Wisdom teeth are the terrorists of the mouth (maybe TMI)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

It all began on Saturday. After a big night out I woke up with a small pain in the back of my mouth. I didn’t think much of it, just brushed my teeth and gargled some Listerine. The pain wasn’t too bad for the rest of the day… just thought it was a toothache. I was still able to eat normal foods without screaming in pain.

Cut to Sunday. I woke up with one side of my face swollen up so badly I looked like a chipmunk storing nuts. When I went to brush my teeth I spat out a lot of blood. I realised I couldn’t open my mouth very far without pain. Well, I put some numbing gel onto the back of my mouth and had a look inside. Oh Jeeze! My mouth looked like an A bomb had gone off inside it! The inside of one cheek was all swollen and red. My gums were all puffy. I could see a little blood oozing out of one gum.

And then I saw it.

A little bit of white, a tooth emerging from the very back of my gums! Starting to split it open! Argggh! Wisdom tooth!

Well, I trotted off to the dentist, and after poking and prodding my already throbbing mouth with some metal tools that looked more suited for an autopsy, he confimed my wisdom teeth were growing, and that I also had an infection. I still need some X rays, which will cost around $150 dollars, and then my dentist will refer me to an oral surgeon. After a day and night in hospital and three weeks of eating mush, I’ll be good as new. Bah.

It’s now Wednesday. I have been eating sloppy mush for two days. I have to wait until the end of the week for my X rays, and it will probably be another two weeks before I am able to have my surgery. I am on antibiotics. I have already lost three pounds.
My best friend asked me the other night if I wanted pizza.
“I can’t eat it!” I cried.
“Well, I can mush it up for you,” was her reply.

Why do they call them “Wisdom teeth?” I don’t feel wise.

2

I had all four cut out at once I woke up and felt him sawing away, it was strange. If you have to get that done, i warn you, if you are given a drug through an iv, be careful what you say. For some reason it made me blabber away like some silly preteen girl…What I said one can only guess…

3

I think they’re called wisdom teeth because, unlike your other teeth, they come in once you’re old enough to have gotten some experience and wisdom. I dunno how wise I was as a junior in college, but that’s the accepted wisdom.

My words of wisdom (sorry) on wisdom tooth removal - Ice Is Your Friend. Really. I had ice on for 45 minutes out of every hour for the first six or eight hours, and had no visible swelling at all. (I could feel a little swelling if I pinched my own cheeks.) I didn’t need the heavy painkillers they gave me at all. Remember: ice ice ice ice. Lots of ice.

4

Bah. I had seven of them. This wouldn’t be too bad, as they weren’t coming in, but before I went to college my folks decided to have them taken out. So I went in, they gave me the goold old nitrous oxide, and I sat there thinking “this isn’t working, guys, it really isn’t.”

And then they started prodding my finger. “Can you feel this?” And when I said “no,” they whipped out this bloody gargantuan needle and jabbed me. I got as far as “son of a bi…” before passing out.

When I woke up, I was at home, in bed, and in great pain. They’d actually managed to prescribe pain killers, but my loving mother was afraid I’d become addicted to them (yes, my mom’s a bit weird) and hid them. “Here, have some Advil, it’ll make you feel better,” she told me.

I love my mom and all, but one of these days, I’m going to slice her wide open and prescribe Advil. Geez.

5

Oh yes, the drugs! I can relate to that Govindha, it was the only remotely pleasent part of the whole operation. Fully doped up and wondering why my parents weren’t happy as I was.

The wonderful part was when I did a CPR course about a week later and popped the wounds open while I was using the dummy. It wasn’t pretty.

6

I had one out a couple of months ago. No sedation; just local anesthetic - but using that Wand® thing, so the freezing was very specific and very effective. I didn’t feel a thing as the dentist hammered away at the tooth and finally yanked it out. Then again, I don’t have dentist anxiety. I just sit in the chair, chill out, and let the guy do what he has to do. No biggie.

But I still had him write me a note to take three days off work.

7

I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. I had mine removed about a year and a half ago. Three of them were removed by the dentist in his office. The upper left nearly fell out. The upper right took only the slightest tug and I heard a small crack and out it popped. The lower left put up a helluva fight. After five minutes of pulling and twisting, a satisfactory crack emerged along with the tooth. I took two mild pain killers and rested. Two days later, I was chewing like a madman. No swelling. No bleeding.

