Having my wisdom teeth out (advice)

Are you just doing sedation or full anesthesia?

I had all four out under general anesthesia. Two impacted, two that came in fully (one of which was sideways).

Make sure you listen to the doctors when they tell you what not to do afterward so you don't get dry sockets. Also, make sure they give you one of those squirty syringes that wash food out of the holes.

If you have a grocery store with those inidvidually packaged mashed potatoes, those are really great because you can pop them in the microwave and they're super tasty. You'll get sick of ice-cream and brothy soup. If you do buy ice-cream, make sure it's smooth without chunks of anything. Same with popsicles. I made the mistake of buying popsicles that still hand some fruit chunks in them. Popsicles were kind of ****ty anyways because you're not supposed to suck on anything, so it was rather messy.

Gauze is your friend. It seriously hurts less when the gauze is in, although you'll feel a bit like a chipmunk. I usually didn't need my codeine until I took the gauze out to eat. Ask for extra.

They will probably give you antibacterial mouthwash. They didn't warn me that it would affect how things taste. It took about two weeks for things to start tasting normal again after I stopped using it. Definitely use the mouthwash, but be prepared for food to taste ****ty.

Everyone is very different. Some people have a lot of soreness & swelling, others don't & recover quickly. I will say, don't have them out unless you are having trouble w/them. Our whole family had them out at various times, but after reading new research I wouldn't now, unless there are problems (teeth crowding, nerve pain, etc). Half of our family members had complications. Have a friend drive you to & from the appt., because you may not feel good afterwards. Most doctors give out prescription pain killers, but I know they cause a lot of nausea in many people. So I'd ask for the prescription strength Ibuprophen (Motrin) instead, & only use the heavy duty pain killers if you really need it. Use ice packs the first 24 hours, or as long as there is swelling. Once the swelling is gone, then heat packs will help increase circulation to get rid of possible bruising quicker. Do the cold or heat for 20 min on, 10 min off, repeating. Have stuff on hand to eat or drink that is easy to consume when you are nauseated...jello, crackers (if allowed), pudding, ginger ale or Sprite type drink, popsicles or Italian ices, etc. Also you want to have salt, as they'll usually have you do gentle rinses w/warm salt water to aid healing. Finally make sure you have a good doctor, Google him, ask around, you don't want to find out later you have the one who has had all kinds of problems. Ease back into your activities once the swelling is gone & you feel up to it. You may feel like walking before you're up to other things. Hope that it goes well for you. And keep your sense of humor. In our family we always listen to Bill Engvall's "Vicodinland" on a CD on the way to the appt. Here it is if you'd like to watch..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT_vMV2UfTg

I am have my wisdom teeth out tomorrow and I don't know what to expect. Any advice or tips?

I'm one of those weird adults who still has his wisdom teeth.

Chew with the front. Had mine out and was eating the same foods I always eat the same day.

Like Sharon said everyone is different. Maybe I recover quickly but like others have said also. Avoid extreme temp food/drink. Anything too cold or too hot will definitely be felt more.

Also, I always rinsed with an antiseptic after I ate to avoid any infections from having anything trapped in there.

I am have my wisdom teeth out tomorrow and I don't know what to expect. Any advice or tips?

I'm one of those weird adults who still has his wisdom teeth.

Is that weird? I thought it was normal to have them lol.

I only had one out due to an abcess under it. I just had an injection to numb the area and they yanked it out with pliers! Quite horrific but didn't actually hurt at all, just cringy with the noise. (as a side note with all the advances in medical science over the last few decades I can't believe that you can't just have teeth laser zapped away or something!!)

I felt a bit bruised and tender for a few days but nothing too bad. Someone else also gave great advice about not using a straw as it can encourage dry socket which apparently is extremely painful.

I'd go for liquid foods the day of having it done, they soft mushy foods such as mash potato the day after and then foods that are still soft but need chewing, such as sandwiches, after that.

Hope it all goes well.

Lots of people having all four out. In the UK I think they tend to only remove them if they cause a problem. Is it standard to have them all out as routine in other countries?

Wow. Doesn't sound like there is much to look forward too.

