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Wisdom teeth - reassurance!!

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marlie

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Hi all...
Ok, I''ve just booked an appointment to have all of my wisdom teeth extracted...and I''m PETRIFIED. Seriously, it''s not normal how scared I am.

Some backstory...
-I threw up on every dentist growing up. Not charming, I know, but I couldn''t help it. Clearly never been comfortable with dental work.
-Went 2 years ago to an oral surgeon to get the job done. He decided to go in depth into the possibility of paralysis of the mouth and jaw area. I left and never went back.

3 of my wisdom teeth are out and I guess one is impacted. Can somebody please reassure me that it''ll all be fine and I won''t end up with paralyzation? Any dentists or oral surgeons want to chime in?? Some good thoughts or reassurance would be great right about now.
 
I recommend nitrous oxide.
It will completely relax you.

Also take a valium before going.

You need to relax.
These will help.
Sometimes drugs are a good thing.
 
good advice. thanks kenny!
 
Talk to people and find out which oral surgeon everyone likes. Go to that person. When you make the appointment, tell them you''re scared. Ask if you can come in early to talk to the surgeon. Ask if you can have a consult before setting up an appointment. Ask to speak to the nurse.

When I had my wisdom teeth out (granted, I was in high school and they weren''t even through yet, they were cut out), I was horrified at the thought of having an iv. Not of being put under, the iv. I had to fill out a form in the waiting room and I wrote a big essay on why I was scared. The surgeon sat with me and explained everything and I felt a lot better. I felt even better when I got the "happy juice" he called it. Didn''t care at all when I got the iv.

A good Dr will talk to you and help you through your fears.
 
I feel for you! I was terrified way beyond what would be considered normal when I had mine out... and guess what? It was actually no big deal and I was kicking myself after for putting it off for so many years. I understand how you''re feeling. I asked the dental surgeon not to give me any more details than absolutely necessary (the details scare me) and he gave me ativan to take before the surgery. They put me under general for mine (can''t remember why, but some do general, some don''t- you can ask about that) and all I remember is sitting in the chair in the waiting room feeling good and stoned, walking to the room, sitting in the chair and getting my IV. The next thing I knew, I was awake, there was a nurse with me and I thought the IV didn''t work... but I was actually finished and ready to go home. My mom stayed with me that day until my husband got home from work and other than being a little sore, it was totally fine. I ate ice cream for a few days and then I was back to normal. I know how scary it can be but if you tell the dentist how freaked out you are, thay can help you. It''s a really common thing to be afraid of so they know just what to do. You''ll be okay!
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Well I had 2 super impacted teeth so I had to get them out or they would push all my teeth forward if I didn't. The surgery was not bad and it happened so fast; I guess just make sure you have a good dentist. I think having a root canal was worse; I much rather get my wisdom teeth taken out again. Just make sure you have someone drive you home; you will be very sleepy. They do this all the time so no worries. I think w/me the longer I put something off the bigger the deal I make of it so just go and you will be glad you got it over with. Sending lots of healing vibes.
 
You''ll be fine. If you can get a recommendation from a friend, all the better. All my friends went to the same guy, and he was awesome. I had four impacted teeth, and after the surgery I only had to take a tylenol once. I was healed up in record time.

If you can find a doctor you feel you can trust, it makes it waaay easier to relax.

Also, the nitrous oxide.
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eek!

DH had all 4 of his taken out the same day and they were ALL impacted severly. Two of them were growing horizontally in his gumline! Poor thing. I second telling the surgeon you are scared and going to someone that is well-liked in the community.

My best advice is make sure you aren''t allergic to vicodin/valium before hand and if you aren''t, take them, on-time after your procedure. And have someone wake you to take them again for the next dose if you fall asleep. There''s nothing worse than sleeping through your pain meds.

Poor DH found out that he was allergic to vicodin the hard way, with a mouth full of gauze, so make sure. :-(
 
Make them give you drugs!!!! You''re going to do just fine, but if you''re nervous about it, it''s really important they give you something to help you relax and make it through unscathed.

I had mine out about 14 years ago- the doctor gave me a sleeping pill to take the night before, one to take 30 mins prior to my appt and then gave me gas when I got there. I seriously have NO recollection whatsoever of the appt. All I remember is getting into the chair and then my grandfather helping me get to the car. That''s it.

Get drugs!!
 
thanks everybody! your comments definitely relaxed me a bit.

i''d love to go to an oral surgeon that was recommended by friends/family but none seem to be on my insurance plan. i went with a recommendation by my dentist (who i like a lot).

it''s funny...i had knee surgery a couple of years ago and feel more nervous about this! i do know i''m not allergic to vicodin but i hated taking it because i felt like a zombie (maybe that''s not such a bad thing this time?). FI is going to go with me and we live in NYC so the cab driver will be my ride home...and for any NYers, you know that can be a hairy experience if your not feeling well. But, by that point i''ll just be relieved it''s over. FI is an absolutely fantastic nurse too and I know he''ll take great care of me. I guess the whole paralyzation of the mouth thing is what''s freaking me out. I''ll just try to not think about that in the meantime. My appointment isn''t for a month though so I''ve got lots of waiting and thinking to avoid!
 
Contact your dentist/surgeon in advance and tell them that you request to be put under as you have a tendency to thow-up (they will understand).

Perry
 
Hey, I've had them out, and there was no reason to be scared. In many ways, it was easier than getting a cavity filled. May I share some tips on how you can make the experience less traumatic?:

1. Beginning a few days before the appointment, have a glass of pineapple juice every day. I first heard this through the daughter of a dentist who *swore* by it for dental work and thought it was a bit crackpot. So glad that I did it nonetheless; I've since learned that that pineapples contain some chemical that acts as an anti-inflammatory and that for some reason is particularly effective for surgery on the mouth.

2. Have them knock you out. Seriously, a little twilight sleep can be a good thing for dental work. I did it and have no recollection of anything that happened in there. I can't imagine a scenario in life where it would have been BETTER to be fully awake for something like that!

3. Afterwards, ice 30 minutes on, 30 minutes off for the first 24 hours. Sleep with your head higher than your heart. It's a bit of a PITA, but worth it.

Since sometimes it really helps to hear good experiences to alleviate worry, let me share mine. I did the above and truly had the easiest wisdom tooth removal of any of my friends at the time. Admittedly, I took it pretty seriously and did everything I could to make it go smoothly. I religiously drank the juice in the 3 days leading up to the surgery. My boyfriend at the time was a masculine Florence Nightingale, and he was meticulous about setting the alarm clock to go off every half hour that first night to make sure my ice pack situation was ideal. My face never swelled up like so many do, and I'm pretty convinced the basic preventatives (pineapple juice before, sleeping upright with the ice pack rotation the first 24 hours) made all the difference. We've all heard the horror stories, but just to let you know, I had my wisdom teeth removed on a Dec. 29, planned to have only liquids for a few days but wound up being able to gingerly eat soft solids that first night, and felt fine enough (and looked fine enough!) to get dressed up and go out partying on New Years' Eve that year.


Since then, I've told my friends who were about to go in for it about this regimen. About half have done it, half haven't. Of the half who did both the pineapple before and ice religiously after, every single one had an easy recovery-- and far easier than the, err, "control group" did. Anyhow, hope this helps!
 
perry...thank you! yup, I''m sure that once i tell them my history of throwing up on dentists, they''ll be glad to take action! i also plan on asking for anti-nausea meds for afterward b/c some of the anesthetics that they give make you sick the next day. basically...taking all the non-throw up precautions.

fleur-de-lis....that post was amazingly reassuring. seriously. i think i''ll re-read this the morning of! and thanks for the tips...i''ll definitely try your method! besides, i actually like pineapple juice!! the other stuff is doable as well. i''m hoping that since i''m having them out on a friday morning, that i''m back in action monday at work. that''s the goal anyway.

i''m feeling a lot more reassured now. thanks to all!!
 
marlie, you will be ok, promise!

I am 54 and had my two bottom ones out this past August. I was dreading it. Both were impacted and the surgeon explained one might be a problem.
Well, it was and it took him about 15-30 minutes longer than he expected. I had gas and an IV. No pain.

I did end up with dry sockets, but not too bad. Follow instructions and ask lots of questions!!
 
I had all four out and they were all badly impacted (I actually had two out and then the other two out later on) so I had two procedures and two recoveries. Both were fine. I was VERY scared so they put me to sleep for it and before I knew it, it was over. Recovery wasn''t fun but with painkillers it was definitely not as bad as I thought it would be.

DH had two out (and now has to go back for the other two) and he hardly felt pain afterwards at all. He didn''t take painkillers at all and basically kept an ice pack on for an hour after it was over and then felt fine. I honestly don''t know how he didn''t feel ANY pain, but he didn''t. He didn''t get swollen and didn''t bleed a lot and didn''t take long to recover. Now we''re hoping his other two come out as easily as the first two.....

Good luck!!! It''s scary to think about, but it''s really not as bad as it seems.
 
I think I was given a local anesthesia @ surgery + Valium to take that morning when I woke up..This was when I was 17 so I was high as a kite on that Valium. I know that was my saving grace and calmed me down before I even had a chance to let my nerves kick in. I had all 4 wisdom teeth impacted, so the surgery was more invasive than it could have been.

I did not get "dry sockets"..no idea what that actually is but I hear it is very uncomfortable/painful. I didn''t have any facial swelling and overall had a great experience. Just wanted to share because I think most people have negative stories and I wanted to share the positive perspective.

In short: Ask for a Valium for the nerves.

Best of luck!
 
Add me as another high as a kite story.

I never even watched the video that my oral surgeon had me watch about the surgery. I was 18 and had been partying just a little too hard the night before (it was over the summer when I was back from college and seeing my friends), so I promptly fell asleep the second the lights lowered and the video started. I had no idea where my wisdom teeth even were.

Then, when I met with the doctor, my first question was "Is it true that the yeast in beer will cause an infection in my mouth if I drink after this surgery? Is it true that you can''t drink anything through a straw?" - he just laughed and said I''d be on some pretty serious pain killers and drinking would probably be a bad idea no matter what, and I think the straw thing is urban myth, but I avoided straws just to be safe.

The morning of the surgery was a breeze. I went in, they put me in the chair, I think there is an iv involved? Maybe? I''m really skittish about needles and I don''t remember feeling even a pinch of pain. They started asking me some random questions, I remember saying "Whoa, this is great" and then I was out.

When I woke up, I was in a dimly lit nice recovery room and my mom was sitting next to me. I was VERY concerned that my lips had doubled in size (effects local anesthesia - they hadn''t, I just felt the numbness), and I remember my mom stopping at Walgreens for the meds and Blockbuster for a few seasons of Sex and the City. All that day, I sat around, happy as a clam, drinking sprite and ice water and making everyone in my household watch SATC with me.

To be honest, getting my wisdom teeth out was one of the highlights of that summer. It never hurt, but I was forced to relax, hang out, watch tv - it was great. It was a very nice alternative to working and taking summer classes (which I think had finished by that point, but still).

And - I say all of this as someone who did have complications from the surgery. About a month later, I woke up one morning, and my cheek was swollen. This happens in less than 1% of surgeries, but a tiny shard of tooth was still in my gums, and my body finally rejected it. It felt a little achy (again, didn''t hurt), and my oral surgeon rushed me in and took care of it within an hour. And even after that, I still say having your wisdom teeth out is a pretty easy surgery/r&r period - I''d rather have that surgery than have a teeth cleaning (you don''t feel a thing!!).
 
My husband had his done two weeks ago, I tried to talk him out of it because my experience at age 15 was awful (all 4 impacted). He''s been mostly fine, but day 3 started to be painful. He has had dry sockets on the bottom two, but the uppers have not bothered him. He rarely complains and almost never takes any meds, he was taking them this time. He''s still careful about eating and cleaning his "holes" as he calls them, but really seems to be fine now.

good luck!
 
i walked in thinking i would only be having two out and the oral surgeon said it was better to just have them all taken out at the same time, they were all impacted, anyway, they put me to sleep, and boy was i loopy when i woke up, my sister took me home and took care of me, changing my gauze for me because i was feeling like a baby, the swelling went down after a couple days and the holes themselves healed pretty quickly

i can understand why you are worried, i''ve always hated going to the dentist, but i''m glad i finally found one that i actually trust and don''t mind going to that much
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thanks everyone! i am feeling a little better about the whole thing. i wish it was this weekend so it could just be done with!

why do so many people feel the need to tell me their wisdom teeth horror stories? do they think i want to hear about it now?? it makes me appreciate all of your ''it''s not so bad'' stories a million times over! those are the ones i want to think of.
 
Date: 9/25/2009 9:22:12 AM
Author: marlie
thanks everyone! i am feeling a little better about the whole thing. i wish it was this weekend so it could just be done with!

why do so many people feel the need to tell me their wisdom teeth horror stories? do they think i want to hear about it now?? it makes me appreciate all of your ''it''s not so bad'' stories a million times over! those are the ones i want to think of.
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Its not that bad, really. And you will be so relieved when its over!

When I had mine done I had NO complications. Zero, zilch. It went smoothly. I was 19 and when it was all over I remember thinking, well thats a good thing to get out of the way in life.

Its like when you are pregnant. People see a pregnant belly and think its a licence to tell all their birth horror stories. I hate that. I had a simple, fast birth with my first child s so I make a point of telling first time moms I meet, ignore all the awful stories. They make you think that every first time birth is a horror. Mine was fast. My best friends was fast. There are good first birth stories.

Same with wisdom teeth. Mine was uneventful and simple. NO big deal.

Just make sure you get someone really experiences to do it.
 
*DUST*

You''ll be fine. Get the gas, and the IV. I''ve had two major oral surgeries, because I apparently have a really small mouth. I don''t really remember the first one (a good sign), and the second one, they just put the gas mask on, I got sleepy...and...zzzzz....

I had chipmunk cheeks (much to everyone''s amusement). The worst part was the stuff my mom had me eat. I will never drink Ensure, ever, ever again. Oh, and pine nut soup. I only ever got pine nut soup when I was sick, so I never eat that stuff either.

If you''re worried about possibly waking up during the procedure, just set up some signal that they can look out for - like a thumbs down. But, if it''s done right, it should all turn out okay.
 
Date: 9/24/2009 4:00:34 PM
Author: April20
Make them give you drugs!!!! You''re going to do just fine, but if you''re nervous about it, it''s really important they give you something to help you relax and make it through unscathed.

I had mine out about 14 years ago- the doctor gave me a sleeping pill to take the night before, one to take 30 mins prior to my appt and then gave me gas when I got there. I seriously have NO recollection whatsoever of the appt. All I remember is getting into the chair and then my grandfather helping me get to the car. That''s it.

Get drugs!!
Click to expand...
Soo true!! I got there, they gave me gas, and then I woke up being dragged to my Dad''s car with a rag on my mouth to help with the bleeding. I have absolutely no recollection of what happened and I''m very happy for it!

You''ll do fine! And you''ll feel so much better once the wisdom teeth are gone. Mine made my face hurt soo bad, not only could I not eat, I had a hard time talking. Then they took them out and the pressure in my jaws stopped and once I completely recovered (which took a few days) I felt soo much better! Good luck! And don''t forget...GET DRUGS!
 
Please come back and let us know how it went. I have passed over this topic for days because I have my own mouth issues and I still have my wisdom teeth so I have no advice for you.

In fact, I refuse to get my widom teeth removed. I am so scared. Luckily I have not had any serious problems yet (knock on wood). So since you are as ill at the dentist as me please let me know how it goes so that if I am ever in a position that I must have them removed I know that it will be ok.

By the way, good luck to you. I know exactly how you feel. Do the drugs!
 
I was out (N.O.?) when I got mine removed. Afterwards, I didn''t even need to fill the pain pill prescription or take anything OTC for pain- no big deal & wishing you the same!
 
El mentioned the weird numb lip feeling..I was convinced that I was drooling. Mom took me to the grocery store to get yogurt and I kept wiping at my mouth and saying "Ahm ah dwooing?" and wandering off. Mom wishes she had a video camera. That would be mom''s piece of advice after being the nurse for both my dad and myself after having oral surgery-bring a video camera to record for posterity the funny moments. My dad had his out over 15 years ago, right before I had mine out, and it''s still to this day one of our favorite stories that we make mom tell.
 
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