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Original poster

Tooth Extraction experiences

47 replies

EllaB2023 · 28/02/2023 22:51

Hello all,

I would be glad to hear your experiences. I am due to get a molar extracted later this week – it is giving me a lot of anxiety as it gets closer.
I have a fear of the dentist and I also seem to have got health anxiety after covid where even the thought of getting numbed is making me really anxious.

Any one had an extraction and can share the experience? How long is it likely to take? How long do you stay numb for -I have to go back to work and have a meeting three hours later. Is it possible to get an extraction without getting numb or is this a mad idea?

OP posts:

EllaB22 · 03/03/2023 18:23

Still in a bit of a daze from it all, thank you for checking in 🥰

I had actually saved the wrong date (and not caught on when they called me to confirm) and my appointment was yesterday! I had to rush out of work and they took me later in the day. I found it quite a shock partly as I had been working up to it today but it took longer than expected and the noises were alot. The dentist was great and patient with me.

I had some pain last night but not terrible. My mouth felt v strange and I struggled to drink.

I woke up this morning feeling v weak and started to throw up as I was about to leave for work. I have spent today in bed and been sick on and off. I called the dentist and she said theres a vomiting bug about and is not concerned it is related. I think its v strange timing!

I am still resting tonight and hoping to try food soon as Im feeling weak. Im v worried Ive disturbed clot with so much being sick. Still sore but tolerable!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 03/03/2023 19:20

That’s probably good as you had no time to worry about it.

mine was today, the procedure itself was fine although there was a lot of pushing and pulling and this evening I am in a lot of pain, right up to my eye socket. I have had ibuprofen and cocodamol so they’ve taken the edge off, but it is quite painful now and still bleeding quite a lot. Hopefully will be better tomorrow, I hate feeling sorry for myself!

EllaB22 · 03/03/2023 19:38

Ah I really hope the pain improves for you soon @thenewaveragebear1987 . It sounds so silly but I feel so in shock with the experience!

EllaB22 · 03/03/2023 19:40

What aftercare advice did you get? Mine was v basic . . Bite on gauze for 30min and do some salt water rinces and that was it.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 04/03/2023 07:14

Mine said no alcohol (which I roundly ignored because I felt so miserable with the pain last night, and regret it this morning as I have a thumping headache), and no “violent exercise” - which I presume means vigorous and there is no way I could exercise vigorously right now. From today I have to rinse with salt water after every meal, but it is still bleeding (woke up this morning and my mouth was full of stale blood 🤮)

I felt ok at the time because it didn’t actually hurt but he had to properly wrench it out which looking back was quite traumatic. It hurts right up into my eye socket today. It doesn’t sound silly at all to be in shock, it isn’t a pleasant experience. I bet the dental nurse and the dentist find it quite traumatic as well tbh.

today I plan to just have a chilled day, soft food, a bit of tlc for me I think!

EllaB22 · 05/03/2023 11:15

How are you today @thenewaveragebear1983 ? My gums still v swollen!

thenewaveragebear1983 · 05/03/2023 12:48

Hi @EllaB2023 , it’s still quite tender to be honest, not my actual tooth socket but by whole face! I’m not great with pain and it’s still bleeding/weeping a bit. How are you?

Original poster

EllaB2023 · 06/03/2023 21:02

Similar @thenewaveragebear1983 Feeling tender and a swollen feeling. How are you getting on with food? I am hungry but trying to stick to very soft foods like yogurt and scrambled eggs at the minute!

OP posts:

thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/03/2023 21:14

I’m eating ok, but only soft food. I still feel like I’ve got swollen gums, like a boiled sweet against my gum if that makes sense? If I take ibuprofen then it goes but when it’s wearing off it comes back. I really struggled today, I was on induction for my new job and I was really concerned I was slurring a bit (and drooling!)

