Wisdom Teeth

laurenebargar
laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
edited November 20 in Chit-Chat
Anyone gotten their wisdom teeth out and want to share how painful / not painful it was for you after the surgery?

I went to the dentist and about two years ago they said I would need my wisdom teeth out within 6 months. We kept an eye on them and obviously that six months has past. But the back of my mouth is super sore and I can feel one of the teeth coming in, I scheduled an appointment with the dentist next week but I have a feeling its going to be time to get them removed. And now im freaking out a little bit about the surgery I do not handle pain well. Looking for input from MFP!

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited July 2017
    I've had 3 out - 2 pulled many years ago, in the chair, local anaesthetic. A bit of pain, no swelling or bruising, a couple of doses of panadeine forte and I was all good. The worst part was the needles and the noise of the teeth being pulled.

    Third out after having some pain biting... Went to have it checked out and the dentist pulled it out there and then. Went to work straight after, numb mouth, slight swelling, no bruising, a couple of nurofen.

    I love my dentist :D
  • DanyellMcGinnis
    DanyellMcGinnis Posts: 315 Member
    I didn't have wisdom teeth but I did have gum grafts from an oral surgeon yesterday. Aftercare is similar although the procedure is different. I am not having issues with the pain, Advil is enough for me right now, but they will probably also give you something like Tylenol 3 (if you are in the US; in some other countries that stuff is OTC).

    Don't exercise afterwards. I had a lot of bleeding from even small motions for the first day (but again, my surgery was somewhat different). Do everything they tell you specifically in the aftercare instructions. Really don't try to eat solid food too soon. And don't be afraid to call back and ask for help if you need it.
  • Pupslice
    Pupslice Posts: 213 Member
    I had 3 of mine out (in two separate extractions), one is still there. It was no big deal for me, they gave me Novocaine and it was over pretty quick, I felt nothing. Got pain meds for afterwards but didn't need all of them. Be sure you follow the home aftercare instructions to avoid things like post-op infection or dry socket, and go easy on yourself (soft foods, no straws, plenty of rest), and you should be fine. Good luck and feel better soon!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    DanyellMcGinnis wrote: »
    I didn't have wisdom teeth but I did have gum grafts from an oral surgeon yesterday. Aftercare is similar although the procedure is different. I am not having issues with the pain, Advil is enough for me right now, but they will probably also give you something like Tylenol 3 (if you are in the US; in some other countries that stuff is OTC).

    Don't exercise afterwards. I had a lot of bleeding from even small motions for the first day (but again, my surgery was somewhat different). Do everything they tell you specifically in the aftercare instructions. Really don't try to eat solid food too soon. And don't be afraid to call back and ask for help if you need it.

    I had a massive steak and roast vegies for dinner the night of mine! I just had to chew on one side...
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    edited July 2017
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I've had 3 out - 2 pulled many years ago, in the chair, local anaesthetic. A bit of pain, no swelling or bruising, a couple of doses of panadeine forte and I was all good. The worst part was the needles and the noise of the teeth being pulled.

    Third out after having some pain biting... Went to have it checked out and the dentist pulled it out there and then. Went to work straight after, numb mouth, slight swelling, no bruising, a couple of nurofen.

    I love my dentist :D
    Yes!

    I was anxious about feeling the pressure of pulling.
  • kap328
    kap328 Posts: 23 Member
    I would strongly suggest you don't wait any longer. I waited too long and my lower right wisdom tooth was impacted and was growing towards my #31 molar. It eventually cracked my tooth and my gums grew over part of my tooth. When I had my surgery, they had to remove that overgrown gum (gingivectomy) before the wisdom tooth. I felt the most pain from this side. My top two were fully in and were just simple extractions. My lower left with also impacted but I didn't have a lot of pain from it. Pain meds don't work for me and make me sick so I was in a lot of pain since I could only take ibuprofen. I had about two weeks of pain, but it gradually got better. Ice/heat felt amazing with the head wrap they give you. My surgery itself went well and I would have probably been a lot better if the pain meds didn't make me sick.

    My friend had hers out about a year after me with the same surgeon had a totally different experience. She was only sore for a couple days and returned to work no problem. She didn't have a problem with the meds or healing.

    It greatly depends on the complexity of your case and your tolerance for pain medication. Try not to psych yourself out. A couple days or weeks will beat long-term pain.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    All four are out. I was more anxious than anything. Dentists are much better with their drugs than they used to be.
    The important thing is to follow the aftercare instructions to avoid dry socket and whatever.

    I had one dentist that seriously instructed me to eat vanilla ice cream (no pieces in the ice cream like fruit or or nuts) for the first 24 hours.
    I am lactose intolerant so I ate frozen yogurt.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    Okay well its not as bad as im making it out to be in my head then. I've never had surgery so im freaking out a little bit. Im going as soon as I can get into my dentist and they will schedule the surgery if necessary.

