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Original poster

Wisdom teeth...I'm a wimp, help!

41 replies

Drywhiteplease · 23/01/2013 21:08

Ok, I'm tough in most areas (2 c sections.....regular waxing, not on my legs Wink!.) but the words " wisdom tooth" and "extraction" in the same sentence reduce me to a quivering wreck and make me want to pass out.

My dentist referred me to the hospital because the wisdom tooth ( upper right) has been giving me problems for the last year and is too fiddly for him to take out.
" phew" I thought, " a general...Grin!"

But today, when I had a pre whatever appointment the surgeon said what would be better would be a local ( feels. faint....feels sick) with sedation

" it will be like I've injected vodka into your veins" ( wtf.....how could I refuse???!Smile!)

She said ( in a very matter of fact, Londoner meets Yorkshire straight talker way ) that having a GA to get a tooth out was a bit " like using a hammer to break a nut" Confusedand of course the recovery time would be quicker, I'd be out in half an hour. So I agreed....idiot!

Then......I went to the lovely admissions lady who said ;

" most people have a GA for this" . Shock

She kindly suggested I have a pre whatever appointment about GA in case on the day I change my mind.....

What the hell do I do? Confused

I'm terrified, agree that local and sedation sounds good, but I can hardly change my mind half way through. I've heard so many wisdom tooth horror stories.
The surgeon asked me what I was afraid of....and I guess it's just being awake when they're coming at my mouth and pulling a tooth out ( have never had a tooth out).

If there are any dentists out there or people who have had wisdom teeth out.....what would you do?
I understand that a GA takes longer to recover from. Would sedation do the trick.....will I really not remember anything? How out of it will I be (hoping a lot!)

Help Sad..... I'm not normally this pathetic.thanks for reading.

OP posts:
stleger · 23/01/2013 21:23

My dd had three out when she was 17, two on one side, then back again a week later for the third. She is not good at medical things happening to her. She had local anaesthetic, as our dental hospital only uses GA for complex surgery, apparently.
She was out half an hour later, took a few nurofen (and arnica in water), and followed instructions. After the single one, she was eating Quavers the next day; they were done on Thursdays, and she was in school on Monday. Good luck with it, she says that the pain of it eases off over the day - unlike the pain of infections she was getting.

TheOneAndOnlyAlpha · 23/01/2013 21:36

I had 2 out with a local and the iv sedation. It was absolutely fine. Actually, I remember giggling away in the chair thinking how very amusing it all was. I found it a good experience. Better than a ga. Mine were difficult little blighters to. You will need to take someone with you to get you home though. It is honestly fine. And you'll get some cracking painkillers to take home too! You'll be fine.

bigbadbarry · 23/01/2013 21:37

Don't ask people! It is like childbirth, when I was going to have mine out I had people queuing to tell me their horror stories! (I had a GA. it was horrific, I'd trust the dentist,)

Meglet · 23/01/2013 21:42

I had a local for an impacted one in my lower right jaw, it was done at the hospital as my own dentist wouldn't touch it. It did turn out to be more stuck than the dentist expected and he spent 20 mins cutting it out bit by bit, it was uncomfortable but once it was done I was fine driving home. LOADS of bruising on face and down my neck as a nerve was bashed, but it healed beautifully in a week. Totally worth having the bugger out Smile.

MrsApplepants · 23/01/2013 21:46

I had a GA when having 2 of mine out because I'm a wimp. It turned out to be the best option as surgeon had to break one of the teeth into pieces to get it out. Face ached for 2 weeks. Then fantastic freedom from pain and repeated infections. Wonderful!

yuleheart · 23/01/2013 21:56

I had a GA two years ago for wisdom tooth extraction as I'm a huge dental wimp.

Have changed dentist when we moved house and need another wisdom tooth out, this time I'm on the waiting list for sedation.

Slightly worried though - I thought sedation was the same as GA - is it not?

QueenOfCats · 23/01/2013 22:06

Watching with interest!

I'm just getting over a bad infection and my dentist has referred me to the hospital to have the bugger extracted with IV sedation - I had a really bad experience having a tooth out a few years ago and it's left me bloody petrified.

I didn't think they would take a tooth out with a GA - may ask about it when I got for my appointment.

So, when you have the sedation, what's it like? Do you know what's happening? Remember everything?

Original poster
Drywhiteplease · 23/01/2013 22:16

queen want to come with me, we could have ours together and hold hands?!!!!

bigbad barry you're right about childbirth stories!

But meglet not sure about your experience!!!!

I have had 4 infections in the last year......bloody awful (not least because you can't eat without food falling outShock) ....but the pain can't be worse than having tooth out with sedation can it?

yule it seems I have 3 options......GA, LA with sedation before so you feel pissed and don't remember much apparently and then LA alone. I said I'd go for no 2.

OP posts:
Original poster
Drywhiteplease · 23/01/2013 22:17

Feel sick just reading our answers.....I'm not a wimp really!

OP posts:
QueenOfCats · 23/01/2013 22:20

Count me in drywhite! Grin

Original poster
Drywhiteplease · 23/01/2013 22:22

Has anyone had sedation with LA? queen and I need to know

OP posts:
TheFallenNinja · 23/01/2013 22:26

I had all 4 of mine out during my Army basic training, under GA. Never felt a thing. Recovered V quick. Definitely have them done though, a world of problems await otherwise.

Lovemynailstoday · 23/01/2013 22:44

IV sedation is fab. No, you don't remember a thing. I felt a bit tearful afterwards, though (same as with vodka!). Surgeon who took mine out explained it is safer than GA as you still have reflexes....swallowing, gag reflex etc. I would do it again no prob.

QueenOfCats · 23/01/2013 22:50

Thanks lovemynails, I think that's what I'll go for.

JassyRadlett · 23/01/2013 22:50

I've had all mine out with local plus sedation at Guys. Having had GA for other things, give me sedation every time!

Mine were complicated extractions - 3 at once with one around nerve, the other was completely hooked around the jawbone and needed to be completely broken up to be removed.

It was absolutely fine. Both times. I can barely remember a thing and had no reaction to the sedation (unlike GA which tends to make me sick - not a good mix with tooth extraction!)

Oddly the single extraction had more lasting pain and swelling than the triple. But nothing like the pain of a bad infection.

Top tip - take Nurofen just beforehand to combat swelling. Recommended by my dental surgeon and it really worked.

townbuiltonahill · 23/01/2013 22:53

I've never had the courage to face extraction with only LA. Don't like knowing what is going on. Had at least one back tooth removed.

So I always ask for a hospital referral. Not medical but I understand they prefer sedation to full GA because there are fewer risks / after-effects.

Had sedation 2 or 3 times.

DW tells me I was only 'out' for a v short period on each occasion and barely looked anaesthetised, but for me it was 'easy peasy'. Just an outpatient visit with a wait for observation before being sent home.

townbuiltonahill · 23/01/2013 23:06

IV sedation - that's the one.

Prick in arm (lying down) - anaesthetist engaged me in conversation about one of my pet subjects - bye, bye .....!

Woke up - all done - went home.

Original poster
Drywhiteplease · 23/01/2013 23:08

lovelynailsand town just what I want to hear. Perhaps I'll try the sedation.
queen my op is 2/3/4 of March....can't remember, in shock(!!) pm me if you want me to tell you how it goes.

OP posts:
QueenOfCats · 24/01/2013 19:33

Drywhite, yes, please do let me know how you get on!

ChuffMuffin · 25/01/2013 14:03

Also watching with interest! Just been to the dentist this morning, I've got impacted wisdom teeth and an infection, if it doesn't clear up it's gotta come out. I'm not bothered about the extraction, it's the LA.. never been anaesthetised in my life!

Also somebody told me you can't just have one out, you have to have the other on the same side out as well. Is that true or a load of feck?

kinelle · 25/01/2013 15:39

My dh had a hip replacement last year, with sedation rather than a ga. From what I understand, you feel no Pain because of the anaesthetic, the sedation puts you in a lovely dreamy state, and you have little or no memory afterwards. Recovery and chances of bleeding are quicker with sedation i Think. Good luck whichever way you go op.

Tinkerisdead · 25/01/2013 15:45

Oohim watching this too. I had my consultation on the 10th and lady said she'd cut the tooth free, drill the bone and breakthe tooth to get it out. "We can do this under a local yes?" I said no way and asked for sedation and she said no!! I was given time to go away and think about it. Im back next month and i'm going to have to agree as it needs to come out.

But its the fact i'll hear the crunching sounds etc i think i may pass out. I'm really scared....and i used to be a dental nurse!!!

TinyDiamond · 25/01/2013 16:02

I've had both. the local was traumatic because I have a very bad needle phobia but it wasn't painful as such but the GA was a whole lot worse as I nearly died and woke up in the ICU.... what happened to me was incredibly rare though as I have a genetic condition that nobody had any idea I had. I have another infection now bottom right and I am so worried now about what to do. don't think I can go through either again.

for you though, as you're nervous, go for the GA. day surgery, you'll need the day off work and possibly the next day but the hospital will sign you off for 7 days if you think you need it (yoiu won't) the hole afterwards is not that bad

TinyDiamond · 25/01/2013 16:03

oh one more thing, not all hospitals do sedation, I wanted local with that but it wasn't an option

LazyMachine · 25/01/2013 16:08

Go for the full knock out - I had 6 removed (yes, six wisdom teeth) and was very grateful for the heavy stuff. Just have someone with you to take care of you when you're coming-to. Imperative.

And watch the YouTube clip 'David After Dentist' Grin Sorry no link - on phone.

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