Wisdom teeth out - How long did it take yours to heal?

[HopeDream]

Hi Everyone,

After worrying about it/dreading it for years, I just got all 4 regular wisdom teeth + a tiny bonus wisdom tooth removed about 2 weeks ago. The surgery itself went fine - Delightful actually, with the assistance of a blessed anti-anxiety pill Yay for sedation!

The surgeon said everything looked normal at the one week check-up, but now two weeks out I still have considerable pain - a constant ache in the lower right side of my jaw that spreads to my ear . I also have a bit of a bump along the jawline there and the tissue around the area is still a bit swollen. I''ve been taking 400mg ibuprofen and 325mg acetaminophen about every 3 hours, and rinsing the tooth sockets with saline several times a day. I don't think the sites are infected, but I do wonder if I could have a mild case of dry socket? (If such a thing exists?) Of if the surgeon just really mangled my jaw when removing the lower right tooth? I'm in my late, late 20's so the teeth were fully grown in (though impacted) and the surgeon said I would heal more slowly as a non-teenager. I'm so ready to be done taking medicine - please tell me it will get better soon!
Am I just being a wimp?

If any of you had your wisdom teeth taken out as an adult, how long did it take for you to heal and for the pain to go away?
Misery loves company!

 

[Rebecca0388]

I had all 4 wisdom teeth out a few years ago. From memory it took about a week to start eating normal food again and stop being super cautious. Then at 2 weeks not completely healed but getting there.

My dad got dry socket so I was paranoid about letting them heal properly!

I would be going to the dentist/doctor just to check it out, did they tell you to rinse them out with saline? I was told to try not to disrupt them too much because its important to let them heal and (I don't know how to say this in a not gross way) not dislodge the clotting because that's when you can get dry socket.

Hope you start to feel better toothaches are the worst!

Also my sister in law got her wisdom teeth out about 3 weeks ago she seems fine and not in any pain.

Sorry if its not what you were hoping to hear!!

 

[packrat]

Boy I dunno..I had all mine cut out when I was a sophomore in high school..or a junior..shoot, it's been so long I can't even remember now. '92 I think. I remember it sucking but I was at work the next day and in school too. What hurt the worst was bending over, so much pressure in my jaw..and the holes were sore and food got stuck in them.

I'm sure there's going to be a marked difference between my doing it at 16 and you doing it now as an adult..and if it's anything like the suckiness of having your tonsils out as an adult compared to as a child boy oh boy I feel for you b/c *that* sucked like nothing else.

I'd give yourself some extra time...we just don't heal as fast as we did when we were younger.

 

[TooPatient]

I got dry socket

The first week was awful -- btw, avoid broccoli it may be easy to eat but impossible to clean!
My dry socket probably came from being TOO careful with keeping it clean. The dentist said something about my having knocked off the clot or something (I can't really remember as I was in agony at the time). You will know if you have that!

The second week was a bit easier, but I still had to go in a couple of times for additional dry socket fixes. (OMG that stuff tastes awful!)

Mine came out 2 years ago (or was it 3?). My jaw STILL aches

I had to go back in after a month or two because my jaw was hurting all the time. Mostly from about where my teeth were up to my ear. The aching was so bad I couldn't eat anything at all chewy (including a good pizza crust). The dentist looked and said it was TMJ. Not sure if it is or not, but my jaw only aches when I let myself get tense in the jaw when stressed and the aching isn't as bad as it had been. I did not end up getting the sleep guard or any of that stuff.
I was told that wisdom tooth removal doesn't cause (or at least very rarely causes) this but I do recall seeing it on the list of possible side effects of the removal...


I hope your pain clears up quickly! It is no fun having the lingering pain. Do try to consciously relax your jaw and keep eating easy foods until the pain reduces.

 

[SB621]

I took about a month for me when I had all 4 removed. My husband had 6 wisdom teeth removed and it took a bit longer. Probably 6-8 weeks for his jaw to feel better.

Lots of cold soft food seemed to really help him. He would have more ache when he tried to go back to solid food to quickly.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

My adult son had his done last year (all 4)--surgery was straight forward as was the recovery; he had very little pain. A lot of swelling but that subsided after a week.

