Wisdom tooth extraction

[PuffofSmoke]

Can anyone tell me about having a wisdom tooth out under GA or sedation?

Going to hospital on Monday for x-rays and back to dentist on Tuesday where he will 'make a plan' but thinks it will need to come out at dental hospital. I am terrified. Terrified of the dentist at the best of times. :( Is it very painful? How long before you can eat etc?

I have antibiotics to take meantime - 6 a day! They are making me feel sick though. Feeling very sorry for myself!

I had all 4 which were impacted out under GA years ago. I was dreading it but although my mouth was stiff and tender after it wasn't as bad as I thought. And of course GAs are loads better then they used to be. What I think is worth doing is taking arnica tablets regularly the week before and as soon as you can after the extraction for another week. I was advised to do this and I had hardly any bruising afterwards even though the dentist said he'd never seen such long roots on such a small person. My daughter also took arnica before and soon after surgery on her nose and also had minimal bruising.

I stuck to very soft foods for a week after - mainly because my mouth was stiff. After that though I was ok. I would take the advice to swoosh your mouth out with cool boiled salt water too. I was told to start this 2 days after the extraction. The only problem I had was with a dry socket. I started with what I thought was an ear infection about a week after the extraction and it was pretty painful. I went back to see the dentist and he said it was due to a 'dry socket' which is a complication of extractions. He re-dressed it and it was fine. So if you do start with ear pain I'd recommend getting an emergency appointment because they can sort it out really quickly. All in all, the experience while I wouldnt say it was the nicest experience of my life, it certainly wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I was totally dreading it.

If you have to take the antibiotics for much longer it may be worth asking if there's anything else they could give you if you're feeling really sick. Dentists seem to prescribe erythromycin a lot, which can make you feel horribly sick to the point of vomiting.

Good luck. Hope you get on OK.

I had a terrible time because it became infected after extraction, most people I've spoken to seem to breeze through it though, so I think I was just very unlucky but at the time it was hellish and I ended up on a drip.

The GA was fine, although I was pretty sore and bruised afterwards. Because one wisdom tooth had curly roots it had to be broken into several pieces to be removed, I'm glad I wasn't awake to experience it!

Thanks for advice, going to be a barrel of laughs whatever happens!? sob Will def get some arnica though, that sounds like a good plan.

It is amoxicillin I am taking, just got enough to do me till Tuesday when back at dentist. I am in agony, feel sick and am trying to study as have a professional exam on Wednesday. more sobbing

I'm sure my dentist said something about curly roots today, I was trying not to faint by that point a bit distracted so didn't take everything in.

Something else I was wondering - a normal extraction is pretty expensive at the dentists. If it is done under GA at hospital is it free?! Is that a silly question? Not that it really matter at this point, would give my right arm let alone all the money in my bank account.

Mine was done privately so I'm not sure about costs.

When you come round from the op your mouth will still be numb. Try to eat something at this point as you'll be too sore to eat for a few days after.

Yep I had all four removed under ga, one had shattered in my gum. The pain before I had them removed was some of the worst pain I've ever experienced. Apart from feeling a bit tight in the jaw after I came round I wasn't in pain at all just a bit swollen, more than anything else it was a massive relief.

Mashed potato was my best friend but then it is still my best friend now.

Def not a bundle of laughs but hopefully it won't be too bad. And if you are feeling in agony now, then you might well find you are in less pain afterwards with a bit of luck. Amoxicilin makes me throw up as does erythromycin. If they want you to carry on with antibiotics after the extraction you could always tell them you feel really sick with what you're on and ask if there's anything you could take that would cause less probs.

What a bugger about having an exam on Weds :( That is just so typical. Obviously all this couldn't happen at a time when nothing was going on. Arggghhh.

No idea about costs because mine were done years back.

Wish I could recommend something to help till Weds. Other than maximum pain relief though, I'm not sure what.

It'll soon all be over with though. Take care. Hugs.

I'm almost certain it's covered if NHS, Puff - Mine went too around three grand but that was private and with complications outlined earlier.

to not too...

Buy/borrow a hoodie. Yes, really. My dentist advised this. You put the hood up and it holds ice packs (frozen peas?) around the swollen area post-op. Daft, but it helped. I don't remember it being terribly painful, just a dull ache.

If your dentist (private or NHS) refers you to the NHS to have it done then it will be free. You do need to ask the questin though otherwise lots of assumptions can = big contested bill. Ask your dentist if he has referred you on the NHS.

I had both bottom ones out at 15 when they started to grow up onto a nerve (or something similar!) It was done under a general as they hadn't come through the gums.

I had so many people telling me horror stories, but my experience was the complete opposite. The pain from the procedure was nowhere near what I had been experiencing before. In fact at the time I was doing a St Johns First Aid course with Young Leaders and the exam was 3 days after the extraction, I thought I might have to miss it because of the mouth to mouth, but it was fine. I wasn't bruised or swollen.

Thanks all!

Dentist said tooth is 'shot to pieces' technical term?!

Is an NHS dentist, so hopefully won't be too pricy. Will ask on Tuesday. Just have to turn up at hospital between 9-5 for X-ray on Monday, guessing that will be a long wait to add to my woes.

Went back to dentist today with x-rays. He wants 'a shot' at trying to take it out, spent ages humming and hawing as if he couldn't make up his mind if he could do it or not - not a good thing for my confidence! It is in bits under the gum but no curly roots. The bottom ones however are terrible, impacted and roots that double back on themselves so if they start giving me bother it will be a hospital job no question.

Can't get an appointment until next Thursday so in pain till then. Will it be awful? What if he can't get it out? He said to expect some bruising. :(

Had 4 out under ga few years ago. Was a walk in the park, signed off work for a week but could have gone back after a couple of days. Lost a few pounds because I ate slowly. After 2 kids seems like a holiday. Would go ga all the way if you get a choice.