Any encouraging words regarding wisdom teeth extractions?

Question

I'm getting my wisdom teeth out in exactly 11 and a half hours... and I can't sleep I'm so nervous.  I am afraid of the needle for IV sedation, I'm afraid of feeling out of control with the drugs, I'm afraid of the jaw pain afterward, and I'm afraid of somehow getting dry socket.  I know all the rules like no sucking on straws or anything, nothing carbonated or hot, and eat mushy stuff for a while, but I just can't get over these nerves!  Can someone please reassure me that it's not that bad? I keep reading all these horror stories.  3 people I know personally got dry socket.  Is there anything else I'm missing?

kisaragi5TH · Accepted Answer

I had 6 TEETH REMOVED.

And this was all done a few weeks ago.

I was nervous as hell beforehand...since I was going under general anesthesia, I couldn't eat or drink for 6 hours beforehand.

When I got to the oral surgeon (I walked, its only a half mile away) I waited only a few minutes until my name was called into the room (which looked like a regular dentist room). They made me sign some stuff, they took my pressure, pulse and gave me the IV needle; which doesn't hurt that much at all, I think someone pinching you hard hurts more, lol. I asked a few questions about how long it would take, if I would dream, etc. Then they told me they will transport me to a recovery center of the office until my ride came.

In a few minutes the oral surgeon and his assistant came in. When he walked in, he just looked at me and patted me on the shoulder a few times which made me laugh. Then he started making fun of my birth name, comparing it to a football player, which I thought was hilarious.

Then he gave me that jaw prop to keep your mouth open, and put a gas mask over my mouth and face. They cranked up the gas, and I started to breathe really hard and I fainted. A few seconds later I hear a voice telling me to move my leg upwards or something. Then a woke up in a dark ass room with a bunch of slobber down my cheek with gauze in my mouth.

I was hella groggy and confused...that same kinda feeling of someone waking you up out of deep sleep.

I had so much blood in my mouth...the nurse came by a few times to check up on me and for I can spit the blood out in those little metal dishes.

My niece texted me over 30 minutes ago, and I think I was knocked out in that room for almost an hour. She was waiting outside to pick me up. After a few minutes I gathered enough strength to get out of that room and walk outside to the car.

I was so woozy and tired, I was bumping into the walls and sh*t, but not too much where I couldn't walk at all.

I did feel like I was kinda drunk when the anesthesia drugs were wearing off. I was aware but just tired as f***. My mom and niece were saying I was acting crazy but I did some of that on purpose to freak them out.

The only pain I really had was from the top of my throat. I think they had to cut a bit of my gums up to remove one of my teeth, so it made it hard to swallow for a bit, and I did have stitches. The rest of my mouth felt fine, it was just lots of blood, and woozyness from the pain meds (which I didn't need) and the antibiotics. There was some swelling of my gums too but no harsh pain at all. I was surprised.

Overall, it depends on you. You MAY have pain, but you may not. I will admit the hours after and the day after, I felt really bad..kinda sick but it mainly from those recovery drugs, and all that damn blood. I think I vomited the morning after because of the drugs. After awhile I felt better for the weekend.

Now I feel fine. Just take meds, wash out your mouth with salt water, eat soft foods and relax.

vernen88 · Accepted Answer

I've had all four extracted at once.

And here's what they never tell you - you won't even know it happened. I'm a pretty big guy (not fat, but buffer than average), but the moment they stuck the needle in my hand, which is painless thanks to the anesthetic swab they apply beforehand, I had no memory other than waking up in a pink room with my girlfriend sitting across from me continuing a conversation that to this day I functionally had no part of. You'll be woozy as all hell, no doubt you'll babble incessantly (fortunately you won't remember it) but the beauty is that the entire event will seem like it never once happened.

BANG. Before you know it you'll be home being waited on hand and foot.

Just make sure you have painkillers immediately on hand, plenty of pillows to prop up your head and a towel to deal with the thick ropy saliva that you'll produce by the gallon (it's not pleasant, but you'll feel pretty dirty anyway as the anesthetic wears off).

With any luck you'll also end up like I did. Apparently my jaw healed remarkably fast, so I was eating solid food that very day - and off the painkillers after the first few hours.

may04 · Accepted Answer

I'm an oral surgery tech and have been working in the field for 4 years. The majority of patients do fine, as long as you follow the rules, stay on top of your pain medications, and let your body rest you should be good.

If you do end up getting a dry socket it's not the end of the world and your doctor can give you some medications in clinic that make you feel better almost instantly.

Avoid causing any negative pressure in your mouth (straws, swishing vigorously, spitting, sucking, smoking etc) for a minimum of 3 days, wait an extra day or two if you want to be extra safe.

Don't worry about the sedation drugs they give you. They'll just make you very relaxed and you won't care about anything that is going on around you so you're not going to have the feeling of loosing control to freak out about. They have an amnesia effect as well so you won't remember anything that happens during or immediately after the surgery. Just relax, get a good nights rest and don't worry about it :)

annalca83 · Accepted Answer

When I had mine out, it was a breeze. They gave me laughing gas (truly, everything is hilarious and then you just pass out), and then I went home and was high on Tylenol 3 for a few days and I was fine. There was a little soreness/tenderness, but truly, there were no problems. It was the same sort of pain you might experience if you go for a run when you haven't exercised for a while--only, if course, in your gums. But nothing major or intolerable--and it went away pretty quickly (uh, the Tylenol 3 helped with that, of course!).

