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Wisdom teeth just pulled... What now?

desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
edited March 2010 in Help / Advice Forum
So I just had my top two wisdom teeth pulled. The local anaesthetic has just worn off and now my face is all dull-achey awfulness.

I had gauze in my mouth for 30 mins after the procedure, and given two more 'applications' of gauze. But I don't know when to replace them. When they're full of blood? After 30 minutes? The dentist didn't explain, and I was too concerned with my half-numb face that I forgot to ask.

Once the gauze is gone, am I good to eat stuff like yoghurt and tomato soup?

Really trying to avoid dry socket!

desperaterobots on

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    FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    You will know when to replace the gauze. You do not want it to dry in there though, so just keep an eye on it.

    As for food, you should be good to eat that stuff, just take care. Since they were your top teeth, you have an easier time than if they were your bottoms too. The holes will probably heal quicker, and food won`t stick in there as easily.

    Avoid straws!

    Figgy on
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    NightDragonNightDragon 6th Grade Username Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Don't suck anything through a straw until your gums are fully healed over. Replace the gauze as it becomes gross - full of spit (and useless), full of blood (and gross), and your gums have stopped bleeding.

    I'd wait for an hour or two after the procedure before eating (just because I'm the cautious type :P ) but once the gauze is out I imagine you can have some liquidy foods.

    On another note, I've heard of radically different times for people, in terms of "when they get to eat normal food again". One of my friends was lucky, and was able to do that in 3 days. I had a harder time of it (my jaw muscles locked up, and I could barely get them open for a week and a half) and it took me two full weeks before I was able to eat normal food again.

    I assume you got one of those little syringes, to wash the gum area out with water after eating? Be sure to use that after having any chunky/solid food.

    NightDragon on
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    desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Hmm, no syringe.

    The gauze feels gross right now. But after this, I've only got two more bits of gauze to use.... After that I take it I just have to deal?

    desperaterobots on
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    EshEsh Tending bar. FFXIV. Motorcycles. Portland, ORRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Hmm, no syringe.

    The gauze feels gross right now. But after this, I've only got two more bits of gauze to use.... After that I take it I just have to deal?

    Or you walk to the store and buy some more gauze?

    Esh on
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    FiggyFiggy Fighter of the night man Champion of the sunRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    You only need the gauze until it stops bleeding. You won`t need more than a couple more pieces if you keep each in for a half hour or so.

    Figgy on
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    BelruelBelruel NARUTO FUCKS Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    yeah I was going to come in here and say no straws but others beat me to it.

    Belruel on
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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    Yeah, you won't need it for long, mouths stop bleeding pretty quick. Enjoy the drugs and also all the weird dairyesque desserts you can carry out of Coles.

    Hey, weren't you planning this ages ago and were all nervous? if I'm remembering right, congrats on taking the plunge :) hope the op wasn't too fraught?

    The Cat on
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    desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Yeah I've been putting it off for ages. I got my teeth in a bag. Fucking disgusting.

    The local anesthetic was pretty amazing, it went right up my face and made my eyelids tingle. All I felt was an odd pressure. Took an hour.

    Okay I took out the gauze. Feels okay. One side is all kinds of painful though. Blegh. For some reason I thought I'd need gauze in there for a few days.

    I had them out three hours ago. Reckon a tub of yoghurt would be ok by now?

    desperaterobots on
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    NotYouNotYou Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    It won't be pleasant to eat anything for a while, but that's just how it goes. In the end, don't stress about what's right and what's wrong. The pain will quickly teach you that. Don't worry, you'll be better soon :)

    NotYou on
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    RaekreuRaekreu Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Yeah I've been putting it off for ages. I got my teeth in a bag. Fucking disgusting.

    The local anesthetic was pretty amazing, it went right up my face and made my eyelids tingle. All I felt was an odd pressure. Took an hour.

    Okay I took out the gauze. Feels okay. One side is all kinds of painful though. Blegh. For some reason I thought I'd need gauze in there for a few days.

