Post-op wisdom tooth removal pain

[quacksinarow]

Hello all

As the title suggests, I had my two lower wisdom teeth removed last Thursday under general anaesthetic. They were impacted and causing pain etc. it all went well and I was discharged home shortly after.

I’ve been taking regular paracetamol (sometimes co-codamol) and ibuprofen. I’ve been trying to stretch them out a little today but I have paid the price. My jaw is throbbing the pain is just awful. I’ve been having the pain in the night when the meds wear off so I’ve popped more and after half an hour they take affect.

When I wake up in the morning my breath is awful but it gets better throughout the day. I’ve checked my mouth, I have stitches, so I can’t tell if the clot has dislodged and caused a dry socket. I’ve been regularly gently rinsing with salt water. There’s nothing oozing and it looks clean, one side is more tender than the other.

When will it get better? Trying to look after the kids and be a fun mum but gosh it’s so hard, can’t even hug them properly as I’m terrified they’re going to knock my jaw

I think I’ll call the hospital tomorrow.

has anyone been through similar?

I'm not sure I understand the stretching thing - that is bound to cause pain I'm afraid. I have four wisdoms out under GE over a decade ago and it took a good fortnight before they stopped feeling tender. Salt water swishing is good, I had all my food through a straw too so that I could angle it away from the sockets.

Patience is what you need and keep on with the painkillers until you're two weeks past the operation date. Unfortunately the sleep thing is a fact of life - I broke my thumb over a week ago now and even with a splint on I roll on it in the night and it wakes me up throbbing. As you say, it's also the time of day/night that painkillers wear off. See if you can hold off and take your painkillers later on in the day so that they last longer in to the night.

Time is literally a great healer (and it's only been four days, you're not even a week post-op yet) - hope you feel better soon.

I think that sounds normal. I had one impacted/half erupted lower wisdom tooth removed last year and I’d say that at this stage, 4 days after, I was still taking a lot of painkillers (alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen every 2 hours), and eating soft foods. I think after about a week I noticed a marked improvement.

Thank you, both. That sounds reassuring. I think I made the mistake trying to stretch them out but I can’t afford to just yet. I normally have a very high pain threshold believe it or not 😂

I had to take co-codamol with mine and was taking pain killers round the clock for at least a week, don’t stretch it out until you’re in less pain. It’s not been long for you; try to take it easy and lots of soft foods. Oddly I found a lot of comfort in tepid tea and chocolate spread white bread sandwiches (no crusts) slightly warmed in the microwave - also mashed potato and gravy

You will know about it if you have dry socket. The pain is unbearable. Truly
excruciating.

I do too, but these things can knock you for six, they really can!

Be as gentle with yourself as you can - I looked like a hamster who had been through a boxing ring after mine.

It does get better and it's sad/frustrating not to be able to cwtsch those you love. But you can make it into a game - say to the kids: "I can't give you a kiss right now, so what can we do instead of a kiss?" My ex-boyfriend invented a chicken dance, so that for the two weeks that I needed personal space for my teef holes (yes how grown up we were to call them that - I was 30!) he would do a chicken dance whenever he wanted to kiss me. It was highly entertaining I have to say - although I had to try and not smile/laugh too much as it hurt to do so!!

If you have dry socket, you’ll bloody know about it 🤣 the pain was worse than childbirth!!! Horrendous. My whole face was swollen (the teeth were a nightmare to get out), I looked like I’d had a stroke or something as it looked like my face had dropped. See how it feels in a few days and then the dentist can confirm and give you a prescription for antibiotics if they confirm dry socket.

Not always. I had it and it was just like the OP describes, pain that was helped by painkillers but which didn't seem to be decreasing as the days went on.
OP I'm not trying to worry you but if it doesn't improve within the next day or so I'd get it seen again by a dentist for sure. I went back after a week and I should really have gone a couple of days sooner. I also had stitches.

I have to say the pain is probably a 8/10 right now and is significantly worse than it has been over the last 3 days. I’ve had an awful taste as well which I’ve read can be due to all the healing etc. I am swollen along my jaw line and it has got worse last couple of hours.

Will call them first thing and hope bloody pain killers kick in.