The lower right decided it would be a good idea to come in perfectly horizontal. Off to the oral surgeon. I was in the chair at nine in the morning. I was hooked up to the IV and the nitrous. Here is all I remember once the anesthesia kicked in:

Dentist: (mumble, garbled, something, something) TOOTH (something, something else)

I was then led to the car by Mrs. Blue Sky. When I got home, I took two really good painkillers and took a nap. The next day, no pain, no swelling.

The holes have nearly filled completely.

A couple of weeks later, I went back to my regular dentist. He showed me a letter from the surgeon stating that my extraction was one of the most difficult he had done in a long time.

8

I’m a huge fraidy cat and I had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth surgically extracted about a month ago and can honestly say it was just about painless. Knocked me out with an IV of Valium and that was that. I took the steriods/painkillers/antibiotics as prescribed and was right as rain and ready for work on Saturday after having them out Thursday. (And I talk on the phone 7 hrs a day.) I lucked out; had a good dentist I guess, it took him an hour and a half to get the teeth out but you’d never know by my recovery. I didn’t feel any actual pain till 3 days after; I think the steroid had worn off and I had a tiny bit of swelling, that was it.

Took me 4 yrs to get them out, so I guess for me the pain of having them bother me was worse than the actual removal! So for every horror story, there’s one like mine. Hope it turns out as easy for you!

I just wish the damn holes in my gums would close up, squirting salt water in them every time I eat is getting tiresome, as I eat many small meals rather than 3 squares. Seems like I spend most of my time rinsing my mouth out!

9

shudder I most likely have to get my bottom ones pulled, but I am praying I don’t. All four of them came in at one time, and I can remember, ahem, “borrowing” the baby’s teething ring. When that defrosted, I resorted to frozen string beans.

10

Damn wisdom teeth. Mine are coming in just fine according to the dentist, and there’s plenty of room in my mouth for them, so I get to experience teething all over again. The pain seems to be intermittent, oddly enough. Several days of ‘ow ow OW I don’t wanna eat’, followed by several days of ‘mrrrr, damn tooth anyway, but at least I can eat’, then minimal to no pain until the cycle starts up again or the tooth comes completely in. Based on this I think my teeth grow in spurts.

::feels in mouth:: Yup, one lower right molar in the process of emerging. Thankfully it doesn’t seem to be growing right now, as there isn’t currently any pain.

Anyway, I feel for you. Tip: Jamba Juice (big fruit smoothies) is your friend when you can’t chew.

11

I had five, four of them impacted and one sort of floating above causing all sorts of jaw problems. You can imagine the misery. The X-rays were especially spectacular. “Oh, so that’s what a tooth trying to grow into my jaw looks like. Thanks, doc.”

And Captain Blunty, I’d love to be like the other posters on this board and say that the whole procedure was nothing and drugs are your friend, etc. etc. But brutal honesty is what we’re striving for here, right? Right?

(Perhaps a TMI warning is necessary here, just in case.)

First of all, they started the procedure when my blood pressure was 96/45. Why they didn’t wait until I appeared more lifelike (and why it was so low to begin with), I don’t know. But oh, if I had only known what would result…

I would not stop bleeding. Had to change the gauze every few minutes for hours afterwards. My parents took me to the hospital after calling the doctor to see if I should have stopped bleeding by then. They gave me something extra to help clot the blood. But it started working slowly, so instead of just changing the gauze, I’d spit out blood clots. Absolutely disgusting. Oh yes, and did I mention that the anesthesia had not totally worn off? So when I was trying to spit out a blood clot, I’d get my tongue and bottom lip and chin confused and end up drooling a blood clot out of my mouth?

Days later, I was still bleeding off and on. I resorted to a diet consisting only of red popsicles, just so it’d look more uniform when I had to spit things out.

I won’t even get into the painkillers - I’ll just say that my parents took turns watching me, because occassionally I’d stop breathing, then start gasping for air while sleeping :eek: I’d advise that you not recuperate alone.

All in all a miserable experience. Oh, and best of luck, Captain Blunty. Now where’s that evil smiley…?

12

Thanks for all the suggestions and the heads up.

lovelyluka , I am in so much pain right now that I would dig them out with a spoon if I could! Any nasty recovery time would be better than having these evil terroist teeth burst through my gums.

I had a lovely, moving experience when I went in to brush my teeth today. A spurt of red yellow pus like stuff came dribbling out of my gums. My dentist told me not to worry, it was just the infection taking it’s course. Huh, that’s easy to say when he’s not the one gagging over the toilet every time this disgusting stuff decides to make an apperance.

I did the ice today, and it helped a lot. I have sunk about four strong painkillers as well. I haven’t been able to eat today, my stomach has decided to rebel as well.

Anyway, my X ray is set for friday. Finally, some good news!

13

Urk. Ugh. Mine have been coming in for years, but they only hurt a bit, so I’m hoping I don’t have to get them taken out- particularly because I nursed Mr. Lissar through his wisdom tooth extraction just a few months ago, and he was on drugs for two weeks, and could barely eat soft foods. And he got dry socket, which means they didn’t heal for a month.

14

I had two out, and they BOTH got infected.

[TMI]

The first because they prescribed codeine, which made me vomit every I used it. Which also meant vomiting the antibiotics. The second because they sewed it up funny, and left a small gap that food could get trapped in. I got a syringe and needle to wash it out with[/TMI]

15

I had mine taken out when I was around fourteen. Dunno if anyone else had their dealt with that early on but reading the posts I am glad I got it over with.

I was knocked out, and not only was I unconcious through the operation but also on the drive home. When I passed out I was sitting on the Dentist’s chair. When I woke up I was sitting on the couch in my house. Very disorienting! I don’t remember any pain at all, just swelling. In fact having the ice pressed against the side of my face caused more discomfort than the actual pain. Oh, and a thread from the stitches kind of poked out, leaving a funny sensation of a bit of string in the corner of my mouth, but other than that I was fine.

16

I hate to be a spoil sport, but mine grew in right where they were supposed to. Navy dentists wouldn’t touch them, and they love to pull wisdom teeth.

I still have them, all four. 32 teeth total.

17

Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.

My consultation with dental surgeon is next week and I’m nervous about that nevermind the surgery. I have 4 wisdom teeth and an “extra” coming out and I’m utterly terrified.

18

I’ve had one wisdom tooth removed (on my birthday, no less. What a present :rolleyes: ). Lower right side, impacted AND abcessed. And had been for about a year. What can I say, I’m a procrastinator.

Anyways, I was put on antibiotics three days before the procedure. Day of, dentist shoots me up with the local anesthetic and gets started. I didn’t feel the cutting at all, but then he started pulling. THAT I felt. I got shot with more anthesthesia twice, and still felt every tug as he split the tooth into five pieces. Finally I got to see the offending bits, and while two of the roots were the normal nubby bits you’d expect, one of them was needle sharp and hooked, because it had been wrapped around my mandibular nerve. Yeesh. That took an hour and a half to do. Needless to say, my face swelled to grapefruit size, despite copious ice.

That night, just to top things off, I asked my boyfriend to get my painkillers. He, not remembering I was also on antibiotics, didn’t bother to check which bottle he grabbed.

There is no god, only pain. The only reason I noticed is because I tend to count pills, to make sure I haven’t forgotten to take one.

19

My two bottom wisdom teeth grew in normally, and lasted until my 30s, when due to reduced blood supply to them (which is a common problem), they started falling apart in chunks. Yuk. Had to have them out, but one of them was so easy I thought the dentist was just looking in my mouth and told him, “Let me know when you’re going to start pulling,” and he waved the now extracted tooth in my face. :smiley:

My uppers I had to have cut out at different times, but again no huge hassles. I also had a couple extras, but they were pallid little one-rooted nubbins. My poor sister, OTOH, managed to grow two COMPLETE sets of them which she had to have out ten years apart.

Both my kids had theirs removed when they were in the bud stage as early teenagers. Ultimately FAR less aggravation for them both, and it made their getting braces easier, gave their teeth more room to move in their jaw. I’m still jealous at their lack of misery.

Uh, gr8guy, you might watch out for your mom. Advil is NOT recommended when you’ve just had a procedure that might result in bleeding, as it slows clotting. Could have led to LOTS of nasty complications. They take you off that stuff a full week before any type of surgery – I should know, I’ve taken it for years for arthritis – because of that very reason. Next time, get the prescription yourself BEFORE the dentist goes to work! And give it to your dad or someone else to fill for you!

20

I awoke this morning with a dull aching pain in my teeth and my lips glued shut with saliva. I must have been sleeping with my mouth hanging open because I can no longer close my mouth fully without pain.

At the moment, I’m doing the old, “Tie a stocking filled with ice round your head and suck on red popsicles,” thing, and I am feeling a little better. Really stupid, but a little better. My Mom came over last night to visit and check on me, and she laughed and laughed when she saw me wrapped up like a mummy with a stocking around my head. Yeah, thanks Mom.