I’ve just had a look with a mirror and a torch, I think it’s granulation tissue forming but it looks quite yellow/grey kind of colour so i swilled with salty water just in case.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 08/03/2023 22:01

@EllaB2023 how are you now? I have developed quite a nasty infection in the tooth socket, which explains why I’ve been feeling so tender and swollen. I can see the infection in the cavity, it’s grim. I have swilled with salt water several times today and it seems to have helped it, but I need antibiotics so I have a dentist appointment tomorrow morning.

EllaB22 · 08/03/2023 22:53

Oh no @thenewaveragebear1983 that sounds awful. Hopefully the dentist perscribes antibiotics and it heals soon! I am doing ok, my gums are still v swollen and I am too afraid to check the socket as I am not sure what it should look like so would likely panic myself. Sticking to soft foods still too, I definitely wasnt prepared for the healing and aftercare needed with an extraction!

Original poster

EllaB2023 · 09/03/2023 17:02

How did you get on at the dentist @thenewaveragebear1983 ?

OP posts:

thenewaveragebear1983 · 09/03/2023 18:47

Well… we had heavy snow here so I managed to creep in for my appointment but the dentist didn’t get there! So I refused to leave until someone had seen me, I waited nearly an hour and eventually saw a different dentist who took one look and immediately prescribed me antibiotics (the serious ones that you can’t drink on!). She didn’t need to flush it or pack it, she said it’s actually not badly healed but yes, was very infected.

my advice to anyone who may be reading this for advice is to physically check with a mirror and torch inside your mouth if you’re suffering after an extraction. Weirdly, I didn’t think mine was painful enough to be dry socket as I had read that it was excruciating. Mine has been like a dull swollen ache and like there was something on my gum. But as soon as I looked inside the cavity with a mirror it was clearly infected, if I’d done that sooner I probably wouldn’t have had such a bad time.

Laurenx1x1 · 05/05/2023 11:22

@EllaB2023 @thenewaveragebear1983 Hi Both, how are you now doing after your extractions? I have my back molar booked in next tues to be removed. I had the same tooth removed on the other side 2 years ago but it was traumatic !! It was a shattered tooth and took some doing to get out and pretty sure I got dry socket! So nervous :(

thenewaveragebear1983 · 05/05/2023 13:46

@Laurenx1x1 my actual tooth/extraction is healed up now, but even after 8 weeks my gum/jaw still feels swollen. It’s eased a bit this week but last week I went for an X-ray as it was still swelling up every day to the point that it was making me slur and drool a bit. Wtaf?! 8 weeks!!! Dentist says it’s not infected, nothing left behind, basically just suck it up, swelling can last up to a year!!

Laurenx1x1 · 05/05/2023 14:00

@thenewaveragebear1983 Thank you!! The recovery can be long cant it!! My last extraction took forever but the pain i was in was a joke! I was jumping through the roof!! I hope it settles down for you soon and I am praying mine is not bad! xx

thenewaveragebear1983 · 05/05/2023 14:07

@Laurenx1x1 thankfully I haven’t been in any pain, even when it was infected. But it’s not been pleasant really. Still better than a root canal though!!

Ridingthegravytrain · 06/05/2023 07:29

I do think they underplay how traumatic it actually is physically (I mean the healing your body needs to do). Two months on from mine and the area feels tender and weird to touch still and I have a shard of jaw working its way out of the side of my gum! This can happen apparently.

thenewaveragebear1983 · 06/05/2023 08:18

@Ridingthegravytrain I agree. When he was extracting it, the force he had to use was incredible, so I suppose it makes sense, but I never expected it to still be swollen 2 months later. I feel like there’s a sweet against my gum all the time.

EllaB22 · 10/05/2023 21:09

Gosh we have all had long recovery! My dentist did not warn me of how it would be. I have only now two and a half months later started to eat on that side again. Ive lost 8 lbs with this extraction!

Deedoo · 01/10/2023 16:35

@EllaB2023 hi all! How did you get on? Can’t believe the long recovery for us all I hate it ! 6 weeks post and had the other side wisdom tooth removed the recovery is horrendous

Deedoo · 01/10/2023 16:42

@EllaB22 how are you all x

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