    I would definitely want to be put out rather than just the gas, I dont think I could handle the needle or seeing my teeth being pulled out lol
  • km8907
    km8907 Posts: 3,861 Member
    All 4 of my wisdom teeth were sideways and had to be cut out before they pushed and ruined my orthodontic work. They didn't put me completely under, but pretty heavily sedated. A needle in my hand and a few shots in my mouth that stung for like a second and time flew. After they finished I apparently just kept asking where the papers were. Thank god there was no smart phones back then. I had all 4 cut out at the same time. Dissolvable stitches put in. Only allowed to eat soft food for 2 weeks, not allowed to use a straw. I remember there was just so much blood the first time I brushed my teeth. Had to use a manual water pick thing, not a regular one cause that would be too strong. After the stitches came out there were holes that needed to be cleaned out after eating, and you better make sure they're clean. After a few weeks I could eat normally and after a few years the holes closed up. Only had pain the first week or so, but they gave me oxycodone so it was a party.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,788 Member
    I had one knocked out in a Rugby Game in 1973. Actually, it was broke in half and the other half was dug out by a Naval Dentist that didn't particularly like Marines. It hurt. I had another removed in 1976 after I got out of the Marines. Didn't hurt at all.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
    I've only had one removed. The most painful part was the needles at the beginning. I was on serious painkillers the first day so didn't feel anything. After that it was just a little sore but mostly just weird feeling. Mine was starting to poke through the gums sideways, so similar or slightly worse than your situation. You'll be fine.
  • relynne
    relynne Posts: 387 Member
    I only had wisdom teeth on the top and had them pulled a couple of years ago. I'm a HUGE dental phobe and had myself so worked up over it it was ridiculous and for no reason as it turned out. I went to an oral surgeon and was put under because there was no way I was going to be able to handle hearing and seeing everything. It was seriously no big deal. I had them pulled on a Thursday morning and was eating solid food by Saturday night. I had painkillers, but ended up needing only ibuprofen through Friday - the pain was gone by Saturday. I just made sure to follow the post procedure instructions exactly even though the rinses were gross.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited July 2017
    I had one pulled that was already exposed, and that wasn't an issue. My second was impacted and that was more of an issue, but only because it got infected and abscessed which is why they had to pull it...had it not been for that, it would have been a non event as well.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Pupslice wrote: »
    I had 3 of mine out (in two separate extractions), one is still there. It was no big deal for me, they gave me Novocaine and it was over pretty quick, I felt nothing. Got pain meds for afterwards but didn't need all of them. Be sure you follow the home aftercare instructions to avoid things like post-op infection or dry socket, and go easy on yourself (soft foods, no straws, plenty of rest), and you should be fine. Good luck and feel better soon!

    This^

    Barring complications (buried, sideways, dry sockets) you should be fine. Make up a couple ice packs for your freezer, that way you are prepared. The ice-on, ice-off will keep swelling down.

    If you need to take the painkillers, make sure you're not taking them on an empty stomach to avoid feeling nauseous.

    Get some good nutritious foods ahead of time - soft protein.
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
    I had all 4 out under general anesthetic. None had come through the skin and 2 were impacted. I remembered nothing for 36 hours after. I took the anesthetic hard. Afterwards I was ok but quite swollen and bruised, but I bruise quite easily. The healing went well and I pretty much ate anything I felt like, which was soft foods for a few days.
    The pain meds were awesome.
  • browneyedgirl749
    browneyedgirl749 Posts: 4,984 Member
    I had all four of mine pulled in the same sitting about 15 years ago. Three had pushed thru, one was still under the gums. I was not put to sleep. They numbed my mouth and gave me some headphones to listen to music so I wouldn't hear the cracking and drilling. I was in some pain after the numbing wore off, but that is because I had to wait for my pain meds until my mom got off work and could pick them up (since I couldn't drive). Just follow the aftercare instructions. That is the most important thing.
  • _pi3_
    _pi3_ Posts: 2,311 Member
    I didn't have any of the horror story experiences I heard about .. I looked like a chipmunk for two days that's about it
  • _pi3_
    _pi3_ Posts: 2,311 Member
    TheRoadDog wrote: »
    I had one knocked out in a Rugby Game in 1973. Actually, it was broke in half and the other half was dug out by a Naval Dentist that didn't particularly like Marines. It hurt. I had another removed in 1976 after I got out of the Marines. Didn't hurt at all.

    Damn you're a toughy
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    laurenebargar wrote: »
    Okay well its not as bad as im making it out to be in my head then. I've never had surgery so im freaking out a little bit. Im going as soon as I can get into my dentist and they will schedule the surgery if necessary.

    I would definitely want to be put out rather than just the gas, I dont think I could handle the needle or seeing my teeth being pulled out lol

    You don't see the teeth, unless they wave them around in your face afterwards... I asked not to see them, I'm not in to that stuff!
  • jruch23
    jruch23 Posts: 1,069 Member
    Yeah I was put under. See if your dental insurance covers it though because it's quite expensive but worth it. The pain subsided maybe after a couple weeks. You just have to eat soft foods during that time. You get an excuse to eat ice cream though!
  • raaachelmarie
    raaachelmarie Posts: 67 Member
    Only my top ones came in, but the surgery went well and the recovery wasn't that painful. I remember not being able to sleep well for the first day or two, but other than that, you get to enjoy some ice cream and jello
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