Wisdom Teeth

[Nerf]

Pulled today.  Drugs wearing off, need to eat before new drugs, my entire lower face is numb.

I'm hating my life until I can take more drugs.

[Samwise]

Fuck waiting for the numbness to wear off.  Funnel a smoothie or a slimfast or some similar liquid nourishment into yourself; just do it over a sink so you won't make a mess when half of it dribbles out of your mouth.  Then eat more drugs.

[Nerf]

I managed to eat some tomato soup, the first try was chicken and stars and it didn't work too well.  Took drugs, they haven't kicked in yet, not happy.

[Samwise]

Did you remember to take them with a glass of wine?   

[schild]

My wisdom teeth have basically grown in forward and sideways, I've done nothing about it. I hate my mouth past the lips, really. I have ugly teeth and a gaptooth. Braces for years, wore the headgear, did not help. I'll get the motherfuckers capped one day.

My wisdom however will sit right where they are, a reminder of a potential problem remaining potential.

[Nerf]

I've got the x-ray, i'll post pictures, mine basically grew in sideways into the other teeth, and the pain over the past couple weeks has been constant and increasing.

The bleeding has mainly stopped now, which is convenient as I've run out of gauze.

The only problem now is that my chin, lower lip, and tongue are still almost completely numb.  I'm not even sure why they would numb that bit, and am hoping they went a little overboard with the anesthetic and didn't sever a nerve or something.

4039 hydrocodone should make spring break awesome though.

[schild]

You know what's good fun while on hydrocodone?

Writing Resumes.

[Reg]

My orthodontist trumped up an excuse for me to have mine out in the hospital so that the Canadian medical system would pay for it. It's the only way to go if you have the choice. I was so clueless I didn't even refill my percodan prescription when I had the chance.  I thought I was just in a strangely good mood that week. You'd think the hiccups that wouldn't go away would have given me a hint that I was high as a kite - but no.

[Nerf]

They put me under for it, I woke up and they were already done, although I bet my folks wish the Canadian gvt paid for it, $1700 with insurance.

[Jobu]

They put me under for it, I woke up and they were already done, although I bet my folks wish the Canadian gvt paid for it, $1700 with insurance.

I went under for my wisdom teeth being removed. I remember counting down to about 7.... then the next thing I remember after that is I'm at home with a milkshake in my hand watching TV. I had no idea how I got there. That anesthetic shit be crazy yo!

[Reg]

So have you got chipmunk face?

[Polysorbate80]

They put me under for it

Lord, I wish they'd done that for me.  I don't know exactly what the dentist was doing, but it felt like he had a crowbar in my mouth trying to bust them loose from my jaw.  There was no pain at all, but the pressure and noises were hideous.

The pain came later, when my wife decided to go talk with her friends for a couple hours instead of getting my prescription filled.  Just a suggestion, take the painkillers before the pain gets noticeable.  Waiting until you need it to take the pills doesn't work so hot.

Also, be prepared for nausea tomorrow.  Apparently I swallowed a fair amount of blood overnight (the gums were still bleeding) and it made me sick to my stomach the next day.

[Hawkbit]

I had one pulled because it rotted and stayed awake for it.  Two tools he used:  a metal rod with a hoop on it and a pair of pliers.  The pliers were the scariest fucking thing I've ever seen.  Like straight outta Hostel scary (though it was before the movie).

I also swallowed a ton of blood and had upset stomach all the next day.  Percocets were prescribed, floating everywhere ensued.  I remember hearing the phone ringing and the next thing I know I'm across the room talking on it.  Fun fun!

Whatever you do, don't drink through a straw or create negative pressure in your mouth.  Dry socket is fucking miserable... a friend's ex-gf was out of work for six weeks over one.  She lost twenty pounds and became a hellbitch during that period it was healing. 

[Jherad]

Ack, you have my sympathy.

Had my wisdom teeth out last year under general anaesthetic. First time I'd ever been under, and I woke up feeling like someone had used me as a punching bag. I'd rather not do that again.

[lamaros]

Weird how people react differently. I had two of mine out when I had another tooth operation a few years back. Swelling went down in a day or two, didn't even take the antiboitics let alone any drugs. Mine probably weren't as fucked up maybe. Just had an orthadontist who liked to do unnecessary shit for no reason.

[Hawkbit]

I took my best friend to get his out a few years back.  He took one Tylenol 3 a few hours after the buzz from surgery wore off and that was it.  Went back to work the day after and went out drinking two days after. 

It really is strange how different people react.

[Chimpy]

It really depends on what they have to do. If it is just a pull em out with forceps thing, a lot of those people can walk out and drive home and be numb for 24 hours and back to normal. If they are impacted and need all the chisels and hammers, the process is much more happy fun time with equine grade painkillers.

[Arnold]

Wow.  People like you kept me from getting mine pulled for 10 years.  I heard so many horror stories that I just waited until it could not be held off any longer.

My dentist was a cocky son of a bitch, and expensive.  He had a Napoleon complex going on, I think... but god damn, was he good.

I was awake for the whole thing and had to have 2 of the 4 teeth extracted.  No bruises, no swelling, and I went out to eat that very same night, as soon as my mouth stopped bleeding like a mofo.  I wanted a steak, but decided to dial it back a couple notches and got a chicken pasta dish.

I couldn't believe I bought into all those horror stories and waited so long to have the procedure done.

[NowhereMan]

I haven't had my wisdom teeth removed and as far as I can see I don't think they are going to be a problem. Is this a terribly naive view that will result in pain and misery down the road or do wisdom teeth not always need to get yanked?

