Can anyone explain what it's like after having teeth out ( wisdom ) when coming round form GA?

[marne2]

Sorry for posting again but I'm very anxious.

Having 6 teeth taken out in hospital tomorrow including 3 wisdom teeth (2 bottom and one top). I have never had a anaesthetic before so I'm not sure what to expect. I'm worried that I will wake up with a mouth full of cotton wall ( which will make me gag) or a mouth full of blood, also worried about how much pain there will be ( I am a wimp ). I am taking arnica in hope it helps me recover quickly, I have 2 dd's with autism so I can afford to be out of action for more than a day or 2.

Can anyone explain what to expect when I come round?

[marne2]

Can anyone tell me the signs of infection? I'm feeling so sick and shaky but my mouth seems to be heeling ( just a small amount of pain ), my mouth tastes vile in the morning but fine during the day, look like I have been in a fight with mike Tyson but swelling has gone down quite a bit ( just very bruised), was brave enough to take a look in my mouth this morning now I can open it wider, all looks ok other than there seems to be a bit of tooth/bone sticking out of my gum by another tooth. I just don't understand why I feel so ill, could it have a infection or have I just picked up some other illness?

Should I go to my gp or dentist today and get checked over? Worried I will be ill over the weekend and not be able to see anyone.

[marne2]

Thank you, have managed to eat something more substantial tonight and dh bought me a ice pack which has helped a little with the swelling, have been feeling a bit sleepy today but hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

[TheWanderingUterus]

Ice cream is better if you can manage, it will cool the inflammation a bit inside. My dentist sent me home with a voucher for two pints of ice cream and that's all I ate for the first day.

Best. Day. Ever .

It wasn't in this country though! I was also told to avoid hot foods and drinks for the first 48 hours. I had one day in bed and was almost back to normal by the end of day two, just ate soft foods for a week.

[CottonbudCatastrophe]

Are you using a teaspoon to eat? I did & it helped. Hope you feel better soon OP, it's rotten isn't it.

[marne2]

Trying to eat a yoghurt is like trying to get baby food in a babies mouth , I am starving but can't open my moth wide enough! has taken me half an hour to eat half a yoghurt. On the plus side 'this must be the best diet ever' .

Hope the swelling goes down soon as dh is back to work tomorrow and I will need to do the school run ( unless I can get my mother to do it).

Cried this morning when I looked in the mirror, not liking the hamster look.

[marne2]

They didn't give me any meds, just have to take paracetamol and ibroprofen . Due some soon so going to drug myself up and go to bed. Am taking the arnica too in hope it helps. Just seems to be the right hand side that's hurting, the rest is ok, hopefully tomorrow will be better, my lovely dsd is sending me some home made soup in the morning.

[Fathertedfan]

Oh bless you. Glad you are home safe and sound and that it's now behind you. Sorry that you had a tough time of it today. I was sent home with ibuprofen and strong paracetamol . Told to take them alternately, every 3 hours. Don't forget the salt water mouth washes, but be gentle. Hope you get a good night's sleep

[CottonbudCatastrophe]

Sit down, look after yourself. Did the hospital prescribe some pain relief to bring home? Make sure you take it, if not, paracetamol and/or ibuprofen. Make sure you time it so you can have a dose before bed.

Waiting times in day wards are often long, it's unfortunate that happened to you. Hope you feel better soon.

[marne2]

Just got home, one side is completely fin and the other is painful and very swollen. Trying to eat mashed banana mad a yoghurt. Has to be the best way to lose weight as it's taking me ages to suck on a frube .

Hospital was a nightmare, hade to wait 4 and a half hours before I went in, was then rushed to stand up which caused lots of bleeding.

[SweetFelicityArkwright]

Hope all goes well today Marne. You will definitely be better off without those pesky teeth.

[wundawoman]

I had 4 wisdom teeth out about 7 years ago. I was terrified too!

Went into hospital around 8.00am back home by 2pm. When I woke up from GA I was ok; couldn't believe it was over!!!

I had hardly any swelling and no bruising or bleeding. Just took panadol later that evening and obv just ate soft food for a few days.

But honestly OP, getting them removed was the best thing ever; I should have done it years earlier but was too scared; would have saved me a great deal of discomfort and pain . I was 42 when finally I was so sick of recurring wisdom teeth problems that I booked it in!!!

Good luck you'll be fine - the anticipation beforehand is worse than the aftereffects IMO!

[Fathertedfan]

I can't tell you how much of a whiny scaredy cat I was about having mine done. It was honestly really not bad at all. Come back and tell us when it's all done and you are back home safe and sound x

[marne2]

Thank you, I am petrified , I'm sure it will be fine and I will be pleased when it's all over! I am hoping I won't have to wait too long once I get there and then I can get home for when the dd's get home from school. I will get the hospital to phone dh as soon as I get out of surgery as it will take him a hour to get to me ( by then I should be feeling more human and almost be ready to go home ).