    I had them out three hours ago. Reckon a tub of yoghurt would be ok by now?

    Yogurt is a good idea. I spent a couple of days eating applesauce and ibuprofen after I had mine pulled. Also as an FYI: DON'T...EAT...SOUP. The salt is all kinds of painful. Did they give you any kind of special mouthwash to use? I got some that was a good 11/10 on the funky taste scale but it kept my teeth astoundingly clean even though I'd been eating sugary food for 3 meals a day and was told not to brush.

    Raekreu on
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    desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Thanks guys. All very helpful!

    desperaterobots on
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    DrFrylockDrFrylock Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    My condolences that your mouth was not up to the task of holding all your teeth. If I were you, I would take this moment to reflect on the fact that your mouth has failed at its primary (and, really, only important) job. What this says about you, I will leave to you to interpret.

    Myself, I have a capacious and majestic mouth that contains every last dentifice in perfect order.

    Friends have told me that lo mein noodles are all right if eaten carefully. I'd avoid the Broccoli though.

    DrFrylock on
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    CuddlyCuteKittenCuddlyCuteKitten Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    You just use the gauze if your bleeding. The important part is that the blood clot on top of the wound does NOT come off mkay? (Dry socket sucks). So as people said no sucking on straws and eat things a little carefully. Other than that over the counter pain killers are more effective than you might think. You can use both paracetamol and NSAID drugs at the same time for combined effect and if you take them at maximum dosage they relive a lot of pain.

    CuddlyCuteKitten on
    waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaow - Felicia, SPFT2:T
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    SanderJKSanderJK Crocodylus Pontifex Sinterklasicus Madrid, 3000 ADRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I don't know about your situation, but when mine were pulled, I had some issues with swallowing. My dentist recommended getting water soluble pain killers. These should be readily available, and I think I used them for 3 days. (First 500mg then 250mg of paracetamol per 4-6 hours).

    Oh, and the bruising / swelling is very visible / sensitive for about 3-4 days too, then takes up to a week to really disappear. This is good to know when planning stuff...

    SanderJK on
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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2010
    Yeah I've been putting it off for ages. I got my teeth in a bag. Fucking disgusting.

    The local anesthetic was pretty amazing, it went right up my face and made my eyelids tingle. All I felt was an odd pressure. Took an hour.

    Okay I took out the gauze. Feels okay. One side is all kinds of painful though. Blegh. For some reason I thought I'd need gauze in there for a few days.

    I had them out three hours ago. Reckon a tub of yoghurt would be ok by now?

    Really? That's awesome, I never got to see mine. Make them into earrings :P

    yeah, you're probably good to eat. I mean, I had all 4 out under a general, but I was home less than two hours after I woke up and didn't have any trouble with my very late, yoghurty breakfast. Apart from not noticing I was drooling the stuff everywhere because my lips were numb...

    The Cat on
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    KitsunaKitsuna Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    In terms of a mouthwash, my dentist recommended 1-2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water. Rinse gently, spit and repeat. It worked wonders at getting rid of little bits of food that might otherwise have gotten into the wounds. Best of all, it's cheap.

    Kitsuna on
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    ElinElin Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Kitsuna wrote: »
    In terms of a mouthwash, my dentist recommended 1-2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in a glass of warm water. Rinse gently, spit and repeat. It worked wonders at getting rid of little bits of food that might otherwise have gotten into the wounds. Best of all, it's cheap.

    This, but don't swish it in your mouth like you normally would, the sucking action could pull your clots out. Half fill your mouth and tilt it about to rinse. Avoid spitting as well.

    Elin on
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    SpacemilkSpacemilk Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I don't know if anyone has said this yet but I was told not to drink carbonated beverages, as the carbonation can cause the clots to fall out. (yeowch)

    I first changed my gauze when I could feel it go "squish squish" in my mouth... I probably waited too long but I was completely out of it from anesthesia for a good 3-4 hours after the operation.

