To get signed off for one wisdom tooth extraction

[SadlyNotATroll]

I had a severely impacted lower wisdom tooth removed on Tuesday. It’s now Sunday and I am still really struggling. I am not a wimp by any stretch and have had 2 sections and a couple of other minor ops in my life, but this has been by far the hardest thing to recover from. I can’t help but feel like a bit of a fraud though. I had a GA, have 8 stitches and have bruising down to my chest. However I was discharged with no pain relief at all and told to expect a few days of “discomfort”. I’m due back at work tomorrow but am considering asking the GP to write me a fit note for the week. Does that sound ridiculous? I can’t eat or talk without feeling like my jaw is broken. I am meant to talk at a conference on Tuesday but can’t fathom how I’ll do it.

Absolutely get your fit note. I've had 2 impacted wisdom teeth removed and I had 2 weeks off work for both. I was in a customer facing role at the time and I just wouldn't have been able to talk.

I hope you're feeling better soon.

not unreasonable
you don't feel fit to work so take another couple of days for recovery. wisfom tooth removal can be brutal (as your bruises attest) and your body needs time to heal.

not unreasonable
you don't feel fit to work so take another couple of days for recovery. wisfom tooth removal can be brutal (as your bruises attest) and your body needs time to heal.

Get signed off. I hope you feel better soon

Not unreasonable. You can self certify for a week

My impacted wisdom removal was 100 times worse than a c section. I took a week off in the end. It's the worst thing I've ever recovered from.

Your not unreasonable at all OP, I think they doctors are totally unrealistic with recovery times for wisdom tooth surgery. I had 3 out under GA and they told me I could go to work the next day, I ended up passing out and being sent home in a taxi.

I’ve only been off sick once in the last 5 years of my current job. It was for my wisdom tooth removal recovery. The pain was so intense I could not function (dry socket). You can self-certify for a few days though shouldn’t need a note.

Thanks all. This is really comforting. I rarely need time off sick and feel stupidly guilty when I do which I know is daft. I’ve had to get some codeine from my dad (I know it’s naughty but I am desperate) just to get some sleep. My lovely dentist neighbour checked me over and it’s not dry socket or infected, just a brutal recovery.

God I must have been lucky when I got my infected and impacted wisdom tooth removed. I would have been fine to go back to work and hour afterwards.

I had all 4 removed under GA and I was so unwell and off work for a week. It was way, way worse than recovery from childbirth.

Wisdom tooth extraction was awful, they wanted to remove 2 of mine but had such a hard time they only took out one. They can break your jaw when doing it - can you ask for an x-ray to check? Bruising down to your chest sounds very extreme. Also if you’re feeling really bad, could you have picked up an infection? In any case, absolutely take the sick leave until you recover! I hope you feel better soon.

I had 2 weeks off with mine. 😳

I had 4 out with GA. Horrible. It took well over a week and a half to get back to normal.

One heck of a way to lose weight, as basically didn't eat for a week.

Not Unreasonable at all. I had to take a week off work when I had my wisdom teeth extracted due to infection. Hope you get well soon. 💐

If you're struggling, you're struggling - take whatever time off you need

I've had two out - the first one was horrendous, I didn't have GA but I was off work for three days with pain, bruising and discomfort. After the second, I drove home and felt absolutely fine when I woke up the next day.

I hope you feel better soon, dental pain is horrendous.

working intelligently doesn't mean being a martyr and just showing up not very efficiently.

working intelligently is making the office realise how important you are, and how they are missing you when you're off 😂- even if you organise everything.

You are unwell, just take time off!

No you aren't being unreasonable.

That said - go to see a dentist and ask them to check things are healing in the right direction. Significant pain could indicate an infection.

After a similar removal my dentist was able to "pack" the wound in some way for me that helped a lot with the discomfort, even though things weren't infected. Whatever it was gradually dissolved away.

Not unreasonable but you won't need a fit note. Just self certify for the week.

She will if she's already been off since the operation on Tuesday.

Oh bless you that sounds awful. Absolutely get yourself signed off, you don't have to be a martyr!

I'd see if you can talk the doctor into giving you a short-term prescription for codeine too, I had to for my abscessed wisdom tooth because nothing OTC was touching it. He gave me just 7 days worth but it meant I could sleep at least.

Wishing you a speedy recovery, tooth pain really is some of the worst 💐

I had one or two weeks off after my wisdom tooth removal. I got a dry socket and the pain was worse than being in labour.

I've had a failed wisdom tooth extraction, the pain was horrible as I had to wait a week before the surgeon was available. I can recommend max painkillers dose, paracetamol + anti-inflammatory type (eg. Ibuprofen if you want, but for me it didn't touch the pain so I used naproxen).

I can reassure you though that the pain disappeared immediately after the extraction, so you won't have long to wait!
I was fine to work from home the day of the extraction and the day after. I could even have gone into the office, but eating was a bit weird until the wound healed. So if WFH is an option you might not need to whole week off.

Both myself and both my dc were booked off for 2 weeks after GA wisdom teeth extraction.

Days 3 to 5 are always the worst.

Bruising down to your chest sounds awful though. We all had bruising, but on the face rocking a chipmunk look. Never that far down.

Definitely get a note for another full week off.

the bruising is from leaning on the shoulder during extraction.