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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask for your wisdom tooth removal stories?

55 replies

CaptainCabinets · 21/02/2019 22:42

My dentist told me earlier she was referring me to have my wisdom teeth out under sedation as they’re badly impacted and my jaw is too small to accommodate them.

How bad is it?! Will I have a big swollen moon face after? How long will I need off work? Is it painful?!

I’m a nurse so I’m pretty blasé about most things but I can’t stand anything to do with teeth! Even having my teeth prodded with the metal stick they use in checkups makes my skin crawl 🤢

OP posts:

GreenTulips · 21/02/2019 22:44

They usually do them on a Friday so you have the weekend to recover

Didn’t have any swelling

Taking the sticky pad monitor things off was more painful!

Lots of pills and salt wash

Otherwise no bother

Sunshinegirl82 · 21/02/2019 22:47

I've had all of mine out under sedation (in two batches, one side and then the other)

The op itself was fine, no pain during. It is quite painful afterwards and your mouth is swollen for about a week or so I would say.

Dentist prescribed co-codamol and diclofenac and advised to take regularly even if not in pain. Had a couple of days of feeling very sore but was back at work after a week and so good to be free of the bother my wisdom teeth were giving me!

Buy in lots of soup and some straws!

EKGEMS · 21/02/2019 22:48

My twin sister and I had it at the same time after freshman year of university-she woke up in the middle of it I however had to be carried out of the surgical suite at the end of the case! My DH had it in his late 20s and when they brought me back to discuss recovery he was adamant he hadn't had any surgery!

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 21/02/2019 22:49

My exH had his wisdom teeth out under sedation, and actually made my then MiL go with him to hold his hand, he was so scared.
It was a doddle, he honestly didn't feel a thing, he was a bit woozy afterwards and we coddled him a bit but it was FINE!
I still have one of his teeth on an earring, a reminder of my "futile youth" and when people say "what's that?" I say "the tooth of the last person who asked me a stupid question"
You will be fine, honestly, and I say this as someone who only goes to the dentist if I can't bear the pain/pull the fucker out myself! I HATE going!
You can do it, and it will save you so much future discomfort. Be brave!

DramaAlpaca · 21/02/2019 22:50

My DS had two out & found it a breeze.

ThanksForAllTheFish · 21/02/2019 22:53

I had one pulled and it was honestly really easy. Over in less than a minute. Healed quickly and had zero pain afterwards. I didn’t get sedated or need stitches, just bog standard anaesthetic via large dentist needle. The injections were the worst part of the whole experience.

Original poster

CaptainCabinets · 21/02/2019 22:53

I know I need it done, the constant pain and infections are an absolute killer 😭 the thought of waking up or hearing the drilling/cracking sounds at any point puts the fear of god in me though haha!

I had the misfortune of observing an extraction during a theatre placement once and I had to leave the room because I couldn’t bear hearing the noises

OP posts:

spacefrog35 · 21/02/2019 22:54

I had all four out under general at 11am. By 4pm I was eating toast. I was gutted, no bruises or swelling. I was looking forward to milking it for days but no such luck

Original poster

CaptainCabinets · 21/02/2019 22:54

I wish I could just have it pulled by the dentist but the roots and impaction are apparently complicated and need surgical intervention

OP posts:

GrapesAreMyJam · 21/02/2019 22:55

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

alwaysdancing · 21/02/2019 22:55

I’ve had two impacted wisdom teeth removed. The first (about 10 years ago, under a general anaesthetic) went smoothly, a little swelling and the site stayed tender for a few weeks. Went back to work after 4 days off (including the day of the op), but I’m a teacher, so it was definitely a struggle (too much talking!).

Second one was horrific (sorry!). Last year, local without sedation. Didn’t hurt as such, but the drilling/cutting/pulling/wiggling was awful and I was in tears throughout. The lovely dentist kept stopping to check I was okay to carry on (as if I could just stop half way through!) and I must have almost broken the nurse’s hand with the force I was squeezing it.

Worst bit...

Sorry...

They had to break the root into two parts to remove it. They do that by drilling a bit, then snapping it. I can still feel the snap vibrating in my skull now. Awful.

I’m still a bit traumatised now and had a cracking bruise along my jawline for a week or so. To top it off, I ended up with dry socket, two more trips to the dentist and another month of intense pain before it started to heal properly.

