Soft fish carefully de-boned
Canned tuna or chicken
Scrambled or soft-boiled eggs
Tender meats and ground meats that have been well-cooked - braised meats or meats cooked in a crock-pot are especially good for this purpose
Tofu
Well-cooked legumes with soft skins like baked beans
Pureed or blended soups
Pureed or blended sauces
Yogurt
Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Finely grated/melted cheese
Ice cream
Pudding or custard
Protein powders
They also provide soft meal suggestions if you have difficulty thinking of creative ways to mix what you’re allowed.
My sympathies. Mine were removed (3 at once and 1 another time) and it was okay. Having had bad advice from dentists, always get a second opinion and make your own decision. Thank god for food processors and the like. Baby food!
I had 3 wisdom (I didn’t have a 4th) teeth pulled all at once. One was impacted sideways. Plus another tooth 2nd from the back because the root was dying. I later needed a permanent bridge for that space.
Anyway… It was the late 70s and, hard to believe now with what has happened with the medical system, but I had it done on a Thurs. a.m. in the hospital under general anesthesia. Checked in the night before and stayed over until Fri. morning and it was totally covered by my insurance. I didn’t pay a dime extra. Would never happen now, would it? I came home with a nice prescription of joy juice and slept for the entire weekend, getting up only for the bathroom.
