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Original poster

Wisdom tooth extraction. How many days off?

34 replies

Stickerrocks · 31/08/2015 23:00

I'm a very nervous dental patient, so I'm having my lower right wisdom tooth taken out under sedation on Thursday. I've got the day off on Friday & I have cover for work on Sunday, but for various reasons I can't take the day off on Saturday. My problem is that I speak for a living and I will need to talk throughout a 7 hour period. People are relying on me, so I really don't want to let them down, but am I deluded to think I can cope on Saturday?

OP posts:

Palomb · 31/08/2015 23:15

I think bottom wisdom teeth are harder to get out than top ones so my experience might not count but when I had my top one out I was at the dentist first thing in the morning and then at work straight away on the phones and it was absolutely fine.. The extraction and the talking!

Original poster

Stickerrocks · 31/08/2015 23:22

Thanks Palomb. I think I'm more worried about going back to work than the op itself. Some of the stories I've heard are horrendous.

OP posts:

Girlsville · 01/09/2015 18:13

Your dentist should advise. It will depend on whether it is impacted etc. I had two wisdoms teeth out last year. The top one was fine - op took 15 min and I was back at work the next day. The bottom one was deep and impacted. Debtist told me I would need at least a week off work. I did not believe her based on the first tooth but she was right. The surgery was horrendous - took 1.5 hours and I was off work for a week (and could happily have been off for a bit longer). Good luck.

Original poster

Stickerrocks · 01/09/2015 19:57

Girlsville I shall add yours to my list of horror stories. Ouch! They've said that days 3 & 4 will be grim and advised me to have a few days off, but it's simply not feasible.

OP posts:

Girlsville · 01/09/2015 20:09

If it is at all possible you should really take time off. With my first tooth it was no bother but the second one was just a different story. I was knocked out for 3 days on v strong painkillers. Did not mean to scare you , sorry!!! Good luck and hope all goes well

girlandboy · 01/09/2015 20:14

I can only add that having one of my top wisdom teeth out was a breeze. It doesn't always have to be grim. But as others have said, it depends on whether it's impacted or not.
I just had some jabs with mine, a bit of pushing and pulling and out it came. It bled for about 12 hours or so (a minor dribble) but I felt fine.

But then again, I didn't have to be sedated for mine, so it's a bit different. I hope all goes well for you.

Original poster

Stickerrocks · 02/09/2015 12:07

Just been told that my neighbour was back at work with a few painkillers the next day. Let's hope I have the constitution of an ox!

OP posts:

patterkiller · 02/09/2015 12:14

My experience was about ten years ago and they took all four out under general. I was very swollen and sickly for a good few days, I really don't think I could of gone back to work so soon.

I think with this kind of thing you really won't know until you have gone through it. Everyone's experience is a bit different.

Cheesybaps · 02/09/2015 12:15

I had 2 impacted wisdom teeth out under GA recently. I had the following day off work as I was still drowsy (op in the evening), but was back to work the following day with no problems. I didn't actually have any pain or swelling afterwards at all.

Good luck!

m0therofdragons · 02/09/2015 12:16

I had mine out late morning and took the rest of the day off but was back to work the next morning. It was a bit sore but not bad enough to take any more time off.

BathshebaDarkstone · 02/09/2015 12:16

I didn't have any days off!

AMonsterInParis · 02/09/2015 12:26

I had 2 of my wisdom teeth out last year under sedation. Op was at 2pm and was home by teatime (hour long drive home). I had no pain at all afterwards, just swelling and a bit of jaw ache! The main thing for me was the bleeding. It continued for a few hours afterwards, and a little the next morning, but I managed to accompany my DH to the hospital and ate normally that day. A little woozy from the sedation, but is normal for me to be a bit out of it the day after. The day after that I was fine, aside from jaw ache. I think it depends on how it goes. I also had to have stitches in the top which irritated me a bit, but dissolved after a week. I think if you can, you should take the Saturday off as even though I managed to carry on with normal stuff from the day after, I longed to just go and lie down with a book to rest for a bit!

Hope it goes well!

AMonsterInParis · 02/09/2015 12:29

Good for you, Bathsheba...

worldgonecrazy · 02/09/2015 12:29

I had four impacted, taken out under GA. I had to have two weeks off work, though I did try and return to work the following day. I'm not normally a wimp about these things either, but it did knock me around more than I thought. I could speak though, so that wasn't an issue.

bruffin · 02/09/2015 12:41

DD 17 had an impacted tooth removed under GA last year and was begging to go to her volunteer job the next day, so she went. She was slightly rosy cheeked but that was it. She had bone removed as the tooth was very low down and growing into her wisdom tooth so involved the removal of bone . She was eating chips that night. Some people seem to suffer, others dont.

Original poster

Stickerrocks · 02/09/2015 19:00

After all that, they've just left a voicemail to say they've had to cancel.

OP posts:

AMonsterInParis · 02/09/2015 21:06

Oh no! Do they say how long to get another appointment?

ExConstance · 03/09/2015 14:18

One of my colleagues has just had one out, she took one day for the extraction and was back as normal with little discomfort the following day.
DH had all of his out and didn't take another day off.

WipsGlitter · 03/09/2015 14:21

Do you have to pay for wisdom tooth extraction?

ChilliAndMint · 03/09/2015 14:37

Upper wisdom teeth are rarely a problem, however my lower ones took an hour each to remove ( separate appointments) and I was in pain for days.

A lot depends on your age and the actual roots and compaction. you dentist should be able to prescribe a strong pain killer.

All the best for Saturday.

Original poster

Stickerrocks · 03/09/2015 14:47

Called them at 8 this morning to rearrange after yesterday's cancellation voicemail, only to be told they were still expecting me at 8.30. Mad dash to the hospital - not good for a nervous patient! They ticked me off for having a drink last night, despite me explaining that THEY had cancelled. Luckily they still went ahead.

Now I'm oozing blood & have managed to let a milky way melt in my mouth. It's my top jaw & ear that hurt most so far. I've had anadin extra & some arnica tablets. Ooouuuucchhhh!

OP posts:

Original poster

Stickerrocks · 03/09/2015 14:50

wipsglitter You have to pay a standard nhs fee if your dentist does it in their surgery, but it's free in hospital if it's too complicated for a dental surgery or if you're likely to completely freak out & they have to sedate you (like me).

OP posts:

WipsGlitter · 03/09/2015 15:09

Thanks. I suspect they're impacted.

Nonnainglese · 03/09/2015 15:13

I had all four impacted ones out under general, stayed in overnight and went back to work (student nurse) the following day

SquadGoals · 03/09/2015 15:39

I paid £50 for sedation which was the best £50 I've ever spent.

One hour later and I can just remember hearing "that's really, really going to hurt later".

Severely, severely impacted wisdom tooth meant that he had to dislocate my jaw and cut into my cheek to get it out. Cue 6 stitches and a hugely swollen face later.

Luckily I was between jobs, otherwise I would have easily had to take 10 days off.

Keep on top of the painkillers OP, it may be worth setting an alarm in the middle of the night to get up and take them.

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