Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Updated on September 20, 2007
A.B. asks from Euless, TX
16 answers

Okay all you moms out there...I need some reassurance. I made an appointment yesterday to get all four of my wisdom teeth extracted in a couple weeks. For some reason I am freaked out totally about this to the point where I am loosing sleep. I am going to be knocked out for it (which is good) due to the location and depth of three of them. I have just heard so many horror stories about people having major complications afterwards. Do any of you mom's have any tips or pointers on having this done? I went through childbirth with just a couple shots of morphine....is it going to be worse than that? I refused to have an epidural due to the size of the needle (needles absolutely scare me to death). The thought of being put under scares me to death, I have never been sedated in my life...and I am almost 30. Thanks in advance for any advice and tips. Hopefully I will be able to calm down a little after I hear your stories. :)

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So What Happened?

That's for all the tips and advice. Sounds like I was just being a big baby! Hopefully things go well. I will make sure my husband is set for a couple days taking care of our little one before I have them out.

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P.P.

answers from Dallas on

Looks like a lot of good advice. I had my wisdom teeth done two at a time. And I can not stress enough, ICE. Constantly. On my first ones I didn't use it as much as the second. The second was much less swelling.

Good Luck!

P.

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S.M.

answers from Dallas on

I was also fully sedated to have all four of mine extracted at once, and my husband did his the same way two weeks later. The Dr. placed a numbing spray on my arm before inserting the IV for sedation, and once it was in, I was out cold in under 30 seconds. The surgery actually only lasts a few minutes (mine was about 30), and you will be groggy a day or two afterwards. Remember to take good care of your sites (not drinking through a straw, changing out the gauze), and you should be just fine. I did have one of mine end up with an exposed root, but they gave me some stuff to pack on top of it for a week, and things were back to normal. My husband was back at work in two days. If you made it through childbirth with a touch of morphine, this will be CAKE!!!!!

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A.K.

answers from Dallas on

A couple of quick tips from my own personal experience...1. Make sure that you have someone there with you that can literally "carry" you out! I woke up from sedation crying for my mommy and let's just say that I was WAY too old to have done that! 2. Make sure that you have nothing planned for the rest of the day. Have a good plan for your kids. I was so out of it that I tried to get up to go to the potty by myself and busted my head open on the granite counter top in the bathroom and required stitches! It isn't that painful, but the sedation kinda did my in. I have had 5 major surgeries since then, but I was always hospitalized for several hours after the surgery - never outpatient. You will be fine! The pain isn't the real issue!

H.R.

answers from Dallas on

I have had to deal with similar fears! Childbirth freaked me out but not as much as the epideral (which i refused and later wished i'd had) I've had to have two wisdom teeth extracted at seperate times. One without sedation and one with. I strongly recommend having it! I said it was the most fun i'd had at the dentist office ever! Just follow the instructions they give you to a T and you'll have no problems. It does leave kind of a wierd feeling in your mouth where your teeth once were and i do remember drooling alot because i was afraid to suck in at all, but i survived! And i'm a scared-y cat! Good luck! It will be over quickly!

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J.S.

answers from Dallas on

I had 3 pulled when I was 18, & I was put under. It actually was very simple, & I wasn't in a huge amount of pain. Childbirth is no comparison. Good luck!

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S.T.

answers from Dallas on

I had my wisdom teeth out when I was your age. I was put under and it was actually nice to take the time to get the rest! It is a good rest! Afterword, I woke up with no pain. Be sure to get soup to eat. And...if you need something more substantial, eat refried beans. Make sure and gargle with warm salt water...it feels good and helps it heal. Also keep your mouth and the area very clean. I have a low threshold for pain...so I took my medicine as prescribed and there is no shame in that. I was definitely sore a couple of days after...but everyone is different and you could go through this with no problem what so ever! It is not as bad as child birth! :)

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

From my experience, it wasn't the procedure that was bad but the anesthesia side effects.

To avoid them (whish I would have known this), ask for anti-nausea meds with the anesthesia. They should have it on hand and had I'd known to ask, it would have saved me three days of sickness (note: NOT PAIN, but sickness)!

Best of Luck!
T.

