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subwolley · Kate Spade

Update: Wisdom Teeth

joy0302 · Kate Spade

RE: It's My Turn: Wisdom Teeth

Hermes

Well, since they've been in there for a while, they're probably going to have to cut them out.

A friend of mine just had this done at age 33 - it's no different than having it done when you're 17.

They will put you under and you'll wake up with wadding where your teeth were. You will have to stick to a liquid diet (i.e. Ensure) for a few days since the skin will be healing. You will be given a little rubber baster thingy to squirt water into the holes where the teeth were to keep them clean while they heal. You will also have to change that wadding frequently to protect the holes. You will probably go back in in a couple of weeks to have stitches taken out.

It's uncomfortable -- but it's better than the consequences of not taking them out!

Good luck!

jrhampt · Kenneth Cole

All four of mine were impacted, so I had them removed in my twenties. I HATE anaesthesia, always makes me sick afterward, so I freaked out at the last minute and had them remove them all just using novocaine. The novocaine was fine, and I'm glad I did it that way. Couldn't take the tylenol w/ codeine they gave me afterwards, because that just made me nauseous, too. I was much better off with regular painkillers.

cc · Marc Jacobs

I had almost the same situation as jrhampt - I did it with novocaine and Advil.
My first oral surgeon recommended that I get them taken out 2 at a time and I got so sick from the antibiotics and painkillers that it took me almost 4 years to work up the courage to go back, which of course made the whole situation worse because they just got more impacted! Both times I just got local although my second oral surgeon was really reluctant to do this because it's a lot easier to work on someone who is knocked out. If you are really freaked out about getting put under but think you can handle staying still and listening to slightly disturbing noises then ask your surgeon if he is willing to just use a local on you. As for the drugs, it's hard to say. Lots of people are fine with them. My one piece of advice is try to get as much as possible in your stomach before taking them.

member · Hermes

I got mine out last year (I was 26). I was sooo freaked out and nervous, as I had never been under anesthesia before either. All 4 of mine were impacted and I got all 4 out. It was a piece of cake. I went in, sat down in the chair, and the next thing I knew I was awake and it was over. I had no swelling or bruising afterwards. I took an alternative to viocodin (it makes me sick) for the pain - it was just a little sore and uncomfortable. All in all, I was nervous for nothing. It's pretty painless and easy. I highly recommend the anesthesia though - it was nice to wake up and have it over.

Bastet · Kate Spade

I had mine out when I was 20, (I'm 29 now) which was still a little on the "old" side for wisdom teeth. All four of them were impacted. I was *terrified* of anesthesia. I'd never had it before, and never had an IV. I was so scared of the IV that I started crying in the dentis's chair. It was very embarrassing. But, the IV hurt less than having blood drawn, and the anesthesia knocked me out right away. He told me to count back from 10 and I think I made it to 8 before I passed out. Going under felt weird, but not painful or scary. I woke up with a mouth full of gauze and my lower half of my face was numb.

They gave me Percoset for the pain, and it made me loopy, but not sick. I've had vicodin, and it makes me nauseous. I only needed the Percoset for the first day, after that I took Tylenol 3 w/ Codeine for a day, and then just regular Tylenol. I didn't have a lot of swelling. The nurse told me to put 2 ziplock bags of ice in a pair of knee highs and tie them around my face. It worked! I had two bruises on my face, but minimal swelling. A friend of mine who just had hers out at age 26 said they have a device now to hold the ice on your face, so you should look into that, it really helps with the swelling.

It sounds dreadful, but it's really not that bad, and anesthesia is not scary at all.

subwolley · Kate Spade

Thank you everyone! I just have to keep reminding myself that taking my wisdom teeth out is a good thing! I hate that I'm so freaked out about this. Your input is very helpful.

halleybird · Hermes

I loved anaesthesia when I had my oral surgery (not wisdom teeth, but similar). It was like the best sleep ever! The needle was the worst part. Make sure you give yourself time to sleep after the surgery, b/c it can make you groggy for awhile.

blubirde · Chanel

I had mine out at 18, which is not your age but I can't imagine it's much different. Mine was super easy. They put me under and I actually woke up while they were still working. I kind of freaked out because I thought they were starting and I wasn't all the way asleep yet. They told me they were finishing up and I stayed calm the rest of the way (about 5 minutes). Afterwards I took the one pain pill (can't remember what kind) my mother forced me to take right when I got home and only tylenol after that.

I actually swelled pretty badly over the next couple of days but by Monday (I had the teeth removed on Friday), I was fine. And truthfully I only swelled because I'm a wuss when it comes to cold and I couldn't handle the ice. I could manage the pain from oral surgery but not ice. Weird.

It's really no big deal. Mine were impacted as well and I had them cut out. Just keep it clean with the squirter thing (doesn't hurt - it's just water for rinsing) and you'll be fine.

Good luck!

boobaby · Kate Spade

I had one removed last year - I was just about to turn 31. I wasn't put under. He just numbed me up and yanked it out. I was completely freaking out before hand but it was super easy. I was so relieved because that tooth had a cavity and I was in pain-had it been a regular tooth, I would have had to have a root canal. I actually am contemplating having them all removed because it went so smoothly.

They gave me a ton of vicodin, but after a day, I didn't feel like I needed it, so I quit taking it and was fine.

Shello · Kenneth Cole

Not to scare you or anything, but do you have migraines by any chance?

I got all four of my wisdom teeth taken out last year (I was 19) and two were impacted. I was put under, and everything went fine, but when I woke up, the pain in my head was unimagineably bad and I couldn't stop sobbing. My oral surgeon couldn't understand why it hurt until he finally realized it was my head and not my teeth (I couldn't talk). I think something about the anaesthesia combined with the stress on my body from the surgery just triggered a terrible migraine.

Eventually, with the pain meds, it went away (like four days later) but for awhile, I slept, woke up when the medication wore off in agony, took another pill, and went back to sleep.

I really hope yours goes smoothly, because it does for a lot of people! It's just something to consider.

subwolley · Kate Spade

RE: Update: Wisdom Teeth

jj · Kate Spade

Seriously, the best thing to do is to make the appointment as soon as possible and get it over with! I got mine out at 25. I got the xrays back and met with my OS on a Friday and have it done the next Friday. My mom, who knows I am the biggest wimp, said, yep I'll bring her in next Friday and cleared her schedule for the weekend to take care of me

I remember sitting in the chair thinking what if the anesthesia doesn't work? I never had it before, and next thing you know I was waking up and it was done. I was happy as a clam the whole rest of the weekend.

My wisdom teeth were in BAD shape too - he had to do a lot of nerve reworking. I highly recommend getting it done on a Friday morning and maybe plan to take Monday off too. Because I had so much work done, I still needed to take my pain meds and was kind of out of it. I slept out by the pool, and overall had a wonderful experience.

subwolley · Kate Spade

Thank you JJ! I am planning on getting it done on a Friday, and will make the appointment within the month for sure. I'm looking at my work calendar figuring out the best weekend to take off. :)