Wisdom teeth removal under GA

I had all four out in one go under GA. Was groggy for a couple of days afterwards, swollen jaw for maybe a week, hurt to talk for 4-5 days and could only eat soup and ice cream. If you can get a week off you should take it.

I had all 4 out under GA. I was on codeine for 5 days so absolutely could not have worked as I basically took it and passed out 🤣 took about 10 days to feel totally normal again; the hospital gave me a sick note for 2 weeks.

@WisdomToothRemoval I had a bottom one out last year and developed the WORST case of dry socket - horrendous pain for 2 weeks, had to travel to an emergency dentist to get the socket packed - it was absolutely awful and I cried I was in that much pain.

Please make sure you don't dislodge the clots as you WILL end up in agony - ask them about what to do to avoid dry socket!

Everyone's experience will be different.
I had 4 wisdom teeth removed under GA 20 yrs ago. I needed nearly 2 weeks off work. My face was puffed up, I had dissolvable stitches in my mouth where they had to cut the impacted wisdom teeth out.
I was also extremely bruised & achy around the whole chest area, because as a previous poster said, they can tend to be a bit rough with you when they're pulling the teeth out.
I couldn't eat solid food for over a week due to the stitches, only soup through a straw.
You might have a different experience though OP, but I think going back to work that early is a little on the optimistic side.

You need to have it done and then see how you are. You can self certify as sick for 3 days I think. Then you'll need to contact a doctor.
Are the teeth impacted? Do you need a GA?

14 years of Tory rule and people are having teeth removed under a GA? Things can't be that bad then!

I had 4 teeth removed back in 1991 under a local. The initial needle that numbs you was painful but it was ok after that. Liquid diet for the next 24 hours e.g. soup, Perrier water. 2 days off school. The day of the extractions itself plus the day after.

Hope it goes ok @WisdomToothRemoval

Btw, GA in operations has significantly improved since the 1990s as well. Pre-med is no longer needed as of 2024 and I didn't feel nausous like I did in the 90s.

I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth (still impacted) removed surgically in one go. I think I took a day or two off school. Mostly because of pain and really bad swelling - my face resembled a rugby ball.

You might be okay, but allow room for flexibility if you need to stay home.

Just to counter the bad experiences - I had one only removed and felt fine. I was warned about pain, had lots of painkillers etc, but didn't take a single one. Felt fine! Yes, couldn't eat normally but otherwise felt fine and almost as usual after half a day, just a little sore.

It might be very different to have more removed of course :-)

I’d have thought the dentist would sign you off.

Not to mention you can self certify for the first 5 days.

When my friend had the same the dental surgeon signed them off for a week. Is your's aware that you are going straight back to work? When I was due to have two out my dentist cancelled the surgery because I mentioned that I would me moving the next day and they said it wasn't feasible!

I think after surgery we'd had sick notes straight from the hospital. Maybe ring them and check, but I would bet you'll be discharged with one.

Had all 4 of mine taken out at 21 I'm now 33 and I can honestly say it wasn't that bad for me. Lots of blood after and I took pain killers but wasn't at all extreme pain etc.

Everyone's experience is different to be fair 🤷🏼‍♀️

I had exact same done many many years ago - 4 wisdom plus 2 extra ( I was 18 - so 32 years in fact)
Even at that age I was out for the count for a while - I can't remember exactly but I would give yourself at least a week.

About 20 years ago, I had 2 wisdom teeth removed under GA. The recovery from the anaesthetic was fine. I described a walk up a mountain we’d just done in Scotland whilst coming round. They gave me toast and tea, I could not quite believe they gave toast! The pain killers for recovery wereCodeine and the dose was too high and spent the next day vomiting before deciding just to have Anadin. So I had 3 days off work not 2 as planned.

The only really bad thing about the experience was the registrar who did the op. He handed me a pen to fill in the form and falsely accused me of chewing it. Really quite bizarre

I had all mine out under GA and was totally fine and I was told in advance that some would be difficult extractions too. I was back to work the following day. Obviously following the aftercare advice.

I had 4 out under GA some years ago .. I was back working in the pub, and going out, the next night .. but I was about 20, and an idiot / invincible young person (zero common sense)

I must have been very lucky.

I had all of mine removed when I was 18 as a day patient at my local hospital. By 5pm I was up and nibbling very, very gently on a cheese sandwich. I left a couple of hours later and was out like a light as soon as I got home. I was still at school so swung the lead for as long as I could, but I only had a couple of days and the weekend, then back to school on the Monday. Not much swelling. A bit achey, but not painful. It was more the feeling of my jaw feeling like it had been pulled about.

I had 2 Wisdom teeth plus 2 molars out under GA. I went back to work the next day. I was in so much pain for so long before the op that anything was an improvement. We are all different though. You can self certify for 7 days btw.

I had one (very difficult) wisdom tooth extraction under GA after a previous failed attempt to remove it under local anaesthetic, and I ended up having to take two full days off work completely, and then for the next two or three days I worked from home but cancelled all Teams meetings because my face was swollen and bruised and I couldn't really speak normally. To be honest, I could actually have done with taking the week off completely. My face was very, very swollen and painful and I had a lot of sinus pain and headaches, and I think I achieved very little of any use while I was working!

However - my extraction was a particularly long and complicated one, and I know other people who had barely any swelling, no bruising and only minimal soreness and were pretty much fine to work 24 hours later!

I really think it depends on how long you were under GA, how well you tolerate anaesthetic, what they had to do to extract the teeth and how prone you are to swelling and bruising.

If I were you, I'd tell your employer that you'll need at least two days, but possibly more because recovery can vary a lot and you simply don't know how you'll be affected.

I had my wisdom teeth and 2 extra removed under GA 30 years ago and had to have 2 weeks off work. It probably took at least another 2 weeks to be able to eat normally.

I had all 4 out under GA and ended up with 10 unexpected stitches. Was signed off for 2 weeks and was at least 6/7 days before my fave went back to normal, and longer til the stitches dissolved. Can you get a docs note?

I think it really depends on dentist skill level. You don’t NEED to be bruised as fuck. It happens when the dentist is rushing because they don’t want you under GA for longer than you need to be and because you are unconscious you aren’t protesting about being jerked about.

i had two out and had hardly any swelling. No visible bruises anyway. I did struggle to eat but was back at desk job work 2 days later. My work also had a physical side but I didn’t go back to that until a week.

I had it done many years ago on a Friday morning. Straight home afterwards, with company. I was back in work on the Monday. The worst discomfort was when the stitches were healing. I think I was lucky.