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J.J.

answers from Dallas on

You'll be fine. I had all 4 of mine done at once a few years ago. I went in on a Friday afternoon and my husband was such an angel. He let me rest all Friday and got plenty of soft foods for the weekend. By the time Monday rolled around, it was all ancient history. The dentist prescribed some heavy duty pain killers, but I only took a couple of doses and didn't need them after about 24 hours. I am scared of needles too. Most dentists will numb you before hand with the spray, especially if you tell them you're afraid. I told mine to treat me like a 5 year old :)

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E.W.

answers from Dallas on

I had all 4 of mine extracted at the same time and I was fine. The sedation was fine, it was nothing like getting sedated for surgery (at least that was my experience). All I can recommend is be sure to have plenty of soft foods on hand for the first day. I used it as a good excuse to eat ice cream, banana pudding, mashed potatoes, etc. You will be back to normal in a few days, trust me you have nothing to worry about.

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C.L.

answers from Dallas on

A.,

You will be fine! I had mine done when I was 18 (I'm 34 now). You will be groggy and I had blurry vision for a while after (a few hours), but just have someone around to take good care of you and it will be fine. This is nothing compared to childbirth! I had this funny headband that held an ice pack on each cheek. Looking back it was probably the most comical site! Like the other mom said, follow all the directions they give you so you don't get dry socket. It will be over before you know it :) Good luck and God bless!

C.

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B.P.

answers from Dallas on

Talk with your dr about how you are feeling. I had a friend who hated to go to doctors and had to had some work done on her teeth.
Prior to the day of her visit she discuss how nerveous she was going to be, he prescribe some pills for her to take the day of her visit before she arrived to his office. Once she arrived he came her another nerve pill. This really did help her out alot. Of course if your doctor does something like this have a friend who goes with you to the visit.
For I went with my friend and had to drive for she was out of it. LOL
She was so thankful for those nerve pills to calm her...

best of wishes to getting your wisdom teeth out. I had mine out when I was 16 yrs old in the hospital... so thankful that was how they did things back then. lol

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J.K.

answers from Dallas on

Hi A.,

Since I was still nursing at the time I had my wisdom teeth taken out I had to just use the regular novacan. It wasn't that bad.
All four of my teeth was was rotten out, 2 of them shattered when he went to yank it out. Still I didn't feel pain with just the novacan.

It was more painfull having the w.teeth in then it was taken them out. Don't worry over it. You'll feel better when there out.

Good Luck
J.

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J.R.

answers from Dallas on

I had mine done about 3 years ago and it was no big deal (and I usually don't deal with pain well). Trust me going to sleep is not bad at all(I've been put under 3 times). You will be kind of groggy and out of it for several hours after so pretty much write the day of the extraction off. Have some things that are easy on your stomach at home because sometimes you can feel a little nauseated from the sedation or pain medicine. And plan on having someone lined up to help with your little boy for a couple of days just in case.

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A.L.

answers from Dallas on

I had all four of mine surgically removed (they hadn't even begun to come in) when I was in 8th grade. They did not use a needle to put me out, they used laughing gas. I was totally out the entire time they were extracting the teeth. No big deal. They give you pain killers for if you need them afterward,just don't drink or eat anything extremely cold! I had a milkshake the day after, and the cold hit a nerve that was in the socket the tooth was in. Ouch!! My husband had his pulled out (they had all come in) 3 or 4 years ago. They gave him two pills 20 minutes or so before hand that put him out before hand. Again- no needles! He also did well and had no problems!

Good Luck, it sound scarier than it is when it is all over with.

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M.W.

answers from Dallas on

A.,
I had all 4 out and I worked for 2 oral surgeons a while back. This is not anything to be worked up about. It is somewhat painful but nothing next to childbirth! I did natural childbirth as well so I feel like I can compare the two. The best piece of advice is to keep the ice on your mouth for the first couple of days. It helps a great deal with the swelling. And remember, NO drinking out of straw or smoking for about a week after. You can get dry socket, which I did, and that is painful. Much more so than the surgery itself. You will be just fine. Who are you going to?
M.

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B.S.

answers from Dallas on

Sadly to say, I had to be fitted for dentures recently. Nineteen teeth were extracted at the same time while under anesthetic. I was amazed at how simple the process was from beginning to end. I healed quickly and felt so much better physically from no longer dealing with the infection and pain from the damaged teeth. It was worth the time and expense.

Don't stress yourself about the proceedure. You don't feel or remember a thing and now days you feel fine in just a couple of hours. If I'd known, I'd have done it sooner.

I had no side effects from the anesthetic. Was wide awake before I left the dental office. I did have someone with me to drive. Talked to family members in recovery and even talked to the dentist that evening when he called to check on me. I didn't need anyone to stay with me. Went back in to my regular dentist the next morning and was smiling because the dentures were beautiful and fit so well. Very little swelling.

They used the numbing spray on my arm before inserting the IV and I was set.

Good luck...

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