Getting my wisdom teeth surgically removed and need some ideas of what to expect?

[Lacyh]

I'm getting all 4 of my wisdom teeth out and one possibly 2 more out so possible total of 5-6 teeth. I need to know absolute times on things like what is the absolute less amount of time I can't drink out of a straw, I don't drink things unless I have a straw and if I don't have a straw that drink lasts me several days. I also need to know absolute time till you can play with the stitches, I know your not supposed to but I'm weird about things and if something weird is on me it is on my mind constantly and won't stop till it's gone. Like a zit for example if I feel a zit someplace I think about it and feel it and stuff till I can get to a mirror and pop it like I've even gotten out if bed to pop a zit before. I'm also concerned about the pain, people keep saying it isn't that bad but you can't tell me that digging huge teeth out of my gums isn't gonna hurt I know better. Another reason for the pain fear is I'm in terrible pain now and the Motrin isn't working, when I was younger I was depressed and would take 8-12 500mg tylenols so even now just to get rid of a headache I have to take at least 4. I just want some realistic experiences of what to expect?

[ludorock]

All four of my wisdom teeth were impacted so I needed a lot of work to get them all out however I have a really high tolerance for pain so that might balance out. But what I experienced-

(Before the surgery you can't eat anything after midnight of the day you're getting it done, this is to prevent your throwing up while under anesthesia and choking on it)

1. It didn't take too long, I was out then it felt like a few minutes later I was sitting in the recovery room with my mom. I just feel wicked tired. None of the drugs made me goofy or weird, just really super tired.

2. I slept the entire car ride home (about an hour) and then for just about the rest of the day.

3. For the first while of the next day you're going to have cotton in your mouth, just cotton rolls/gauze pads that you should change every hour or half hour I think? Or two hours? I don't really remember but I'm just letting you know that you'll have shit stuffed in your mouth to sop up the blood and provide pressure to the wounds to stop the bleeding.

4. You'll also have what I dubbed a "corn beard". They'll give you this Ace bandage thing that's a tube and you fill it with ice or something cold and tie it around your head so the ice is pressed against your jaw, to help with the swelling. I recommend frozen veggies- like corn- because they stay colder longer and they're not as painfully cold as straight up ice is. Also they're much easier to re-freeze. And you don't have to worry about their bags leaking or accidentally popping one of the bags or whatever.

5. They will give you some pretty strong pain meds, but I never used them. I tried once but it just made me really tired and I was never in much pain so I didn't feel the need to take them. I was fine on two Advil two or three times a day.

6. You have a very restricted diet for the next few days, mushy foods only. But I felt better by the a day and a half after the surgery so I grabbed some pizza and popcorn and it was just fine.

7. They'll give you some kind of mouthwash stuff, I'm pretty sure, to keep things from getting infected. Generally just follow their rules, dry socket and other things are no fun at all.

8. On average it will take 3-4 days to recover so give yourself the time you'll need. Do it on a Friday before a long weekend or something.

9. The stitches will come out on their own, however that didn't stop me from playing with them endlessly once the gauze was out of my mouth. I had them all out by the end of day three. They'll half dissolve then slip out of the wound and you just spit it out. I'm pretty sure they tell you to leave it alone but I didn't and nothing bad happened. Just be careful, don't reopen the wounds.

Overall it was really tame and not a big deal at all.

[RedThread]

This was pretty much my experience minus the corn beard thing. They had me take a steroid regiment before the surgery to prevent swelling so I didn't need ice. I recovered a 1.5 days after the surgery as well.

Also I'd recommend not changing the gauze pads too often or else it won't clot. What it's trying to do is stop the bleeding but if you change it too often it may prevent clotting as well.

