Wisdom Teeth Blues

[mskelly]

I just found out today that I need to have a wisdom tooth pulled. :001_huh:

I am such a baby at the dentist! I don't mind the needles or pain, I just gag so easily and I hate people being close to my face. I'm weird like that. So, the dentist told me I have a few choices. The one that needs to come out is fully grown in, but it broke last week-probably had a cavity.

 

1. He will pull it with a local in his office.

2. I can go to oral surgeon and have all 4 done at once and never have to worry about them again.

3. He will fill it if I absolutely refuse to have it pulled, but doesn't suggest that for a few different reasons.

 

So my fears are...

1. with a local, I'm afraid of the sounds and my anxiety getting the better of me

2. with a general, my mom has had bad reactions to anesthesia and I'm afraid I will be the same

 

 

If I'm going to do one, I'd kind of just like to do them all and get it over with. On the other hand, I'm so scared of the reaction to anesthesia.

 

Any suggestions? Please don't tell me your bad experiences, I'm already stressed enough!

 

Thanks!

[Susan C.]

Usually you don't need general anesthesia for getting wisdom teeth pulled. Its called conscious sedation. No big deal at all. I think my mom has her wisdom teeth, and they don't bother her. If you have the one pulled, you may need to get the one above/below it removed as well.

 

I would get panoramic x-rays and see if the others are pushing on the teeth in front, if so, I would just get them all out at an oral surgeon of good reputation. Both of my kids got their's out, it took less time than a cleaning. But with yours in, I don't know how its different, none of the kids' had erupted.

 

Then you get to eat mashed food for awhile. Put ice on your cheeks off and on the entire day of so you don't swell up!

[mskelly]

The others would only be taken out for prevention of having to go through this again. :001_smile: They are not decaying or messing up any other teeth.

 

From what I've been reading, it really isn't as bad as I'm expecting it to be. I wish I could have a margarita or two before the procedure!

[Venia]

I just had my bottom two removed with a local about a month ago. Both bottoms were half exposed and getting infected frequently.

 

If I had to do it all over again I would gone with twilight sleep and had all of them pulled at the same time. I chose local for financial reasons, but honestly, I would never put my kids or DH through that. I should have just paid the extra for myself as well.

 

With the twilight sleep (AKA general w/o intubation) you fall asleep and wake up done. You will be sore for few days and need to rinse the holes for about two weeks after every meal. Much better than suffering through the extraction and recovery, especially if you are no longer a teenager (apparently its so much easier all-around if its done before age 20)

[dancer67]

I know how you feel, I am the same way:grouphug:

 

But, because I have BTDT, I would highly recommend you get all 4 done. Most dentists would highly suggest this. You never have to worry about them, and you get it all done at once. I won't lie and say my recovery was easy because it wasn't. I had mine done under a general, because at the time, they did not do conscious sedation in the office. I had no issues with the general.

 

Conscious sedation is easy. I had it for my colonoscopy. They wake you up and your up. You don't have that groggy, out of it feeling all day long.

 

I was out of work for two weeks. But, removing wisdom teeth today, is much different then when I had mine done.

 

My 19 yo had all 4 done, and they even had to chip a piece of her jawbone out, and she was out and about in 5 days.

 

You know if you get one pulled, you are going to worry about the other 4.

 

And definitely do not fill it. It is a waste of money and it probably won't last. And getting a tooth pulled is easy peasy.

 

If you go the tooth pull route, ask for a benzo prior. Like Ativan or Valium.

 

:grouphug:

[mskelly]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Everything is easier when you are 20 isn't it?:lol: Well, medically anyway.

 

I guess I will sleep on it. I know it could be so much worse, but everything seems better after some sleep right?

[VeganCupcake]

I only had three in the first place, since I'm some kind of a mutant. One came in and was causing some trouble, so my dentist pulled it in his office with a local. I was in my mid-twenties. It was not a big deal. I went waterskiing the next day. :lol:

 

I had the remaining two removed at an oral surgeon with IV sedation when I was 29. They were impacted and pretty nasty to remove, from what I was told. It was a very easy procedure as well, though a longer recovery than the simple extraction. I went back to work for a half day the next day and was totally fine.

 

If you have anxiety, then definitely ask for something to help you with that, like a PP said.

[Susan C.]

I only had three! I keep expecting the other to show up!

[gardening momma]

I had the remaining two removed at an oral surgeon with IV sedation when I was 29. They were impacted and pretty nasty to remove, from what I was told. It was a very easy procedure as well, though a longer recovery than the simple extraction. I went back to work for a half day the next day and was totally fine.

 

If you have anxiety, then definitely ask for something to help you with that, like a PP said.

When I started having trouble with my wisdom teeth, I went to a new (to me) dental practice that had several dentists. The dentist they assigned to me? Dr. Payne. :D

 

All four of mine were impacted & completely sideways, with the roots practically twisted around the nerves. They had not come through the gums at all, so I had to have IV sedation (an oral surgeon this time, not Dr. Payne). While they had to be careful because of the nerves, everything went well and I don't remember a thing, not even getting up with dh's help and walking to the recovery room (where I went back to sleep for another 30 minutes).

 

ETA: this was about 9 years ago.

[gardening momma]

2. with a general, my mom has had bad reactions to anesthesia and I'm afraid I will be the same

Anesthesia barely works on my older sister (sometimes she wakes up, and local generally doesn't work at all for her). It works well for me. My dad is allergic to any artificial sweetener and I am not. So unless you have evidence/experience that it won't work for you, I wouldn't worry about it.

[thefragile7393]

I've had all four done this year, two at a time two different times, since that was all I could afford. Mine were impacted so I had no choice but to go the oral surgeon route. Years ago I could feel the pain of the teeth pushing against the others, then finally this past January the lower right side one got inflamed and swollen. It was time to get them out.

 

The procedure itself wasn't a big deal, the aftermath was hard to deal with I admit. I had a bad reaction to anesthesia used on me in 1998 in a surgery but I had no side effects to this anesthesia either time. Just because your mom had bad reactions does not mean you will. They may not even use the same one that was used on your mom. technology changes over time and anesthesia methods improve.

 

I won't go into the details of mine, since it does not sound like yours are impacted thankfully (I hope that they wouldn't suggest local with impacted). If you get all four done at the same time, you'll have pain and swelling for a while afterward, a few days maybe. Its much easier to recover from. Cheaper too! Man I wish mine hadn't been impacted now lol.

[Mergath]

I've had wisdom teeth out both ways. I had one pulled under local that broke through when I was a teen, and I had the other three removed under general anesthesia when I was in the Army several years later.

 

I would definitely recommend having them put you under and remove all of them at once. I have a fairly high pain tolerance and it takes a lot to get to me, but I nearly passed out when they pulled that tooth. It was not a pleasant experience. Do get a prescription for Ativan if you go that route.

[runmiarun]

I'm getting an infected baby tooth (I've had it 40 years now) and one of my 3 wisdom teeth out on Friday. Y'all are making nervous thinking about the recovery. But at the same time, I'm ready to be out of pain. I only have 3 (mutants unite!) so the other 2, one of which is impacted, will come out in a few of weeks.

[Little Nyssa]

Ack--- lost my whole post. In essence I was saying that you should get a second opinion. :grouphug:

[Mimmy]

I had mine out a few years ago. I had an oral surgeon who agreed to let me use local numbing and laughing gas instead of IV sedation. It went really well! If you have used laughing gas before and it works for you I'd recommend it. It costs less money and I feel safer.

[Occasionally]

 

Any suggestions? Please don't tell me your bad experiences, I'm already stressed enough!

 

Thanks!

 

How about hearing about a better experience? First, I must say that I detest going to the dentist. I had my wisdom teeth (I only ever had two!) pulled about a year ago. They were decayed, but hadn't broken.

 

I had local anesthetic. Aside from the sound (unpleasant! I wish I'd brought an mp3 player) it wasn't bad at all. I never filled the narcotic prescription that they gave me (but took the antibiotics and ibuprofen for a day or two), and went on to host my youngest's first birthday party the next day. I had no swelling. And I'm no Superwoman.

 

Hopefully you can find a solution that works for you.

[mskelly]

Thanks for the encouragement. I was thinking a bunch of novacaine and my iPod and I should be ok.

 

I did talk to my mom. She told me she is able to handle the twilight sedation and actually enjoyed that. :001_smile: It is the general anesthesia that was so bad. The anesthesiologist told her she should never have that again and that it is a hereditary condition so I should avoid it if possible.

 

I hate to be a baby, but I also see no need to put myself through the torture if there is another option available. By torture, I'm talking about anticipating the day, not the actual procedure. I'm pretty sure I'd make myself sick worrying about it. So, as of right now, I plan to call an oral surgeon and discuss the options. I'm feeling better today. I hate being a wimp!! If it comes down to it I know I'll be ok with the local, but I'd only let him do one!! :)

 

I did ask for laughing gas, but this dentist doesn't offer that. That would have been perfect for me. I've actually only had it once and it put me right to sleep! They had trouble waking me up from that. You can see why I'm nervous about something stronger!