To the first poster, I wasn’t stretching my gums, I meant I was stretching my pain killers out 😂😂

Oh that makes more sense - I wondered why you were doing mouth gymnastics! 😂🤣

I had all 4 out under GA in the dentists chair. As I remember it was a week before I felt half way human and not clock watching to have the next dose of painkillers. But then things improved very quickly each day. I may have been lucky though, was in the 90s and was sent home with antibiotics to take from day 1, no waiting to see if an infection developed.

Gawd, this takes me back 40 years to when I had all 4 out under GA. Being brave stupid, I had my mates round the next day to laugh (with me) at my chipmunk face and was in agony for days afterwards. The other memory is putting a piece of fish and chip batter in my mouth and having to wait until it disintegrated because I couldn't chew it.

If the pain is getting worse rather than better I’d def get them checked. My pain peaked at 2-3 days post op, slightly improved then worsened up until day 7 where I spent a work meeting with my head in my hands.
Got an appointment that afternoon and found dry socket. He packed it with some clove paste stuff and within half an hour it was so much better. He’d written me up for some strong codeine but I didn’t need it once I’d had it packed.

See if you can get hold of this stuff

https://www.boots.com/orajel-extra-strength-dental-gel-53g?traffic=paid.shopping&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21759351799&gbraid=0AAAAA-AdmwSI3PZFQxtDu2CSfSe8s-3Az&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8ZCejvWmjwMVPodQBh39Iy_OEAQYAiABEgJL8PD_BwE

It kept me going for 36 hours after developing toothache about 5 o’clock on a Friday.

I took it alongside the other pain relief.

Also look into slow release ibuprofen. It could help you overnight.

I had all 4 out under GA, it was the worst pain of my life and Wimbledon was on during my recovery - I still can't watch it. It was a week before I felt vaguely human & 10 days before I could mingle in public and return to work. I'd originally asked if they'd do 2 and I'd return later for the other 2 - the consultant quite rightly said I wouldn't return so he was doing all 4.

Take the meds, give the kids to someone else (TV/iPad if there's no human) and allow your body time to recover from the trauma; although the hospital stay is only a few hours the effects of the op and GA are significant. Take the pain meds, keep drinking and eating plus the salt water. If you wake in the night try as well as the meds, have a drink, something to eat etc so you keep the jaw moving.

Good luck, you have my full sympathies

If you’ve had stitches you’re a lot less likely to get dry socket but I’d still take it easy. Mushy food, salt rinses and don’t stretch! You’ll soon start to notice a grey sort of tissue forming at the extraction site. Looks gross but it’s granulation tissue and will eventually turn pink like the rest of the gum. All part of the healing process.

Really it should be getting better with each passing day so if the pain is getting worse I’d consider going back to the dentist just to check that there’s no infection.

It might be dry socket. Mine wasn’t excruciating but the bad taste was how I knew

Last time I had a tooth out, the pain on day three was excruciating and Panadeine Forte wasn’t touching it. I went to my local walk in clinic (not UK) and she prescribed Tramadol, saying it’s a really good one for bone pain. I think I took it for two days and was then down to Panadol.

Thank you, everyone. I have had an unsettled night, taken regular analgesia and it’s not as bad now but can feel it there. I’m going to call them at 9.

I had one lower out in Jan. Badly impacted.
unlike you I had local.

extraction was handled brilliantly and pain free. so pain free in fact that 2 minutes out of the chair I managed to bite into my tongue, badly, the blood was like a murder scene. So that side of my mouth generally was a total mess.

in terms of recovery it wasn’t nice - days 3-6 after I had a locked jaw, bruised outside (and in) I had a big brown/purple/yellow bruise down my neck and jaw for a few days. I couldn’t eat much but angel delight (yuk) and yogurt!

But it did turn a corner and when it did, recovery was quick.

Hope you feel better soon!

I am going to the dentist tomorrow. The pain is excruciating yet again and I have a horrible taste and bad breath. The pain is radiating to me ears and neck, I think it might be a dry socket 😭

A full week to the day before mine felt better

I do remember suffering for quite a few days after having all four of mine out (two impacted), I would count the minutes until I could take more pain meds. A solid week until I could fully function again. Pretty gutted when a couple of years later I called my brother the day after he’d had his out and he was in the pub, not suffering much at all!

Took longer than I thought it would. Keep on with the salt all day after every food you eat. Very gentle though!

Did the hospital prescribe antibiotics OP? Sounds like you’ve developed an infection rather than a dry socket.