Hopefully yours will be much smoother than that!

GrapesAreMyJam · 21/02/2019 22:56

This reply has been deleted

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

confusednorthner · 21/02/2019 22:57

I had mine out in my twenties, plenty of neurogenic and arnica after and it was fine. Much to my male colleagues amazement I went on works night out following evening.

alwaysdancing · 21/02/2019 22:57

That second one took about 50 minutes to remove. I got the feeling the dentist was struggling a bit. Must have been well-impacted!

confusednorthner · 21/02/2019 22:57

Neurofen even!

twobambinos · 21/02/2019 23:00

Had all mine out under general anesthetic. It was fine.. As previous poster said in on a Friday and back to work by Monday did not lose any weight from lack of food or anything bummer.

Apparently the bottom ones have big roots and that's why they recommend sedation if those are the ones causing trouble.

Best of luck.

Original poster

CaptainCabinets · 21/02/2019 23:01

@alwaysdancing you’ve just described my worst nightmare!

I bruise so easily and I have a fat face anyway so I’m fully anticipating looking like a piece of Tubby Toast for a few days

OP posts:

Darkestnight · 21/02/2019 23:01

Had mine out around 10 years ago but in batches just by injection. But the dentist didn't get one of the routes out and needed it surgically removed and that was the worst but so glad there gone

YouBumder · 21/02/2019 23:01

I was advised to have mine out under general but I refused and they had to do them under local in the dental hospital. They were growing in sideways rather than straight up and down. I had them out in 2 lots, they did each side at a time. It was achy when the anaesthetic wore off for a couple of days and a bit swollen. I had to get stitches when I got the second lot out but not the first which they took out after a few days. It was fine.

Isadora2007 · 21/02/2019 23:03

Honestly- request a GA and get all four out at once.

22Giraffes · 21/02/2019 23:03

I had one out a couple of weeks ago, it was impacted. I just had local anaesthetic but the injections were so painful and she had to do about 6 before everything was properly numb. My heart started racing almost immediately and as she was drilling she caught a nerve and then the tears just started rolling I have no fear of the dentist but for some reason I just had a bad reaction!

Then like a pp I had to have the roots cut in 2 to get the tooth out, the cracking noises were awful I had pain for about 4 days but was able to go back to work on the Monday (it was done on a Fri). Sorry if I've scared you and I wish you the best of luck

missbattenburg · 21/02/2019 23:03

I have had one taken out. I spent the weeks leading up to it in constant fear and panic. I cannot stress how anxious I was about it.

Local an. 10 mins in the chair. No pain. Done.

I'd taken family with me for moral support and felt like a fraud. I had the rest of the day off work to recover but really just spent it watching movies and sneaking ice cream in down the good side of my mouth.

No real pain while it healed. Maybe a bit of an ache that evening but otc painkillers took care of it. And I mostly just took them because otherwise it felt like a waste to stock up.

I am honestly not brave or good with pain. I just had a really easy time of it.

Best of luck OP.

Dextrodependant · 21/02/2019 23:04

I had 3 of mine out under General (I only had 3). The anastetic really knocked me for 6, it was my first time and it actually took me a couple of days to get over that.

The actual extraction - I was fairly swollen for a couple if days and had some bruising, on my chest if I remember rightly.

The pain wasn't too bad the first few days and then I had the most relentless gnawing pain that had me crying and counting down to the next painkiller dose.

If this happens to you go straight back to the dentist. Don't try to muddle through. It is likely to be dry socket and they will pack it with a clove mixture. The relief is instantaneous. Seriously and bad pain go straight back. Dry socket won't get better on its own and it is so easy for the dentist to fix. Don't suffer unnecessarily.

AuntMarch · 21/02/2019 23:05

Waiting was the worst. Told to be there by 7.30am and not eat of course. Due to emergencies coming in I didn't go down til 5pm. I was starving.

I was eating a ham sandwich before I even got dressed afterwards. Maybe some very slight swelling but not very noticeable to look at. They gave me painkillers but I forgot to take them the following lunch time and realised that I didn't need the strong stuff anyway, just took ibuprofen for another day.

FannyFifer · 21/02/2019 23:05

I have had mines out under sedation, was totally fine, I was conscious but totally away with it.
Don't worry it was honestly no bother at all & mines were all impacted & root issues etc.

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