    Noodles and yogurt are good to eat; you can eat stuff like rice but watch out, it can get stuck back there. It's mostly helpful to eat stuff that you don't have to chew much. Bananas are good too.

    If you've just come out of surgery today, keep ice on it to keep the swelling down. The bruising/swelling is really the worst part. (god I looked like a chipmunk for an entire week)

    Spacemilk on
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    Free HotelFree Hotel Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Everyone recovers differently. I got mine out (all four, bottom two impacted quite badly) just about a month ago and I was able to fully open my mouth without feeling it in my jaw just last week. I'm still not eating any crunchy foods (chips, pretzels, etc.) because I'm a cautious dude, and for the first week or so I survived on ramen, spaghetti, eggs, and yoghurt. DO NOT DRINK THROUGH A STRAW. Otherwise, just chill out (I got lucky that I got mine out during reading week and the Olympics, so just full-time HD sports and Tylenol), it sucks for a little bit but you'll be back to normal soon. Good luck

    Free Hotel on
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    CuddlyCuteKittenCuddlyCuteKitten Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    To be fair most people responding here seem to have had the worst healing possible. In general it's not that big of a deal and the worst pain will be over in a few days as well as the swelling.

    It also depends immensely if you had surgery or not. If they just "pulled them out" (the root anatomy was forgiving) then the healing period isn't really any longer than for a normal tooth. My last patient I extracted on for example said he was feeling better after just half a day or so and he had no swelling and no trouble eating at all. Just make sure the blood clot stays in place. :)

    If you have to use surgery (IE: incision on the gingiva and then use a drill to remove bone) because your roots are fucked up then it might be a bit worse. This is all individual as well. Some people who have to go under general anesthesia and get their teeth pulled by oral surgeons heal remarkably well, others take a bit longer.

    CuddlyCuteKitten on
    waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaow - Felicia, SPFT2:T
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    kaliyamakaliyama Left to find less-moderated fora Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I got them out, went home, took a vicodin, woke up, and was pretty much fine.

    kaliyama on
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    darkmayodarkmayo Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    DrFrylock wrote: »
    My condolences that your mouth was not up to the task of holding all your teeth. If I were you, I would take this moment to reflect on the fact that your mouth has failed at its primary (and, really, only important) job. What this says about you, I will leave to you to interpret.

    Myself, I have a capacious and majestic mouth that contains every last dentifice in perfect order.

    Friends have told me that lo mein noodles are all right if eaten carefully. I'd avoid the Broccoli though.

    I think I can safely speak for everyone here who has "enjoyed" the dentist, that we hate you with all our hearts. :)

    darkmayo on
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    kitchkitch Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I got my bottom-right wisdom tooth removed a few weeks ago. The only food I avoid now is stuff like broccoli because it gets all kinds of stuck in the hole.

    When I first got it pulled, it took about 4 hours for it to stop bleeding. I was prescribed percocet and ibuprofen, and didn't really need the percocet since my tooth came out really easy. Didn't even swell.

    Also I recommend the salt + warm water rinse.

    kitch on
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    VeeveeVeevee WisconsinRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    In the future, I would recommend having a discussion like this with the person performing such a procedure before having it done, so you don't run into the problem of forgetting afterwards.

    Edit: I'd offer more relevant advice to the problem at hand, but I've always had good luck with dental procedures and everyone else has it pretty well covered. Once had to have a tooth removed with a pair of dental pliers, just a little novacaine at the time of procedure and no pain after.

    Veevee on
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    Patrick RipollPatrick Ripoll Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Watch The Warriors.

    Patrick Ripoll on
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    Namel3ssNamel3ss Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I have to have this done at the end of the month as well.

    I plan on taking a couple days off work and just laying on the couch, playing Final Fantasy 13 and taking it easy.

    Namel3ss on
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    etdragonetdragon Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    All good advice in this thread so far especially telling you to avoid straws.

    I had a rough experience with my wisdom teeth because I had all 4 removed at once (and all were impacted) and I was prescribed percocet for the pain. I discovered I was allergic to percocet that day which was miserable. If you aren't in a tremendous amount of pain I had good luck with taking Advil to reduce the swelling instead of taking a heavy duty pain killer.

    I think I was able to eat solid foods again after about a day but I was super careful about cleaning the areas where the wisdom teeth had been. It's been a while but I believe my oral surgeon recommended I do that with slightly salty water.

    etdragon on
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    desperaterobotsdesperaterobots perth, ausRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Well, I've been eating yoghurt, soup and mashed up avocado. Not simultaneously. The tooth that was harder to extract has left a more irritating wound apparently. I have explored the area with my tongue very tenderly and it's a big globby clotty gooey mess. I'm super paranoid about dislodging any clots so I think I'll hold off rinsing until tomorrow.

    No major pain or swelling. All seems to be going good. I don't know if I should keep the half-rotten mostly-eroded teeth that were pulled, because I might get the urge to show them to someone, and then they might never speak to me again...

    desperaterobots on
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    CuddlyCuteKittenCuddlyCuteKitten Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I hand out pre written notes. Most dentists should have something similar or they can take the few minutes of their time it takes to actually write the important information down for you.

    CuddlyCuteKitten on
    waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaow - Felicia, SPFT2:T
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    RaneadosRaneados police apologist you shouldn't have been there, obviouslyRegistered User regular
    edited March 2010
    oh and if you smoke

    DON'T

    at least for a few days

    basically do nothing that decreases pressure in your mouth

    Raneados on
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    ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Oh man, I had four impacted wisdom teeth pulled on Wednesday. My doctor said I couldn't keep them, I was very sad.
    Oatmeal, yogurt, those tubs of pre-made mashed potatoes, delicious bolthouse farms drinks for your good vitamins
    It took me about 5 days before I felt like I could leave the house. Don't take any pain medication on an empty stomach. It is not 7 days since I had them pulled and I'm still a little sore, but healing and chewing fine.
    After two days, rinse with salt water after every meal for a week. Buy a baby tooth brush (super soft) to brush with until you get the balls to go back to something a bit more firm.

    Improvolone on
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    Mom2KatMom2Kat Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    He He He I got to keep all 10 they yanked from my upper jaw for my denture. they are still in a cup by the sink. I pull the cup out when the daughter gets cranky about taking care of her teeth. Its neat cause one has a stainless steel cap on it and one has some bone still attached. If you do want to keep soak in a weak bleach solution to kill any tissue or stuff still on it so they don't rot.

    As fo actually usefull stuff, pretty much everyone has covered it. I had 10 taken out with novocaine and Nitrous Oxide. My dentist forgot to prescribe me something to take before , as he was supprised I was so upreight when I got there. But it was fine. After having 10 out I went home and had a 2 hour nap, washed the bloody drool off the towels I warpped and pined on my pillow, took the t-3s for a few hours. Mostly I found Advil (ibproufen) helped the most. I took the day of and 2 days after off work. Just avoid toast and crunchy stuff so you are not lacerating allready inflamed tissues. I was eating pretty much normally after a few days. The neatest thing was before the gums closed was running my tongue across my jaw and feeling the holes and bone. But then my husband says I am wierd.

    Mom2Kat on
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    ImprovoloneImprovolone Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    Oh, and a frozen bag of peas against your face to reduce swelling, don't ice for more than 15 mins at a time (if you can even make it that long)

    Improvolone on
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    kitchkitch Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    etdragon wrote: »
    I discovered I was allergic to percocet.

    Oh, yeah. This is a heads up too. Even if you're not allergic, Percocet can still make you itchy because it releases histamine.

    Before I knew about this, I woke up one morning with scratches all over.

    kitch on
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    nukanuka What are circles? Registered User regular
    edited March 2010
    I took vicoden when I had my wisdom teeth pulled and I vomited until I switched over to percoset instead, so be careful when you take your pain killers. D:

    nuka on
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