Wisdom Teeth Extraction!

[kval07]

Originally Posted by meems I worked the day after having mine removed, yes they were impacted..no meds...looked a little funny with my chipmonk cheeks..

Don't know if anyone would have noticed me. I always have chubby cheeks! I never lost that baby fat there.

[meems]

LOL! I ready your reply then read your new avatar...you look like you've been ^5'd in the cheeks?

Impacted basically means they are not up above the gums & have to be cut out instead of just pulled.

[shetlandponyluvr]

I had all 4 out at once, the bottom 2 were impacted. Vidocin was my very best friend in the world for about a week.

[katey66]

My ex-H had one of his removed that was vertical. They had to "slice" the gum to get it out.
As for putting you out, not sure if they will or not. I have gotten up to 4 pulled at a time, and they only used novocaine. That is probably up to you and the dentist. Wouldn't hurt to make sure before your appt. so you can make some arrangements if needed.
Also, don't laugh, but baby food would also work for you. It is completely "smooshed" up, and at least you'd get some protein and some really good desserts. The Hawiian Delight is really good if I remember right, been 17 years since my DD's have had that.
And you may get some coupons for it, and won't be too expensive at least for the first day or so.

[elizabethm]

I'll spare you the details on mine but I brought my mother to drive me home and she couldn't drive my car so I had to drive Florham Park to Union County in rush hour! Not fun.

Good choice getting all 4 done at one time though, seriously.

I'd say be careful of Spaghetti-O's and other chunky food as it can get caught in the holes (YMMV). And depending on the pain killer, you might want to get a diet shake pack (Slim Fast/Atkins) so your tummy has some "food" in it before you take the pain killer. As a PP said though, no straw so put it in a glass.

[Sweet_Southern_Mama]

Don't do too much the day after . . . and especially don't get hot! I got mine done and felt fine . . . no pain, nothing! The next day I decided to go to my little bro's football scrimmage (in September) and ended up sitting in the heat all day. I felt like I was dying for three days after that! You may not feel like you need to but rest if you can or you may pay later !

[Jillibean]

Dental hygienist here - HI! After looking at your x-ray, your 3rd molars should be pretty straight forward for an oral surg. The one on your lower left (lower right as you are looking at the x-ray) would be the only one that would be even a slight challenge for an experienced oral surg. I think you will do great. The younger you are when you have them removed, the easier it is for you to recover also. Follow the directions of the surgeon religiously and you should not have a problem. Take the meds they give you. They help a lot. Also, have someone who can help take care of you for the first day or two. You will do great, I'm sure.

[Madayena]

3 are impacted then, and one is barely poking through... partially impacted? =/

They will be knocking me out... No food and water 8hrs prior~! Should be good though, appt is in the late morning so I should be able to eat normal the night before...

I just got back from the store and used up my yogurt Q's, stocked up on some cheap yogurt =)

[bessiemae]

Our dentist recommended 3 Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen) and 2 extra strength Tylenol (acetaminophen) every 6 hours for at least 2 days. He gave a prescription for Vicodan ES if that was not working, but you can not take the Tylenol and Vicodan as they both contain acetaminophen, you have to take one or the other.
There is also a homeopathic that my family and friends that use it swear by. It is Arnica Montana 30x and they are little tablets that dissolve under the tongue. We take 4 every 4 hours until the swelling/pain is gone. This can be taken with the other meds. It is inexpensive and can be used for instances that have swelling, bruising or muscle pain. You can get it in a place that sells homeopathic or natural type meds.
Also ice (a bag of frozen peas works well) applied on and off and keeping you head elevated on a couple of pillows. Make sure that you protect your pillow with a towel. as drooling some blood is normal.
All of the other people's suggestions are good too.
Good luck. I am sure that you will do fine.

[terrisue]

One thing I would recommend is planning on resting when you get home, but have someone wake you at the time you should take your next dose of pain meds. If you are taking them every 6 hours, but end up sleeping 8 hours, you will wake up in pain and it seems like the pain meds will be less effective. The first day at least, I would take the pain meds as often as prescribed, whether you are in much pain or not. I also agree with the ice. Normally, I would also recommend taking ibuprofen before you head to the office, but since you have to be without food/drink 8 hours prior, that won't be very helpful--but for normal dental procedures where you will be injected, I find it to be a good idea to do that. You will likely be sore for a few days, however, if you find that you are in a lot of pain that gets worse instead of better--be sure to call the oral surgeon, as a complication called a dry socket is not uncommon. I'm sure this is going to be much easier than you expect--good luck!