[Mosesandstick]

I'm pretty sure it depends on their growth. I don't think their growth is ever pleasant but as long as you go for regular dental checkups I think if a problem starts occuring they should removed before there's any real difficulty.

I've had one of my wisdom teeth removed (and I'm 20, don't know if that's young) as it was growing in to another tooth. Very simple operation, dentist applied a local anaesthetic, sawed the tooth in half and removed it. My mouth felt a bit numb and I could've gone back to eating by the end of the day.

Pretty sure the most important thing is to keep up with your dental checkups and get the problem removed early. If you happen to get free dental under the NHS (being a student has benefits...) there's no excuse to not get shit sorted  .

[NowhereMan]

Fair enough, wasn't sure if it was the sort of thing the dentist might try to avoid doing or something. Well aside from a 9 year gap from 8-17 I've been pretty good about dental checkups (I also have no real clue why there was such a huge gap and was pleasantly surprised when I actually went again to only have a routine checkup and be told I was fine).

[Signe]

Your teeth are likely to turn black and fall out by the time you can find an NHS dentist who will actually take on a patient.  Or an NHS dentist at all these days!  As for other dentists - expensive as hell, just like everywhere.  I'll never understand, EVER, why teeth aren't considered part of your body when they need attention.  Everything besides cosmetic should be covered as medical under the NHS or private medical insurance, no?  Having said that, considering the state of teeth in the UK, doing that would probably bankrupt the entire country.

[NowhereMan]

I've got quite a good NHS dentist actually. Of course that's mostly luck since NHS dentists generally are hard to find and harder to get taken on as a patient. Hell Durham didn't have one at all despite having a fairly large hospital, it is indeed whack yo.

[Selby]

I had mine out 3 years ago.  They grew in and there was plenty of room, but 1 just didn't feel like always breaking through the gum and kept getting minor infections and gum irritations.  I eventually just got them out.  I watched the procedure in my dentist's glasses since I wanted to make sure he got the right ones.  It was definitely an interesting thing to see.  My dentist specialized in tooth extraction and told me stories about his days in a Detroit city hospital when people would come in with teeth so horribly rotten all he could do was pull them to avoid the infection from spreading and killing them.  He said he estimated he had pulled over 11,000 teeth in his 35 years of dentistry.  As quickly as he had them out (3 in less than 5 minutes) I didn't doubt him.

Seriously, nothing much to fear unless you have to get the bonesaw out and start cutting.  3 were pulled, one needed a saw.  That one was more sore than the rest.  They had to numb the entire jaw because all of the nerves interact with each other and numbing the very back where the teeth are numbs the rest of your jaw.  I hated the oxycontin painkillers so I stopped taking them after 2 days and just suffered through with Ibuprofen and Tylenol.

[Signe]

I tried to find an NHS dentist who was taking new patients anywhere along the A3 with no luck at all.  Finally, we went to a recommended dentist (not NHS) in Kingston Upon Thames.  Very expensive!  I have to say, however, that the dentist that Righ has here in the US commented on how wonderful the work he had done is - even 14 years later.  I probably won't even bother trying to find one when we go back.  It's too frustrating.

Durham, eh?  Were you in prison?  I bet the NHS covers their teeth!  Bastards.

[apocrypha]

To get an NHS dentist in the UK you have to phone NHS Direct and ask for your local dental referral number. You then phone that number and get on a waiting list that shouldn't be more than 6 weeks.

You'll then get referred to an NHS dentist in your area, although not necessarily very close to you. They will of course be operating out of run-down premises, be massively overworked, understaffed, very demoralised and perform the minimum work on you that they can because they have to see so many patients in such a short time, but you WILL get a referral. Plus the fees they can charge you now are capped at fairly reasonable levels, which I was quite surprised about.

I got lucky and got a referral to an excellent dentist this way, but I know other people who have had bad experiences, but at least you are guaranteed to see a dentist now.

[Signe]

Well, it didn't work 14 years ago and I worked hard to find one!  Luckily, we're older (older doesn't feel lucky!), wiser and richer now and they can shove their NHS dentists up their butts.  I still maintain that dental care should be medical.  Teeth are part of your body!

[Lantyssa]

They're not once they fall out!  You don't see NHS paying for haircuts do you?

[apocrypha]

If you have NHS radio/chemotherapy (well any radio/chemotherapy) all your hair falls out, does that count? 

[Hindenburg]

They're not once they fall out!  You don't see NHS paying for haircuts do you?

Hear hear! Lepers should be kicked out of hospitals!

[Mosesandstick]

The process for finding a NHS dentist was much easier for me  . Imperial College has a dental centre.

[Broughden]

They put me under for it

Lord, I wish they'd done that for me.  I don't know exactly what the dentist was doing, but it felt like he had a crowbar in my mouth trying to bust them loose from my jaw.  There was no pain at all, but the pressure and noises were hideous.

This ^. Same for me. Had all 4 of mine out for free in the military.

[Azaroth]

Enjoy cleaning the holes out with that plastic water needle thing.

[Yoru]

I too got the full anesthetic treatment when I had mine pulled; I remember waking up on a hospital cot and wondering how much I'd been drinking - it felt a lot like waking up an hour after a bender, pre-hangover and sans a jaw. The vicodin made the next work week interesting; I mostly sat around drooling at emails.

My advice to you, Nerf? Avoid rice for a couple weeks. Nothing sucks like having to squirt rice bits out of your holes.

[lamaros]

I found the general anesthetic like nothing I've ever experienced. Like a hole was just cut out of my life. Never had that experience before, and hope it never happens again.