Wisdom Teeth Out Now, or Next Week?

[Haven]

Hey PSers, I need your input.

I need to have my wisdom teeth extracted. I met with my dentist and an oral surgeon today, and set the extraction date for Thursday, 6/9. However, I don't know if I can last that long. The surgeon wanted to do the surgery this week, but I put it off because I'm standing up in my sister's wedding THIS SUNDAY, 6/5.

I've been in terrible pain since Friday AM when I woke up and felt like someone had punched me in the jaw. The left side of my face hurt and my gland was swolen on that side, and at first I stupidly just thought I was getting sick. I didn't realize it was my wisdom tooth until that night, and by then it was too late to see anyone about it. (My sister and her FI had their auf ruf early Saturday AM, and then we went straight from that to her bachelorette party (which I hosted) for the entire day Saturday and Sunday. Yesterday was a holiday so nobody was open, so I just waited it out until today to see anyone.)

This is agony. I've never had pain from my wisdom teeth before, and I had no idea it could be this bad. I wish I had these taken out years ago, but my former dentist thought they were going to grow in fine and it wouldn't be necessary. JOKE'S ON ME, I guess.

Here come the questions:
Have you had your wisdom teeth out? If so, how long did it take for the pain to subside?
Am I crazy to consider having them removed tomorrow, 6/1, when I have the wedding four days later? Will I look like a chipmunk? Will I be in too much pain to smile?
On the flip side, I am MISERABLE. Even with ibuprofen, this pain is terrible. Will the post-op pain from the extraction be worse than the agony I'm feeling right now? (I wll have all four removed, not just the one that is currently torturing me.)

Some other things that concern me:
- I'm 30, and it sounds like the older you are the more difficult the recovery because the bones are stronger and the roots more rooted, or something like that. Anyone have their wisdom teeth extracted at an older age?
- I have particularly strong bones. I had to have 10 of my baby teeth pulled by my dentist because they would not come out on their own. This sounds like a negative for extraction surgery.
- The surgeon says I have very long roots, which also sounds like a negative in terms of how much this will hurt after the fact.
- What kind of anesthesia did you use? It sounds like my options are a) a local anesthesia with a sedative to calm the nerves, b) IV sedation where I will be awake during the operation but will have no memory of it, and c) general anesthesia. I'm thinking the IV sedation is best, opinions?

I'm in pain! I cannot make a qualified decision because if I could, I'd rip this sucker out of my mouth myself RIGHT NOW! DH thinks I should try to reschedule the surgery for tomorrow, but I don't want to be a miserable bloody chipmunk for my sister's wedding.

WWPSD????

 

[ChloeTheGreat]

I'm sorry you're experiencing this! Pain from wisdom teeth can be terrible!

I had mine removed when I was a teenager. The surgery went well and recovery was pretty easy. If I remember correctly, I spent a day or two in bed eating applesauce, jello, and chocolate pudding with painkillers for dessert. I don't remember having any issues with swelling.

Also, my BF had his removed a couple of years ago (in his early 20's) after spending a long period in pain. I cared for him during his recovery and it seemed about the same as mine. All went well.

If you are concerned about the recovery time, I would suggest waiting until your scheduled surgery date. Maybe your doctor could prescribe some pain medicine until the surgery? I am prone to painful inner-ear infections and my doctor suggested a regimen of advil for pain management. When I have an infection, I take a dose every 4 hours or so and it helps with the pain for a few days until the infection clears up.

ETA: For both mine and BF's surgeries, we were sedated through IV. I remember being totally OUT during the surgery though. I think BF remembers being awake for his.

 

[charbie]

I had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed when I was 18. IV sedation, by the most handsome surgeon ever who told me my eyes were so beautiful it was a shame they would be closed for the surgery swwwooooooon.

That being said, with some ice packs, I looked normal in about 2 days. Swelling was down, just had to be careful with what I ate.

Sorry you're in so much pain! I think you could be ok by Sunday, and the pain should be gone by then.

 

[Haven]

Thank you for your response, Chloe. I'm happy to hear that you weren't in pain for weeks after the surgery, that is very encouraging.

I'll call the surgeon tomorrow about pain meds, that's a great idea. I rarely take medication so I'm usually not comfortable taking anything strong, but this is insane. I can't focus on anything else but the pain in my mouth.

I left the surgeon's office today, went to my car, and bawled out of frustration and pain and fear about being sedated, it was really ridiculous. I know I'm being a giant baby about all of this, by the way. I really do. I've been in pain before (lots of broken bones, back injuries, torn hamstrings, etc.) but I think this may be the worst yet. Okay, I'm going to stop whining now. Thank you for the ideas and info, I really appreciate it.

ETA: Thank you Charbie.
Your surgeon sounds dreamy. What an awesome way to have a positive association with dental work, by the way! They should actively recruit handsome, smooth talkers to be oral surgeons--it would do wonders to turn the general population's perception of dental work around, right?
So you'd have the surgery tomorrow if you were me? I feel like I'm in enough pain to think "I DON'T CARE IF I LOOK LIKE A BRUISED BLOODY CHIPMUNK AT MY SISTER'S WEDDING! I JUST WANT THIS TOOTH OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Oh my deityofyourchoice, I'm crying again. What is wrong with me?!

 

[tina sparkle]

i'm afraid the recovery time for all four wisdom teeth is going to be longer than four days. there's a good chance you'll be swollen, especially considering your history, and in quite a bit of pain. would it be possible to just remove the painful tooth now so you can at least get some relief but still be sort of okay for the wedding, and then have the other three extracted later?

i had a wisdom tooth removed right before christmas so i feel for you!

 

[redfaerythinker]

I had all four wisdom teeth extracted when I was 20. I have a very similar dental history in that all but three or so of my baby teeth had to be pulled by a dentist. My father made sure that I got the very best pain killers and I was a total zombie for two days. But after that I felt totally fine. It was no different than a regular dental extraction in that respect, except that the holes were much easier to chew around. My only concern with doing it this week would be the swelling, and no one can predict how much or how little you will swell. I only did on one side. If it were me, I would do it. I would much rather, if it were my wedding, have you as a happy chipmunk than a suffering beauty. HTH

 

[Haven]

i'm afraid the recovery time for all four wisdom teeth is going to be longer than four days. there's a good chance you'll be swollen, especially considering your history, and in quite a bit of pain. would it be possible to just remove the painful tooth now so you can at least get some relief but still be sort of okay for the wedding, and then have the other three extracted later?

i had a wisdom tooth removed right before christmas so i feel for you!

This is my fear, Tina. (Thank you for your response!)
I really don't want to go through two operations, so ideally I want to get them all exracted at once. I have anxieties about the drugs they administer for sedation, so I really awnt to get them all out at once.
How long were you in pain after your removal? Is it completely better now?

 

[swingirl]

Every situation is different but both my kids had their wisdom teeth out when they were in their 20's. My son also had to have a bunch of his baby teeth removed because, like yours, they wouldn't fall out on their own. They both were put completely under for the extractions. We kept ice on and off for 20 minute intervals for the next 2 days. By the 3rd day they were much better but still taking Advil. By the 4th day my daughter took off with friends for a vacation.

The icing really helped to keep the swelling down and no chipmunk cheeks. Jaw pain from your impacted wisdom teeth is horrible. If it were me, I'd have them out and live on Advil for a few days while the healing is taking place. But you should get your surgeon's opinion since he knows how difficult your procedure will be.

Also, keep in mind that they way they did things 10 years is different than they way they do things today. The skill of the oral surgeon is important. Some dentists will do wisdom teeth extractions but without good anesthetic.

 

[merilenda]

Haven, first of all, I'm really feeling for you. I just had a bunch of yucky dental stuff done (had my permanent crown placed today). There's pretty much nothing worse than mouth/teeth pain.

I had my two bottom wisdom teeth removed surgically when I was...14, I think? Maybe 15. Honestly, it was way easier than some of the other dental work I've had. I had IV sedation and was out immediately. I was afraid I'd know what was going on, but I pretty much remember the surgeon saying he'd count down from 10, and he said "10..." and I was out. Next thing I knew, I was waking up and it was over. I didn't really have that much pain afterwards that I can remember. I felt good enough to go to the mall with a friend the next day, and for some reason, I remember I had Panera soup in a bread bowl for lunch. So apparently I felt good enough to eat the french bread - comparatively, it took nearly TWO WEEKS for me to get to that point after having a root canal/temporary crown placed.

I know other people have had longer recovery time though, so I think it's hard to tell before you do it. I remember having friends who had theirs cut out after me, and they did puff up like a chipmunk for a few days. Plus, I was young when I had it done. So I'd say it's a tough call. But my feeling is that if you're in a lot of pain now, it won't be any worse than that post-op.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Omg, I'm sorry Haven, but please wait! I don't think four days is enough for the swelling to fully come down or for the bruising to fade.

Btw, I still curse the memory of my oral surgeon. He was the only one in my town who didn't believe in general anesthesia. I had about a dozen Novocain shots put into my gums and lips (ugh) and I was awake for the whole two hours while he was yammering at me (my procedure was a bit tricky and way too long).

Anyway, I was puffy and bruised up for days, I smelled like cloves (from what they packed into the teeth sockets) and I was miserable.

And I don't even think mine was a particularly "bad" experience overall.

Sorry to sound like the Voice of Doom here!

 

[Haven]

Thank you for all of the input, ladies! I really appreciate it.

redfaerythinker--Thank you for the info. It sounds like we're pulled baby teeth buddies. I like the image of the happy chipmunk and the suffering beauty. My sister's FI just had his wisdom teeth out last year and he just texted me "Don't do it! I couldn't smile for a week!"

Swingirl--I'm encouraged to hear that your daughter left for vacation four days after her extraction. You make a good point about doctor skill and good anesthesia. I checked out the surgeon and he has a lot of good reviews from various sites online. Are there other ways to check him out?

Merilenda--I'm sorry to hear about your recent dental work.
The last part of your post is what I keep on thinking about: I'm in a lot of pain now, can the post-op really be much worse? Of course, I have no way of knowing.

B.E.G.--No need to be sorry, I need to hear both takes on this so I can stop myself from making a decision based on the way I feel right now rather than the best option for me. (They put cloves into your sockets? WEIRD! Or maybe it's normal. Is it?)

 

[jstarfireb]

I had a very easy time with my wisdom teeth, but I think my situation was probably a lot different from yours. I had them done during a summer off from college. I only had 3, none were impacted, and the missing one was on the bottom (which are known to be harder to extract). I had IV sedation and don't remember a thing. I had no swelling, minimal pain (I still had most of my prescription left years later and used them for my post-appendectomy pain), and was going out to the mall and eating later the same day. The only reason I had them extracted was that they would have ruined my previous orthodontic work as they grew in.

I think you're faced with a tough decision, because you're going to be in pain over the weekend either way, and that will unfortunately prevent you from having a good time at the wedding. You could take your chances with the extraction before the wedding, knowing that your post-op pain may actually be worse than what you're going through now. Or it may be better...there's just no way to know. I think what I'd do is ask the surgeon for a prescription for Vicodin or another strong painkiller and take that to get through the weekend, then do the surgery afterward. (Be sure not to drive when you're taking it.)

 

[junebug17]

Oh Haven, I think you may be cutting it a little too close if you have the surgery tomorrow! Everyone reacts differently to the procedure. My son and daughter bounced back fairly quickly, but it did take 3 days for them to recover.

One consideration is if you are participating in any pre-wedding activities, or helping with last minute preparations in the few days before the wedding. Do you have things you need to do in the next few days before the wedding? because my guess is you'll be out of commission for at least two days.

I'm wondering if you'd even be able to schedule an appointment on such short notice. Dentists and oral surgeons are usually pretty booked up. Maybe you could at least move the surgery up to the 6th.

Ugh! So sorry about this, what terrible timing.

 

[tina sparkle]

hi haven, my mouth didn't feel totally normal for like ten days, but i wasn't in a lot of pain (nothing that couldn't be handled with motrin and tylenol.

(i wanted IV sedation but they didn't recommend it for a single extraction so i had NO2 and novacain). the procedure didn't hurt it just felt a little weird.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Thank you for all of the input, ladies! I really appreciate it.

redfaerythinker--Thank you for the info. It sounds like we're pulled baby teeth buddies. I like the image of the happy chipmunk and the suffering beauty. My sister's FI just had his wisdom teeth out last year and he just texted me "Don't do it! I couldn't smile for a week!"

Swingirl--I'm encouraged to hear that your daughter left for vacation four days after her extraction. You make a good point about doctor skill and good anesthesia. I checked out the surgeon and he has a lot of good reviews from various sites online. Are there other ways to check him out?

Merilenda--I'm sorry to hear about your recent dental work.
The last part of your post is what I keep on thinking about: I'm in a lot of pain now, can the post-op really be much worse? Of course, I have no way of knowing.

B.E.G.--No need to be sorry, I need to hear both takes on this so I can stop myself from making a decision based on the way I feel right now rather than the best option for me. (They put cloves into your sockets? WEIRD! Or maybe it's normal. Is it?)

I looked it up (funny how I totally didn't question it years ago when I had the procedure done ). Apparently they can or do pack your extraction sites with gauze treated with the oil of cloves, which helps prevent dry socket. I never did develop dry socket, so yay! On the other hand, I think cloves are the nastiest things ever. Ew. I had that taste in my mouth for a few days after they removed the gauze and it was so gross.

 

[tina sparkle]

i didn't have any packing or cloves, just a few dissolvable stitches.

 

[Haven]

Jstar--I'm jealous! It sounds like you had a model recovery situation after your extraction. I'll definitely look into the strong pain meds tomorrow.

Junebug--I think you're right. I should probably wait. I'm in so much pain that I can think of nothing but myself right now, but I *should* be available for last-minute wedding things these next several days. I'm just being a selfish, painbaby.

GAH! I don't want to wait. As I started reading everyone's responses I realized that what I really want to do is rush in to have the surgery tomorrow, but now I *know* that I shouldn't really do that. (Should I? BLAAAAAAAAAAH. PAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN. GAAAAAAAAAAH.)

(As for scheduling the surgery, I think he'd be able to fit me in tomorrow. The surgeon seemed to think that I should do the surgery ASAP.) I am definitely going to move it up to the 6th, though. I originally scheduled for the 9th because I'm supposed to go to work on the 8th to do some grading of summer writing exams, but I can't wait until next Thursday. I just can't.

It sounds like IV sedation will relax me, but I'll be awake for the surgery yet I'll have no memory of it after the fact. Is that true?

 

[Haven]

I don't even want to know what a dry socket is.

 

[jstarfireb]

i didn't have any packing or cloves, just a few dissolvable stitches.

Same here.

 

[Hera]

I think you should get it done tomorrow with the chance that you'll feel better by then versus the certainty of pain. I think when you're in pain, you should be a little selfish. You won't be much fun anyways if you're in constant pain and I really think four days is enough time to feel better.

 

[asymons412]

I'm no dentist, but I am a pharmacologist! If you have misgivings about anesthesia, twilight anesthesia (the conscious IV you were talking about) will absolutely do the trick. You shouldn't remember a thing, and these drugs are very very safe. I am very nervous about being "put out" as well and if I had to have a procedure like yours done, I'd vote twilight anesthesia without an afterthought!

Also keep in mind that depending on what you take to manage the post-operative pain, you may have to forego/minimize drinks at the wedding. For sure, never ever drink while taking acetaminophen or vicodin/percocet (if you choose to go with a stronger med), which contain acetaminophen; that's a bad situation for your liver if you do!

As for the procedure, IMHO I would go for it; I agree with Hera. I know what it's like to have tooth pain, and it really can be unbearable; you don't want to be wishing you were curled in fetal position when your sister says her vows! Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon...!

[edited] Yes, for the twilight, you'll "be awake," but you'll be in a very dream-like, foggy state and won't remember the surgery. I personally have never had it, but I have heard many rave reviews...

 

[Haven]

I think you should get it done tomorrow with the chance that you'll feel better by then versus the certainty of pain. I think when you're in pain, you should be a little selfish. You won't be much fun anyways if you're in constant pain and I really think four days is enough time to feel better.

I'm so confused! This is what I want to do, for sure!

 

[merilenda]

Can I give a bit of unsolicited advice on the pain meds thing? Maybe you've taken opioids before, and if so, then you can ignore me. But since I just went through this, I thought I'd tell you what I learned!

After my dental work, my dentist prescribed me Vicodin for pain (I imagine you'll get something like that, either to hold you over until you can have the surgery, or to control pain post-op). I made sure I took it with food, and it still made me really nauseous and sick. A lot of people have that reaction to opioids. I literally couldn't keep food or water down for two days. I ended up just being in pain, since I didn't want to be sick and I'm allergic to Ibuprofen.

I was talking to my physician co-worker about it afterwards, and she asked me what dosage the dentist gave me (I was on 7.5). She said yeah, that's WAY too much, and that dentists usually prescribe doses that are too high. She said when she goes, she requests 5's and then cuts them in half. I'm a little scared of it now, but if I need to take it again, I will start with a MUCH smaller dose.

Anyway, that's just my two cents on the pain meds!

 

[Octavia]

My experience was similar to jstar's, although I had all four. But only one had some soft tissue impaction, so it wasn't SO much work for the oral surgeon to get them out. I think the amount of swelling depends a lot on how easily the teeth come out. Also, I only had Novacain (it didn't hurt at all, but I could feel pressure and hear what was going on, and the surgeon kept talking to me when I obviously could not respond!) and the good part about that was I could start applying ice packs almost immediately because I was awake, and I think that was important. I only had a tiny bruise along one side of my lower jaw, where the mildly impacted tooth was. I was super careful about eating and drinking for longer than I probably had to be, but my father has had dry socket a couple times and I DEFINITELY wanted to avoid that. Oh, and I had them done after my freshman year of college, so I guess I was 19.

ETA: my advice would be, if they are not impacted or are only soft tissue impacted, get them done now and start applying ice the second you're out of the chair. You probably won't be able to eat or drink at the wedding, but at least the pain will hopefully be gone. If they are going to be harder to remove, see if you can get something to make it bearable until your scheduled appointment.

 

[Haven]

I'm no dentist, but I am a pharmacologist! If you have misgivings about anesthesia, twilight anesthesia (the conscious IV you were talking about) will absolutely do the trick. You shouldn't remember a thing, and these drugs are very very safe. I am very nervous about being "put out" as well and if I had to have a procedure like yours done, I'd vote twilight anesthesia without an afterthought!

Also keep in mind that depending on what you take to manage the post-operative pain, you may have to forego/minimize drinks at the wedding. For sure, never ever drink while taking acetaminophen or vicodin/percocet (if you choose to go with a stronger med), which contain acetaminophen; that's a bad situation for your liver if you do!

As for the procedure, IMHO I would go for it; I agree with Hera. I know what it's like to have tooth pain, and it really can be unbearable; you don't want to be wishing you were curled in fetal position when your sister says her vows! Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon...!

[edited] Yes, for the twilight, you'll "be awake," but you'll be in a very dream-like, foggy state and won't remember the surgery. I personally have never had it, but I have heard many rave reviews...

This is really great information, thank you asymons! I'm so glad you responded to this thread.

I'm comforted by what you shared about the IV sedation, and I think that is definitely the option I'll go with for my surgery.

 

[Haven]

Can I give a bit of unsolicited advice on the pain meds thing? Maybe you've taken opioids before, and if so, then you can ignore me. But since I just went through this, I thought I'd tell you what I learned!

After my dental work, my dentist prescribed me Vicodin for pain (I imagine you'll get something like that, either to hold you over until you can have the surgery, or to control pain post-op). I made sure I took it with food, and it still made me really nauseous and sick. A lot of people have that reaction to opioids. I literally couldn't keep food or water down for two days. I ended up just being in pain, since I didn't want to be sick and I'm allergic to Ibuprofen.

I was talking to my physician co-worker about it afterwards, and she asked me what dosage the dentist gave me (I was on 7.5). She said yeah, that's WAY too much, and that dentists usually prescribe doses that are too high. She said when she goes, she requests 5's and then cuts them in half. I'm a little scared of it now, but if I need to take it again, I will start with a MUCH smaller dose.

Anyway, that's just my two cents on the pain meds!

Merilenda, thank you for this information. I've never taken Vicodin before and I have very little experience with prescription drugs so thank you for this.
I definitely don't want to be sick during my sissy's wedding, so this is really good to know. I'll definitely request the 5s. Thank you!

 

[Haven]

My experience was similar to jstar's, although I had all four. But only one had some soft tissue impaction, so it wasn't SO much work for the oral surgeon to get them out. I think the amount of swelling depends a lot on how easily the teeth come out. Also, I only had Novacain (it didn't hurt at all, but I could feel pressure and hear what was going on, and the surgeon kept talking to me when I obviously could not respond!) and the good part about that was I could start applying ice packs almost immediately because I was awake, and I think that was important. I only had a tiny bruise along one side of my lower jaw, where the mildly impacted tooth was. I was super careful about eating and drinking for longer than I probably had to be, but my father has had dry socket a couple times and I DEFINITELY wanted to avoid that. Oh, and I had them done after my freshman year of college, so I guess I was 19.

ETA: my advice would be, if they are not impacted or are only soft tissue impacted, get them done now and start applying ice the second you're out of the chair. You probably won't be able to eat or drink at the wedding, but at least the pain will hopefully be gone. If they are going to be harder to remove, see if you can get something to make it bearable until your scheduled appointment.

Thank you, Octavia. I'm happy to hear that you had an easy recovery, that is definitely encouraging!

I'm having such a hard time making this decision. My wisdom teeth are not impacted. Three of them are totally grown in, and the last one (the *ssh*le, as I've been calling him these last few days ) is almost fully grown in, but partially covered by a flap of gums. It's that little flap that's causing the problems, apparently, because it became irritated and now here I am in horrible pain.

 

[slg47]

hmm...everyone has really different experiences with wisdom teeth. I was able to go to school and dance practice the next day, and was only slightly puffy. So I think it is better doing it sooner than being in pain (I remember being in a lot of pain before and it was yucky!)

 

[merilenda]

Can I give a bit of unsolicited advice on the pain meds thing? Maybe you've taken opioids before, and if so, then you can ignore me. But since I just went through this, I thought I'd tell you what I learned!

After my dental work, my dentist prescribed me Vicodin for pain (I imagine you'll get something like that, either to hold you over until you can have the surgery, or to control pain post-op). I made sure I took it with food, and it still made me really nauseous and sick. A lot of people have that reaction to opioids. I literally couldn't keep food or water down for two days. I ended up just being in pain, since I didn't want to be sick and I'm allergic to Ibuprofen.

I was talking to my physician co-worker about it afterwards, and she asked me what dosage the dentist gave me (I was on 7.5). She said yeah, that's WAY too much, and that dentists usually prescribe doses that are too high. She said when she goes, she requests 5's and then cuts them in half. I'm a little scared of it now, but if I need to take it again, I will start with a MUCH smaller dose.

Anyway, that's just my two cents on the pain meds!

Merilenda, thank you for this information. I've never taken Vicodin before and I have very little experience with prescription drugs so thank you for this.
I definitely don't want to be sick during my sissy's wedding, so this is really good to know. I'll definitely request the 5s. Thank you!

If you haven't taken it before (I hadn't), I would DEFINITELY cut the pill in half and start with that. And take it with food. You can always take the other half if you need it. You may not have the reaction I did, but since I know it's a common one, I thought I'd tell you what I learned from my experience! There is no way I could have gone to a wedding after taking the dose I was given. I was literally in bed with a cold washcloth over my forehead the entire day.

Are you leaning toward having the procedure done tomorrow? I hope you get some relief, either way!

 

[Haven]

I really appreciate the tip, Merilenda.

I have no idea about the surgery or when I want to do it. I'm going to call the surgeon in the morning and see what he says about how complicated my surgery will be.

As for pre-wedding events and duties, I *should* be able to:
- Assemble buttons for their place cards (scheduled to do this tomorrow)
- Attend Friday night services to see them be blessed, dinner after with both families
- Saturday day: Airport duty--shuttle OOT guests from airport to the hotel (DH can do this in my place)
- Saturday late afternoon: Rehearsal, followed by rehearsal dinner
- Saturday night: Stay at the hotel with my sister
- Sunday: All the wedding stuff begins very early and will last straight on until midnight

I'm so torn. I wish I knew what would be easier to cope with--the pain I have now, or the pre-op pain I will have after the surgery.