The sockets took at least 2 months to completely close over. But he was meticulous with his cleaning routine--despite the endless complaints about the same...

cheers--Sharon

 

[HopeDream]

Thank you all for your sympathy and wisdom

Rebecca0388 - I was quite careful during the first week when the clotting was fragile, but some of the pain meds made me vomit so I may have lost a clot or two? The Dr. gave me the plastic syringe for the saline rinsing, so I think it's probably helpful at this stage of the healing process

Packrat - I'm glad you had yours out early! Yeah I think I'm probably hitting the adult healing slowdown . I hope your throat is fully healed now!

TooPatient - I'm sorry you got dry socket and I'm glad to hear that delayed healing isn't uncommon. I have been doing jaw exercises, taking robaxacet (muscle relaxant), hot packs for my cheeks, and chewing gum occasionally to help the jaw muscles unstiffen and get back into shape. It's helping, but the ache feels more like it's in the bone. I hope your jaw stops hurting soon.

SB621 - Good to know that sometimes it takes longer. I will try to be more patient. I have been trying to stick with softer foods, but soggy breakfast cereal is quickly losing it's charm

canuk-gal - Glad to hear your son's mouth healed quickly. I have been rinsing religiously, and I hope it will speed healing.

I think I'm going to take more calcium and magnesium and a bit of vitamin c.

 

[TooPatient]

If you think you lost a clot or two, you should get in to your dentist to have it checked!

There is a thing they pack in if you've lost them and the relief is amazing! Tastes awful but you feel SOOOooo much better.

The dry socket was severe aching and soreness for me. It also hurt to eat/drink anything early on BUT in the 2nd week it was more achy/sore and I didn't realize it was still a problem.

 

[Rebecca0388]

Oh you poor thing! I agree with TooPatient definitely get it checked out. My dentist told me to try not to even spit for the first few days so vomiting would have been horrible.

But it was worth it for me in the end I was in terrible pain and it would get to the point where I could hardly open my mouth prior to having them out. And the pain is constant! No relief.

 

[hippi_pixi]

I am a dentist. i would call up and ask if you can pop back in for a quick look. I am always happy to do this and would rather know if something was bothering one of my patients. if your dentist/surgeon did something wrong you would have known straight away. you're having an issue with healing. smoking and diabetes are common causes of poor healing. it could be infection. drysockets usually occur between 3-7 days post op so its a bit late for that.

I would have him/her have a look for your reassurance and be prepared to wait it out. the actual process of healing can be uncomfortable/painful at this stage also!

Healing times are very individual. if the teeth popped out, you will heal easier. if your dentist/surgeon spent an hour drilling away bone to get it out you will take a lot longer with a lot more pain. also some people heal faster and have higher pain tolerances than others. you just can't compare experiences or predict healing times.

 

[ruby59]

Oh, yes, dry sockets definitely does exist. I had my wisdom teeth taken out in my late 30s. Just kept putting it off between pregnancies. I had to have mine done in a hospital because of my high blood pressure. I can tell you that if I did not have the hypertension thing, I would not have had all 4 done at once. I would have had one side of my mouth, waited, and then the other.

Mine were extremely red, irritated and painful. Tylenol with codine did nothing to alievate it, and I did not want to go on anything stronger. I had to keep going back to have them put some kind of medication on them and then pack them with cotton. It was almost impossible to eat, which is hard when you are diabetic.

 

[TooPatient]

Oh, yes, dry sockets definitely does exist. I had my wisdom teeth taken out in my late 30s. Just kept putting it off between pregnancies. I had to have mine done in a hospital because of my high blood pressure. I can tell you that if I did not have the hypertension thing, I would not have had all 4 done at once. I would have had one side of my mouth, waited, and then the other.

Mine were extremely red, irritated and painful. Tylenol with codine did nothing to alievate it, and I did not want to go on anything stronger. I had to keep going back to have them put some kind of medication on them and then pack them with cotton. It was almost impossible to eat, which is hard when you are diabetic.

That sounds like the sort of thing they did for my dry socket. Tasted horrible but felt better! Nothing like taking something that tastes nasty for a couple of days and adding the gross flavor onto the discomfort of eating

Be glad you had all 4 at one time! DH tells me that I am "lucky" to have done one side and then wait for the other. Yeah... So now I get to KNOW the pain and misery of healing. I get to know how my jaw hurt for months (and still hurts ) to the point of affecting what I could eat. And then I have to face going in and having that done to my other side


HD -- I hope you are feeling better!

 

[chrono]

I would contact the dentist / doctor and have it checked out. I had all 4 removed in my late twenties but did not experience lumps or pain beyond the 2nd week.

 

[asscherisme]

About a week. But I was only 19 at the time. Had all 4 done at the same time.