Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Help - wisdom tooth extraction tomorrow!

52 replies

Kittypillar · 28/07/2019 22:10

So, I have a wisdom tooth extraction booked in for Wednesday afternoon and this evening I am suddenly an absolute anxious mess about it. Genuinely thinking about trying to cancel it by pretending I'm sick or something (I know that's bad and I wouldn't normally but oh the fear, I didn't even feel this nervous before I was induced!).

I am a bit of a nervous patient generally speaking, I go to a private dentist who I (just about) feel comfortable with. He's been keeping an eye on a lower wisdom tooth that is impacted for a while now and at my last visit he's said that he thinks the time has come for it to come out...

I've been trying to read about recovery and what to expect since I booked in the appointment (will be at the dentist's, not in a hospital) but for some reason this evening I've been seriously struck by the fear. I have a 13 month old who is a crummy sleeper, still breastfeeds a lot at night, will get hysterical if her dad goes to her in the evenings instead of me at the moment - how am I actually meant to recover after this thing?? Not to mention, oh dear god, how awful the actual extraction is probably going to be...

Please tell me those who have experienced this - is it really as bad as I'm imagining? Would I be incredibly unreasonable to cancel the appointment at such short notice and flee the country so my dentist can never find me ever again ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Kittypillar · 28/07/2019 22:14

BALLS - sorry that should read "tomorrow afternoon", not Wednesday. I'm actually losing the plot tonight BlushSad

OP posts:
Sweetpea55 · 28/07/2019 22:15

I had one out and it wasn't too bad at all. Just a little cracking noise and it was out.
My jaw ached a bit afterwards and obviously gum was sore but I rinsed with salt water regularly.
Im sure it won't be as bad as you think OP.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 28/07/2019 22:15

Is it under local anaesthetic or sedation?

Original poster
Kittypillar · 28/07/2019 22:17

@sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea local anaesthetic. Although apparently I can be sedated if I want to... Confused

OP posts:
LucilleBluth · 28/07/2019 22:17

I'll be honest..I had all four of mine out under general anaesthetic, the two lower ones were impacted. I'd had years of pain with them. I was 26 and I had two small children at the time. I found the recovery very difficult, I couldn't do the school run, my face swelled and I looked like the elephant man.

All I will say is make sure that you have some help with the children. Mine was an extreme case though. You may be fine.

Original poster
Kittypillar · 28/07/2019 22:18

Thank you @Sweetpea55, that's reassuring to read. I don't know what's gotten into me this evening but I'm feeling a huge amount of anxiety about it...

OP posts:
BlackForestCake · 28/07/2019 22:18

It will be fine. You will have a jaw full of anaesthetic and you won’t feel anything more than an unpleasant tug. I had a difficult extraction out where the dentist had to saw through it to get it out and that was fine. Yours will probably be easier. It will be fine. If you’ve given birth a wisdom tooth is nothing.

Kolo · 28/07/2019 22:19

I know how you feel. I was the same before my extraction a couple of years ago. I even postponed mine till the autumn so I could have one last summer of freedom, but instead it ruined my summer, having it hanging over me.

In reality, the extraction was nothing compared to how I’d built it up in my head. It wasn’t pleasant, by any means, but it was painless and fast. I’d imagined the dentist having to wrangle with a huge metal implement, bracing their legs against the chair to yank it out. But they had a little twisty gadget, 3 twists and it was out.

After the anaesthetic wore off, later that evening, I felt very tender like I’d been punched in the face. But some painkillers sorted that out. I think I milked it a bit that evening, refusing to eat anything except a massive tub of ice cream.

sockatoe · 28/07/2019 22:20

You have every reason to be anxious. I went through this a little while ago, and was a mess. I had a lovely, kind dentist at the time (sadly she moved on) and she was great. I used a technique I'd read about in a book about childbirth - I lay there and visualised a run that id done that morning. Anything will suffice, a walk, drive etc. What can you see? What can you hear? What can you feel? What can you smell? The idea is that your brain can only process so many things at once and by involving your senses and memory, you can push the other stuff down the agenda. She'd finished before my run ended Grin
Don't plan anything for afterwards, other than pyjamas, blankets, bed or box sets. I hope it goes well. You will get through it Thanks

Bridgeofpies · 28/07/2019 22:22

Oh OP! I could have written your post! Except my baby is just turned 12 months and my appointment isn’t for a few weeks yet. I’m dreading it! We co-sleep so I think that means I can’t have sedation but I’m feeling very anxious about what it will feel like, sound like etc 😫

BUT it will only be a few minutes and it will all be over! We can do this!!

Bridgeofpies · 28/07/2019 22:23

Meant to add - good luck and please come back and tell me what it was like!

Watto1 · 28/07/2019 22:23

I had one lower impacted wisdom tooth out on a Monday afternoon. I was out partying the night away on the Wednesday night! It was a bit achy when the anaesthetic wore off but nothing a couple of paracetamol couldn’t cure. Honestly, it was fine. You only hear about the horror stories.

MagicErmintrude · 28/07/2019 22:24

I've had mine out with local. It was absolutely fine. A bit sore afterwards, but I took some painkillers and was back at work the next morning (very active job on my feet all day). Having them out under GA generally means that they are likely to be more difficult than if your dentist is happy to do them in their surgery so please don't worry.

Pipandmum · 28/07/2019 22:24

My sister had three taken out then went straight to a job interview! She was bleeding quite a bit, but was fine the next morning.
I just had one done it was fine just couldn’t eat for a couple hours but it wasn’t impacted so maybe more straight forward.
Don’t cancel, you'll have to get it done eventually.

EugenesAxe · 28/07/2019 22:25

Hi - I had one extracted at the top and it was OK. Extraction for me was super quick - it felt a bit odd as I sensed/ numb-felt a ‘splintering’ in my gum, but it was basically 2-3 yanks and out. Of course, others might have had different experiences.

I don’t remember recovery being traumatic. Make sure you do the ice pack thing recommended by the dentist straight afterwards, as it greatly minimises swelling. I didn’t get any. Be vigilant about the cleansing routine to avoid dry socket - this thing where you don’t get a blood clot at the extraction site and the bone (and so nerve endings) becomes exposed.

I’d try not to worry about it and don’t call in sick. My tooth was hurting my opposite gum and making me bite my mouth a lot; it was worth having it out!

Digitalash · 28/07/2019 22:26

I had my top two wisdom teeth out and it was fine! The general anaesthetic hurt like a bitch and the removing of them whilst not nice didn't hurt at all was just weird. I ate and drank very gingerly for a couple of days because I was terrified of getting dry socket but it was absolutely fine, other than taking some paracetamol when I got home (more out of precaution than necessity) they didn't even hurt! By the time a week had passed I was 100%

Orangeballon · 28/07/2019 22:27

I have had four out and it was a total breeze. Nothing to worry about, fillings are worse.

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 28/07/2019 22:29

If you can, I'd suggest sedation - I had two of mine out that way, and I remember nothing about it at all, apart from the start and 'sadeyed? It's all done now'.

I was a bit sore afterwards, apparently wandered round like a drunk and ExP had to help me get my jacket on. I then went home and dozed for a few hours on the sofa. It was tender afterwards, but not painful, and I followed all the usual advice. No infection, no real pain, just a bit swollen. Had to stick to very smooth foods for a few weeks until it had healed.

You'll be fine. My DD was about six months at the time, but I'd warned ExP that I'd be useless for at least 24hrs afterwards. I was pretty much back to normal the next day though.

TheBitchOfTheVicar · 28/07/2019 22:29

I have had both local and sedation and found sedation much better. The tugging and being close to my face was...not a great feeling and sedation put paid to all that. I would always recommend it.

Aworldofmyown · 28/07/2019 22:31

I have a serious fear of the dentist and quite often cry in front of them!!!

The first wisdom tooth I had out because I went in due to a sore mouth where it was pushing through - the dentist said he would take it out there and then because he knew I wouldn't come back if he let me leave!!! It was fine, no pain lots of very strong tugging and load cracking I think the worst bit is having to open your mouth so wide. I went back to work after!!

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 28/07/2019 22:36

I drove to the dentist an hour and a half away, in pain. The longest part of the procedure was having the local anaesthetic. Taking the tooth out took about ten seconds and the most painful part was paying for it. I drove another hour and a half home with a mouth full of wadding.

The site was a bit achy when the anaesthetic wore off, but not enough for painkillers.

MLMhun · 28/07/2019 22:36

I had two out in February and while it wasn’t my most favourite experience, it was fine. I had local anaesthetic.

I then had two fillings in May! It was awful and would have preferred another extraction!

user1474894224 · 28/07/2019 22:41

I had sedation and can't remember a thing. Flew out to India 2 days later with work....no major problems just some bruising.

thisisillyria · 28/07/2019 22:52

I hate going to the dentist. I'm a complete coward about it, even for a checkup. I've had three impacted wisdom teeth taken out; two together under sedation, one under local anaesthetic. Honestly, if I'd had the local first, I really wouldn't have bothered with sedation. No, it's not the most pleasant thing I've ever done, but it really, really wasn't that bad. It was a bit sore afterwards, but not terrible, and it didn't last for all that long really. I was careful about what I ate until it healed up, but that was all. DD1 was about 18 months old when I had the first two done, and it was fine - DM looked after her while I had the teeth out, and stayed with me until I'd properly come round from the sedation, which took a couple of hours.

Original poster
Kittypillar · 28/07/2019 22:53

Thank you all so much 😭 I genuinely feel so much better reading all your comments. I've been feeling so rattled this evening worrying about it. I really hope it goes as relatively smoothly as so many of you have described. I'm still very scared (dear god dry socket especially sounds like hell, I'll be doing all I can to avoid THAT) but definitely panicking a lot less now.

@Bridgeofpies oh gosh, i completely understand - I co-sleep with my DD a lot of the time too (only way I've managed to get any decent amount of sleep since she was born tbh lol!) and I will more than likely be skipping the sedation because of that. It's frustrating because otherwise I'd be all over it I think Grin the things we do, eh? I'll absolutely let you know how I get on. You're right, we can do this!

OP posts: