Wisdom Teeth.. :( Yikes!

I got mine taken out in high school. You're pretty much limited to liquid for a day or three, followed by a soft food intake. I looked like a chipmunk for about a week and a half.

mine weren't that bad. The swelling really just depends. My older sister's swelled insanely b/c her had waited to long to be removed. Same goes with the bruising...it varies. Dry sockets suck so be careful to avoid what they tell you to avoid. I ate a lot of soft foods....really just eat what you can. The first few days I didn't eat much b/c it hurt too much and the pain meds made me sick

I had mine removed last year...all 4 of them at the same time. It wasn't bad at all, actually. It took them about 45 minutes total, from the time I went in, until the time I was walking out the door. The swelling and bleeding weren't too horrible for me and no stitches were necessary. I think being only 22, you shouldn't have many complications either. Are you going to a surgeon, or just your dentist?

For the rest of the day, I stuck with slim fast or protein shakes. For the next week or so, I just made sure that what I was eating was fairly easy to chew and wasn't something that could easily break off and get stuck in the gaping holes where my wisdom teeth once resided :grumble: I did clean them out after every meal using a sulca brush (a dental brush that has far fewer bristles than a toothbrush and easily reaches the back of the mouth).

If you are experiencing pain at the moment from your wisdom teeth, you will be appreciative that you had them removed...the relief of pressure was well worth it! Good luck!

I had all 4 of mine out at the same time under general anaesthetic. My face didn't swell much more stiffened ridiculously. I could hardly open my mouth to eat much so I pretty much lived on soup and fluids and things I could swallow without chewing for about a week.

You'll be fine, the painkillers they gave me were lifesavers xx

I had all four of mine removed when I was about 18. For me, it sucked. Some people have very little pain afterward and recover really easily, but it was kind of rough for me. I went to an oral surgeon so that I could be 'knocked out' for the procedure - I am so anxious over those things that I very nearly passed out in the dentist's office the day he told me he was going to have to take them out. Thankfully the very sweet ladies that worked in the office (the ones that helped me out when they saw I was about to hit the floor - since the dentist was already gone within like 5 seconds of giving me the news and didn't even wait around to see how it affected me) - those wonderful women gave me a referral to the oral surgeon b/c it was easy to see that I'd deal with it better by not knowing what was going on at the time. LOL Anyway, pay very close attention to the instructions that they give you. Ice your face for as long as you can stand (within their instructions - I can't remember but they might tell you to do if for awhile, take a break, do it again, etc, can't remember exactly). Smoothies are a great idea for healthy food except you SHOULD NOT use a straw. VERY improtant. Sucking on a straw could pop out the blood clot that will form and give you dry socket which you do not want. So smoothies = okay but straws = bad. Eat your smoothie with a spoon. On the way home after I had mine taken out, my Mom took me through a drivethru and got me a milkshake (per my request) and I ate it with a spoon. (not healthy, but I wasn't trying to get in shape back then LOL) Stay on top of whatever meds they give you. My oral surgeon prescribed pain meds, antiobiotics, and a steroid to help with the swelling. I don't know if that's standard everywhere or if it's up to the individual dr, but whatever they tell you to take, go ahead and take it. Have someone there to drive you home. In fact, if you haven't already filled whatever prescriptions they may give you, have that person go and get your meds filled while you're having the procedure done so you'll have them ready. Get lots of rest and just see how you're feeling. Some people do great and feel halfway normal pretty quickly, others (like me) prefer to stay in bed for like 48 hours except for using the bathroom. LOL I just don't recover from stuff as well as others. The first couple of days I felt pretty craptastic. I was back to work about 3 or 4 days later (had it done right before a weekend, can't remember if I went back on Monday or Tuesday) - I was still a little bit swollen and sore at that point but not to the point that I couldn't function. Just had to be a little careful. You'll be fine. It's not the most pleasant experience of your life, but it should improve fairly quickly.

i had mine taken out for a couple years ago. the surgery wasn't too bad but i had a bad reaction to the sedative they gave me and ended up in hysterics (and i have no idea why) right afterward. i was pretty swollen for a while - a week or two - and i also got an abscess which made things worse.

i had lots of soup (you can make your own from low sodium broth), Boost, and baby food. also, cream of wheat and applesauce!

Hey MFP! I'm having my wisdom teeth taken out next week. Was wondering what type of healthy foods you ate during recovery?? And if you don't mind me asking, what was your experience with having your wisdom teeth removed? How long did your face swell for? I am honestly a bit nervous to get them removed because I've heard some horrid stories about the pain after, face swelling for 2 weeks - YIKES... and it just doesn't sound so pleasant lol But I actually can't wait to get them removed, my right side of my face has seem to be swelling up a bit due to the pain. Any responses are appreciated, thanks!


** the pain is super killer right now. I've been using Sensodyne toothpaste to take away the pain for a bit until next weeks appointment with my oral surgeon. they have been grown out pretty much.. but for some reason, my right side is killing me and the top part - it seems to have grown out more.. not quite sure what is going on, I can't wait to get them removed!

I had all 4 of mine taken out just after I turned 22. I was getting braces put in, so my orthodontist wanted my wisdom teeth out so that in the case I'd need them removed when I was older, they wouldn't ruin all the work. My bottom ones grew in impacted, thought they never once hurt...those 2 had to be cut out, the top 2, just crushed and pulled or whatever. I was told to get a good night's sleep the night before, and to take a vicodin that night, as well as a vicodin an hour before the procedure. They gave me oxycodone and some anti-nausea pills to take for the next several days afterwards, as well. Honestly...I don't remember my face swelling too much--I think my face was more swollen when I had 4 cavities filled than when I got all 4 wisdom teeth pulled. The gauze is what sucked the worst...taking that stuff out and changing it hurt a lot for me. I think I ended up passing out from the pain at one point during the procedure, because I only remember him getting the top 2 out, then when he had to cut the bottom 2, I only remember feeling the initial cut. The next thing I remembered was my dad (who went with me) asking me if I was ready to go. When I checked the clock, I realized it was probably almost 3 hours after we'd arrived there.

For the record, I didn't get put under, he just used some gel stuff to numb me and some kind of shot or something. I could feel them working, but it honestly felt identical to what they used for when I got cavities filled. I could still feel everything he did, such as the crushing, cutting, etc. except for that time frame where I don't remember anything. So if you're getting put under, I can't help with the advice there, sorry, lol.

As for what I ate...I think I mostly ate those little Jell-O pudding cups. I remember the next night after my surgery, I felt a little stronger and attempted to eat a tuna sandwich, and that was a really bad idea.

I also had this little thing where I had to shoot water into the sockets, but whenever my friends and I have discussed our different wisdom teeth removal stories, none of them had to to this. :huh:

I wish you luck with your surgery, Christina!! Honestly, it isn't so bad. It's not a fun thing to go through, but I can think of a lot worse. And this is coming from someone who wasn't put under, and watched most of the procedure and felt it!