[Gianni]

Ok...wow...well an extraction is kinda complicated because are you sure they are pulling all at the same time or are they doing it one by one. Most dentist prefer one by one because of the amount of pain that the patient will be in. all four at once is a lot. Normally they will put you on antibiotics a week to two before the surgery. Infection rates are high during this kind of surgery and if you haven't gotten the antibiotics I would suggest going somewhere else. Also make sure to tell your dentist about any allergies, surgeries or medical complaints that you have. this will not only affect the type of antibiotics you get but the anesthetic as well. Your dentist will probably recommend that you don't eat or drink after midnight on the night before surgery so that you are prepared for the anesthetic which you will get. After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches some of which dissolve over time and some have to be removed after a few days. Recovery time is usually a week. The day of the surgery you're not allowed to rinse your mouth or gather saliva to spit. And intense physical activity can make your gums bleed more so you need to take it easy. You may have to use a straw to drink and if you remove all on the same day then eating is limited but sucking on a straw can loosen blood clots and that can be dangerous so you will have to talk to your dentist about that as well. AFTER THE FIRST DAY not before, you can rinse your mouth with warm salt water. You will get pain killers to take for the pain but its usually Tylenol or Panadol. You can't smoke and try not to scratch your gum when it starts to itch.

[Lacyh]

All 5 possibly 6 will be done at the same time. I'm afraid of the dentist and have to be put out so they are doing it all in one trip because I probly would to go back. I'm not afraid of the pain because I'm in terrible pain now but I just want to know kinda what to expect. I'm mostly worried about food and drink after and the anesthesia. I've never had any kind of surgery or nothing so I have no idea what to expect

[jswag]

I had 2 of my bottom ones taken out about 4 years ago. They gave me some laughing gas (which was kinda fun) and then they injected me and I was out.

I found the hours after the surgery to be the most painful, but it really wasn't that bad of pain. By the weeks end, I was primarily back to my old self. Just be sure to take the painkillers, antibiotics, and anti-swelling prescriptions they may give you.

Eat soft foods like mashed potatoes and milkshakes, and you'll be fine.

[Blondie195]

I got all four of my wisdom teeth removed and then 2 more teeth. There was enough room for all of them. I got them removed four years ago...wow now I feel old.

Anyways, I went into the room and it was just like going to the dentist and they gave me an IV in my hand and told me to count to 100, honeslty I don't remember making it past 4.

When I woke up, they said I had walked into a different room but I do not remember that at all. From here I remember bits and pieces. The next thing I remember is being in an elevator and then at my mom's car but I don't remember getting there in between. My mom said I said goofy things. I felt no pain I was on so many drugs.

I didn't eat a lot I ate pudding, yogurt, smoothies without the seeds so avoid strawberries and blackberries. Probably for the first few days. And then one night we were having tacos and I really wanted tacos so my mom blended it all together, it looked awful but tasted really good. When I started to eat more solid foods I moved on to scrambled eggs which was the best because they were so filling.

Just make sure you rinse out your mouth with the syringe thing each time you brush your teeth

[vertigo3201]

Someone should give you all the information about straws, what to eat and what not to eat before the surgery. Follow what it says cause it's a lot easier than doing it and giving yourself more pain. Normally a lot of people get very swollen jaws the day of or after, and some bruising. It helps a lot to put ice packs on your cheeks as soon as possible after the surgery and leave them on for a few hours after. You will be prescribed pain killers and if they are not working for you call the doctor's office and they should be able to prescribe something more effective for you.

I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth surgically removed 6 months ago and I didn't listen to the doctors order and I ended up with an infection and I still have a lot of pain around the incision sites. Try your hardest not to pick at the stitches too. I broke mine and my gums shrunk around my other teeth. Also expect to eat a lot of soup, pudding, drinkable yogurts and other soft, liquid things. Don't eat anything that is crunchy or can have sharp edges because it will hurt and it can get stuck in the incision and cause infection.

Good luck with your surgery though, I hope it goes well for you.

[EmeraldSky]

As long as they put you to sleep, you won't feel a thing.

It can sound scary, but it's best for you in the long run. You'll be sore afterward but they should prescribe pain medicine. There may also be some bleeding , which in case you will need plenty of gauze. It's best to not eat solid foods for at least two weeks after they're gone. Wisdom teeth removal is the perfect time to be pitiful and wrap someone around your finger. :)

Just be glad you're getting them out because if you don't, they can cause crowding, the teeth can decay, and they can just cause all sorts of discomfort.