[Fathertedfan]

Had mine taken out under GA three weeks ago. I was really scared beforehand, but the waiting to go to theatre was honestly the worst bit. Had a chat with the anaesthetist who asked medical history, then I was wheeled into the room outside the theatre to get the GA set up. The anaesthetist and two theatre nurses were there. I was really scared, but honestly didn't feel the needle go in my hand. Nurses chatted to me whilst the anaesthetist did his thing and last thing I remember was talking about my children and feeling sleepy. Woke up in post op with a wad of cotton wool in mouth. I was very shaky but not actually in pain. Nurses removed the cotton wool and I was taken back to my room. Within an hour I was brought a sandwich and yoghurt, which I did manage to eat somehow, had a coffee through a straw and had a wee. Once I'd done these three things, the nurses were happy to let me go home (with DH). Went into hospital at 2.30 and home in my bed at 8.00 pm. Was given ibuprofen and paracetamol. Slept right through and pain was manageable with the drugs. I was very sleepy for 2 days after, but pain was fine and back at work on the Monday. Healing nicely now and I took out the stitches myself after 10 days. Good luck!

[MissBattleaxe]

You will be very dopey for about 24 hours- so opt out of any expected duties or child care, but mine didn't really hurt and I didn't use the painkillers in the end. I wasn't bruised either. Good luck!

[marne2]

Thank you annabanana, gives me hope , one of my fears is waking up with tampons in my mouth as it will make me gag. If they won't let me home until I have done a poo then a maybe there a while I may have to lie so I can go home.

Have just checked the dentists notes and it says about 'symptoms after surgery' and the dentist has scribbled out 'problems opening mouth' so he doesn't seem to think that will be a problem, I am hoping they will come out easily without having to be broken int several pieces.

I am taking arnica in the hope it will help me heel quicker.

[annabanana19]

I had 2 taken out under GA & when I cam round I had those tampon things in my mouth. Felt like a hamster. Woozy, confused and desperate to go home. They will let you go only after you have a pee & a poo.

Once home, relax. You may get some odd feeling the next day like I did . Shivering cold, could not warm up then an hour later & was half naked sweating like a pig. Called a mate who is a paramedic & he said it was the GA in my body! Odd feeling but it was over in a few hours.

Eat a lot of yogurts & drink plenty. Soft sandwiches are a must & soup!

Take the pills they offer you then again you might not need them. I didn't & I wasn't swollen.

[moonegirl]

very painfully, not so bad the first evening as the drugs they give you still work.
but the next few days are really painful, I spent them in bed off my face on codeine.
be prepared to get an infection too which is very common, cue more pain

[CottonbudCatastrophe]

Sore throat, sore jaw, sore gums.

You need soft/semi liquid food, like jelly, yoghurt, mashed banana & custard, smooth soup, etc.

Make sure they prescribe pain relief to take home.

Good luck.

[FoxSticks]

I had four impacted wisdom teeth out under GA about 9 years ago. I was very disoriented when I came round from the GA, I accused the nurse of lying to me when she said it was all done, she rattled my pot of teeth as me to prove she was telling the truth

I was kept in overnight and found eating very difficult for a few days. I couldn't really open my jaw and it took me half an hour to eat half a slice of toast the first morning! Soup and yogurt is good to begin with. To echo some of the others the bruising and swelling was pretty bad and I looked like I'd been a few rounds with Mike Tyson. I used to buy those cooling strips you can get for headaches and stick them to my cheek to sooth them as I found frozen peas too cold and painful. I had stitches so it was important to try and keep them clean to avoid infection. The consultant gave me a syringe and bent the end of it, I used to fill it with water and squirt the holes left by the teeth to get trapped food out - grim but oddly satisfying.

I think I was signed off for two weeks? Maybe it was only one but once I could open my jaw a few cm's which was a couple of days I was fine. Just remember to keep on top of your pain killers.

[marne2]

I don't think mine are badly impacted, they have done lots of xrays and dentist said it should be easy but will need stitches, he's put me done for a 30 minute op for 6 teeth (imagine them yanking them out quite quickly), in a way I wish I was staying overnight, the hospital is an hours drive away so I'm not looking forward to the trip home whilst feeling rough .

I'm going to the hospital alone as I need to be there at 8am, have got a lift in and dh will be taking the kids to school and will come in when I am recovering. Just read through all the paper work and says 'surgery will be between 9am and 12.30am' I am hoping I go in early so I don't have to hang around waiting on my own all morning.

[Sparklingbrook]

Hi, I had all four wisdom teeth out in 1995 so may be out of date. I had an overnight stay in hospital, was very bruised and spitting blood for a while after I got home IIRC.
They wouldn't let me go before I had eaten anything and brought me a bowl of Rice Krispies for breakfast.

[fridayfreedom]

Dd had four big molars out two summers ago.
No packing in her mouth but she did spit out a bit of blood.
Very drowsy for the first day after the GA.
Needed back to back paracetamol and ibuprofen for a few days then gradually reduced these.
Straws made it easier to drink. No hot drinks initially do as not it dissolve the clots.
Needed mashed food. Lots of cheesy mash!
Hope it goes well.

[LIZS]

dh stayed in overnight.

[SweetFelicityArkwright]

I think I was kept in overnight but mine was quite an extreme case as they had had trouble getting my teeth out as they were badly impacted and they left the teeth ( complete with bits of my tissue still attached ! ) in a bottle by my bed to show me how hooked the roots were ! This was a long time ago though so they probably can't leave your teeth for you to wake up to now for health and safety reasons :)