Well, there's the Vicoden. :happy: And lounging around watching tv.

I second the mashed potatoes. I mixed cheese in with mine, and it was so good. Most of the soft, no-chew foods I had were sweet or fruity (shakes, jello, ice cream), and I was craving salty, big-time. Potatoes were heaven-sent.

Have some Pepto on hand, just in case the anesthesia or pain meds give you an upset stomach, because throwing up is not fun when you can't fully open your mouth. I had dry socket with mine, thanks to the vomiting. It sucked, but mainly because it happened over the weekend and I couldn't get seen until Monday. The clove pack I got at the oral surgeon gave immediate relief.

Lots of people having all four out. In the UK I think they tend to only remove them if they cause a problem. Is it standard to have them all out as routine in other countries?

In the USA, it's pretty common for dentists/oral surgeons to tell patients that it's not a matter of IF they'll have trouble w/them, but WHEN. They'll say you should have them out in your early 20's or the roots get more involved, which would require more digging later. But recent studies say many have no problems, even if they're impacted.

I learn something new every day

I agree with all of the above! I had mine out quite a while ago, the summer before I started college. I started to enjoy the Boost/Ensure shakes because it was kind of like a frosty treat - and when you can't eat anything for a while, anything that tastes good is welcome! I had an issue because I was given the wrong meds and couldn't eat actual solid food for more than a week. I did pretty good on very soft scrambled eggs, brothy soups, mashed potatoes, etc.

Good luck to you! It's not exactly comfortable, but you'll feel a lot better when they're out.

I just got all mine out under general cause out of no where they were infected hurting the nerve and doing all sort of sideways nonsense. I wont tell you about me experience or how im feeling now cause I didnt have just the regular surgery I needed facial surgery also because of them

Yesterday I had a milkshake with a spoon and half a pudding cup. Today all the freezing is gone and im in pain. I plan on have soup clear plain broth and maybe another milkshake if I can. The only good thing about this is now I get to eat foods I havent in forever!!! Vanilla shakes are tasty and the coldness is soothing.

Youll do great and make sure to take your meds on time. Dont wait for the pain to become unbearable first.

Good luck!

Lots of people having all four out. In the UK I think they tend to only remove them if they cause a problem. Is it standard to have them all out as routine in other countries?

In the USA, it's pretty common for dentists/oral surgeons to tell patients that it's not a matter of IF they'll have trouble w/them, but WHEN. They'll say you should have them out in your early 20's or the roots get more involved, which would require more digging later. But recent studies say many have no problems, even if they're impacted.

I learn something new every day

All true and I am guilty of thinking that what is true in the U.S. is true elsewhere. It just so happens that I've always had dentists who agreed that they should be left in if not causing problems. Well, I'm 60 and they are still fine!

Pleased I'm in th UK mine are staying put. Touch wood no problems with any of mine and fast approaching 37 years on this spinning rock.

Lots of people having all four out. In the UK I think they tend to only remove them if they cause a problem. Is it standard to have them all out as routine in other countries?

I have been recommended to get all 4 out. 2 are impacted and 2 are fully out. Ever since I was 15 I feel they've pushed that on me. I am only geting the 2 of mine that are fully out removed due to cavities I have in them. I will leave my 2 impacted ones in until they cause problems for me.
I live in the US and everyone I know who's had wisdom teeth out did all 4 right away.

I had a wisdom tooth out last Thursday. There was quite a bit of tugging but they quickly came out. The worst thing was the cracking noise. There was no pain and just a bit of throbbing for about 3 days but manageable with paracetamol. The salt washes kept the area clean and it is healing well. Nowhere near as bad as I thought and taken out under local anaesthetic. Hope it all goes well for you.

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Lots of people having all four out. In the UK I think they tend to only remove them if they cause a problem. Is it standard to have them all out as routine in other countries?

I'm in the UK. My ex dentist whipped all 4 of mine out at 19. Didn't have any problems with them at the time. Although I have Mr Ed style teeth so slight overcrowding. He used the "in the future may cause an issue" line. He seemed pretty keen on the idea :grumble: