Wisdom Teeth Removal - top tips
Deciding to have it done.

1: Feelings on wisdom teeth differ. However, if yours are impacted, it doesn't necessarily mean that they have to be hoiked out. They should only be removed if they are actually causing you hassle, or may cause you bother in the future.

2: If you are going to have them done, then try wherever possible to have them all done at once.

3: If possible, always try to have them done at hospital. 'Tis free.

4: The best people to yank 'em out aren't necessarily the dental hospital. If you can, try and get referred to maxillofacial surgery, as they are both surgeons AND dentists. And very good at jigsaws.

BEFORE THE OP

1: When you go for your pre-op, ask for general anaesthetic (or sedation if that's not possible). This makes the whole experience much easier. Trust me.

2: If you have concerns, ASK the docs. There's no such thing as a silly question when people are pulling bits out of your body.

3: Try if possible to give up smoking. I'll explain why later.

4: The day of the op, you'll probably be nil by mouth from midnight if going for GA. If not, about 1 hour prior to the op, take 2 x 400mg ibuprofen tablets. This will help with the swelling.

THE OP:

1: If you are asleep for it, well done. Your part in this is fairly limited.

2: If not, chances are you're getting midazolam. Be aware, that this stuff SERIOUSLY lowers your inhibitions, and you can say stuff you may later regret! (although you won't know about it.) However, you'll not remember a thing and will have a generally nice time.

3: If it is local only, then for the love of St Maddie of Portugal, let them know if you feel ANY pain straight away.

4: You will feel a LOT of tugging. The surgeon will probably be sweating like Josef Fritzl watching Changing Rooms. There will be cracking noises. This is all normal (but still horrific).

IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE OP.

1: If you had a general, you will likely wake up aching a bit and with a terrible thirst. This is the bad bit I'm afraid. You usually wont be allowed to drink for about 2 hours after the op, as the blood clot needs time to form. Take some wet-wipes or bits of gauze to moisten your lips.

2: You WILL bleed.

3: You are likely to feel like shite. When you are under, they will likely give you some painkillers (including a diclofenac up the old nipsy, so make sure all tagnuts are removed prior to going under.) These WILL wear off.

4: The bleeding will mainly cease within about 1-2 hours. You may find that they have given you some dissolvable stitches. Otherwise, you may have some gauze to bite down on to stop the bleeding. If it starts again (a lot) then let someone know.

RECOVERING.

1: Right, let's talk drugs. You are going to need them. They usually give you some painkillers to go home with, but what I would suggest is to stock up on the following:
a: paracetamol
b: aspirin (soluble)
C: senna
Why senna? Well, chances are that they will give you codeine, which bungs you up like nobody's business. Unless you want to be producing brown trout you could use as piers for a 6-lane suspension bridge, you'll want something to soften them up. The paracetamol is because you (or they) will run out otherwise, and the aspirin is for later on.

2: Chances are you'll also be given mouthwash. Use it. For the love of fuck, use it. Your mouth is dirtier than your ringpiece, and unless you want an abscess or infection, then you want to keep it as clean as possible. If you are not given any, nip to boots and buy a bottle of oraldene (bright pink stuff.) Use it after every meal.

3: Day 1 post op, you'll probably feel not too bad. Don't let this lull you. You've still got a substantial amount of anaesthetic in your bloodstream.

4: Take your painkillers REGULARLY. It takes most pain killers around 1-2 hours to reach peak plasma concentration, so if you are in pain, it's going to take ages to wear off.

5: Week 1 is going to be, unfortunately, quite unpleasant (but no worse than the pain you had beforehand!). Lots of soup is your friend, as are muller rice. These were literally the only thing I could eat, and they have the advantage of being quite nutritious. Get a bag of value frozen peas and use this for about 15 minutes a few times a day for the swelling.

6: Hot drinks might well hurt. Be careful.

7: Beware of dry socket. Dry socket is quite frankly, the worst pain in the world. It occurs when the blood clot drops out of the socket. Basically that means there's nothing between the exposed bone/nerve and the outside world. It hurts like a prolonged kick to the nuts. A big risk factor to getting this is smoking (due to the sucking action and smoke drying out your mouth) so this is why I recommend giving up if you can.

8: Aspirin: This is your friend. If you are getting severe pain, then 2 x 300mg soluble aspirin in your mouth and chewed up WILL help the pain straight off. Then rinse your mouth and swallow.

9: Make sure you don't overdose by accident!

10: If you find the pain is not going by end of week 1, or if you get a sore throat or similar, nip to the dentist for some antibiotics.

11: If you are prescribed metranidazole, please read this carefully: DO NOT FUCKING DRINK ALCOHOL. Really. I am not fucking kidding.

12: The stitches feel weird as fuck in your mouth, but will dissolve eventually.

13: You may find that little shards of bone/teeth will come through the socket over the recovery period. Don't worry. This is normal.

In conclusion, people frighten the fuck out of you when they talk about wisdom teeth removal. Remember, it's not as bad as everyone says. Trust me. If you're worried, don't hesitate to ask for a second opinion!
( Undercovercarrot got done for gross misconduct on..., Sun 3 May 2009, 4:51, 16 replies, latest was 14 years ago)

You are not Orin Scrivello
AICMFP
( Noeli overtheshoulderboulderholderthingstraplatchboobs, Sun 3 May 2009, 8:52, Reply)

Excellent top tipperage
*clicks*
( chickenlady b3ta's very own Elizabeth Taylor, Sun 3 May 2009, 12:24, Reply)

I'm scared now.
Thanks.

I'm getting all my wisdom teeth out in july. All at once. under a GA. But still!!

Last time I had surgery on my mouth I threw up blood and carrots cos I had a bad reaction to it.

/scaaaaaaaaaaaared.
(Poppet some assembly required., Sun 3 May 2009, 13:04, Reply)

Ah
my little nocturnal blood sucking feline, you shall be fine!
( Undercovercarrot got done for gross misconduct on..., Sun 3 May 2009, 19:08, Reply)

but all my teeth are really really impacted
Stupid small jaw that runs in the fucking family.
(Poppet some assembly required., Wed 6 May 2009, 23:43, Reply)

erm thanks
i thought that was very well written highly informative and hopefully never of use to me personally. i do feel slightly faint but also feel compelled to write a similar 'fact sheet' (and it is a factsheet) on the joys of late in life tonsil removal THE NURSE DID GROPE ME AFTER SHE INJECTED MORPHINE IN MY THIGH I KNOW SHE DID I WAS THERE!

i will click - but i do not 'like'

pops the carrot on 'friend'

*hides under duvet from the wisdom fairy*
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Sun 3 May 2009, 19:18, Reply)

Ta Spimfy!
At least it was a female nurse!
( Undercovercarrot got done for gross misconduct on..., Sun 3 May 2009, 22:22, Reply)

All veh good advice
Also worth remembering that you shouldn't be shy of going back to the dentist if things don't seem to be healing right. I had my first wisdom tooth extraction a few months ago, and was baffled by a tiny sharp bit which sat amongst the carnage in the days afterwards. I assumed it was all part of the fun and would soon vanish but, when it was still there a week later (and nothing seemed to be healing), I went back and asked the dentist to check that everything was OK.

She had a look and informed me that it was a tiny piece of bone sticking out through the gum, left over from the extraction. This was stopping the hole from healing. She told me the best solution was for her to chip some of it away, a process she called 'nibbling'. No, really. It involved her taking a tiny pair of pliers and snipping off the pointy bit.

Anyhow, after the most underwhelming occurrence ever of a woman nibbling my bone, things healed perfectly. Hurrah!
(costas, Sun 3 May 2009, 20:42, Reply)

I had mine out when I was 18
You lot are all poofs. It was no hassle at all!

The only thing was that I woke up naked!
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Mon 4 May 2009, 13:11, Reply)

No way
I had my four wisdom teeth taken out with local anaesthetic over a period of 8 months or so. I agree with most of the advice, like having the right medication, but no need for a general. My first tooth was removed by the dentist when she discovered I had a big hole in it. She's about 4 foot nothing and built like a toothpick but still yanked it out in no time.
(Smale is stuffed, Mon 4 May 2009, 16:48, Reply)

I think
it depends on how impacted it is. Having had both GA and local, I can definitely say that GA was the way to go!
( Undercovercarrot got done for gross misconduct on..., Mon 4 May 2009, 22:13, Reply)

Wisdom Teeth Removal
Ahh, I had 3 of my wisdoms taken out at the same time, because I kicked up a fuss when the original one had an abcess under it and I was in fucking agony. It wasn't even painful the second time.

The only part that freaked me out was the fact that I was felt bruised between my breasts down to my stomach, and it was a while before I realised they obviously had to kneel on my chest to get leverage! Be warned of that, it's quite unpleasant!
(pvc_sister I have nothing witty or amusing to write here, so., Wed 6 May 2009, 14:53, Reply)

Several years before I was born....
.....my dad woke up in the dentist from a general anasthetic to find the dentist still pulling on a tooth, with one foot on the chair and another on my dad's chest. The nurse at this point was holding his head down by swinging on it from behind.

Of course, my dad followed the correct medical procedure at this point and knocked the errant oral operator out.

Thankfully, the was no need to call the police - as my dad was still in uniform at the time, so the dentist merely considered himself lucky to have it left at that (this was in the early 70's, when policing was a little less...... politically sensitive, and sticking someone in an interview room with a couple of big german sheperds was still a recommended way to get a confession).
(NoveltyCondomHead Clanks Wams., Wed 6 May 2009, 15:50, Reply)

Ive had all my Wisdome teeth removed
When i had my Jaws broken (for Dental reasons), they broke my top and bottom jaw. Then simply pulled the teeth out backwards - alot easier.

I was under GA of course, and spent 9 weeks with my teeth wired together.

DONT WHAT EVER YOU DO - ASK FOR MORPHINE. it will make you hurl - which isnt pleasant when your mouth is a mess.
(Dan dan dan They tik urh jerbs!!!, Thu 7 May 2009, 11:52, Reply)

Funnily enough
I went to the chemist this morning to get some jollop for my aching wisdom teeth. I'm contemplating going to a dentist if they don't stop hurting soon. Would definitely go for local as more scared of dying under general than half an hour of discomfort. Been putting off getting the last two pulled for years as after I got the first two done, I got an infection which caused my tongue and the roof of my mouth to swell up and meet so that I couldn't even sip water. It was the most ill I've ever felt in my life. The doctor tried 2 types of antibiotics which did nothing.

You mentioned smoking. I felt fine after my teeth were pulled until a few hours later when I had my first post pull fag. Went from feeling fine to really fucking shit in about half an hour.
( stopmeandslapme Cometh the hour, cometh your mum, Tue 12 May 2009, 17:08, Reply)

Wow
This is really well done! Excellent patient education pamphlet.
(TDub Nunc id vides, nunc ne vides on, Fri 30 Jul 2010, 5:43, Reply)