It's such a routine procedure that it's highly doubtful anything will go wrong. Just relax and take it easy for a day or two afterward :)

Hope it goes well! Please just relax. If your experience is similar to mine, it'll be a totally forgettable day. :)

kmhco · Accepted Answer

Trust me its not that bad. The worst part of it for me was the side effects of the pain medication I was on. Really the needle was tiny for the iv and didn't hurt at all. Then before you know it you wake up and it was over. Most people don't even remember the rest of the day. I did for some reason but it was just like my mind felt perfectly fine but my body didn't seem to cooperate like normally. The only person I know who got dry socket was my sister and she  only got it because she waited way too long to get hers out.

Jinmetsu_Rasetsu · Answer

Well, My words aren't quite encouraging, but at least they are truthful:

First of all, it depends upon your level of receptability or resistance to anesthetics. Local anesthetic pinches a little as they insert the needle. For those like me that are resistant, local anesthetics may not work. Also, if they do not work, you can always be optioned to get sedated using either gas, or propophol. Afterward, it is going to be a little painful. It will depend upon your threshold for pain as well as how the procedure is done... When I had all 4 ripped from my head by Uncle Sam, they had to drill a couple from the mandible. Therein, I had a recovery of about 4 weeks, due to damage to the mandible. They even prescribed me the strongest pain killers that the military allows. Problem was, I was on bed restriction for the duration, and the drugs were so strong that I was high off my t*ts. LOL. I only recall one day that I was awake longer than 7 hours. Most of that time, I was sleep. Even the Rabbi Clergy had visited me on the Sabbath, because I could not go to synagogue...

However, I will not lie to you, you will have a week where it hurts like hell. But after that first week, you should be okay..

Warning: If you are a smoker, invest in nicotine patches or gum... If you smoke, you would get dry socket, and that hurts exponentially more. I should know, I had it, being hard headed early 20-something. I used to smoke 2 packs a day.

normalice · Answer

The actual procedure is the easy part. Don't fear sedation. It'll be over before you know it. Although, when it is over and you wake up out of it, you might feel as though you had just died or something. Personally, I thought the feeling was fun, but I have heard of a number of people who were put off by it. Don't worry, though, you recover from it in seconds (but you will probably remember it forever). It's a very dark and, oddly enough, damp feeling. As if your consciousness had receeded to the inner depths of your brain and is quickly working its way back out to take over the whole thing again.

Anyway, like I said, that's the easy part. It will happen without any problems and with no responsibility on your part. The hard part is after it is all done. The rules they give you (no sucking on straws and such) are all good things. But one additional thing I would mention is to avoid talking. Not an "if you can" just don't do it. Take a notepad and a pen with you, if you must. Just don't talk. I rattled on for three days after my wisdom teeth were removed and my jaw just kept getting sore. Finally I stopped talking (and chewing) for one day, and was almost completely recovered the next day.

But it will be sore for a few days anyway, however they typically give you some painkillers for a while. Percocet is what they gave me. Good stuff! Just don't get hooked on them, though :-P

MrZoork · Answer

Yes it seems all you ever hear about the bad bad parts of this. But these or done everyday and many times a day. But you don't see everybody fussing about it. No I'm not going to tell you its like riding that pink pony in your dreams because that would be lying. But as to how much discomfort or pain you have varies by each person and how hard it is to get the teeth out. I myself had this done and yes I felt the pressure while they were being pulled but the pain was minor in my case because I followed the doctors instructions. But I have to say breaking my arm in high school was way worse. I'll felt fine long as I took the pain pills given by the doctor. Try not to get your self in to a tizzy over this.

posted · Answer

Drink heavily.

Only a very small percentage -- about 2% to 5% of people -- develop dry socket after a tooth extraction. Dry socket is easily treatable.

You're not going in for open heart surgery, you need to chill. The worst that will happen is a small bit of pain.

heyitsdan · Answer

When I got mine taken out, they put me under and then boom I was getting driven home, my teeth dident hurt that bad ( I had all 4 taken out ) the meds are the best part they make you feel damn good, I took more than needed to get a little high and I actually ended getting a dry socket which hurt the worst and got another 40 pills of Vicodin and ended up using all that + some oxy my dad had left over any who it was a great time for me was high all day for around 2 weeks

beastman88 · Answer

just remember that its something that has to be done. out weighs the pain of recovery. it'd hurt even more to have them in especially if they were growing in on an angle like mine were. my teeth would all be crooked as hell if I didn't get mine pulled.

WickedEyedLeo · Answer

It's pretty bad not going to lie. I recently had mine pulled out. The procedure is a wisp, but afterward when the pain kicks in, it's pretty miserable. Just take plenty of the Vicodin and motrin they give you.

Lj236 · Answer

my friend had it done and he said it wasn't that bad. I have to get mine pulled out during winter break :(

espo77 · Answer

liquid childrens advil was a life savor. the moment I took it I had immediate relief from the pain

MissConfused93 · Answer

T3's are great! That's all you need to know (:

michael0314 · Answer

oxycodone is our friend

Any encouraging words regarding wisdom teeth extractions?

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