With the extra paycheck from the IRS showing up this Friday, I decided to spend it on finally having my 3 remaining wisdom teeth pulled. I had one out when I was 18 with just Novocaine, and it was an awful experience. The dentist used too little of the drug and I was in pain the entire time. I had actual nightmares for a year afterward.
So here I am at 22, needing to have the other three pulled out, and I'm more than a little nervous. I really want to have general anesthesiology, but am worried about the cost. All of my extra funds are currently tied up in savings for PAX (of course). The dentist I have now is very nice, and seems trustworthy, but he only uses Novocaine. Would it be worth it to go to a stranger and be practically asleep through it, or should I cowboy up and go to the nice dentist I know with just topical numbing? What is the cost difference?
Edit: Oops, this is Korriander. I forgot to log Shade out before posting.
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Personally, I, for one, would prefer the Novocaine, because I fucking hate the side effects of the anesthesia.
If you do end up with local anesthetic, though you should request nitrous oxide. Its a mild very temporary high, and it takes away a huge amount of the anxiety that builds traumatic dentistry. Again, I don't know how much it costs (my dentist is a personal friend and doesn't bill me!), but its probably much cheaper than getting the sleepy needle.
You will be really cranky for the next couple of days, just a heads-up.
anywho, I've always had novacaine and never had a problem. I mean, not a physical problem, just mental ones because I verge on being phobic about dentist work beyond a basic cleaning. Throwing up post-tooth extraction just doesn't sound like fun and most folk in my family get really nauseous from general, I figured I shouldn't bother with it (plus hereabouts only an oral surgeon can put you under general, and that's a 1-2 year waiting list)
B.net: Kusanku
This man speaks the truth. I had two wisdom teeth out a few years back and had gas with it, and that almost made the overall experience worthwhile.
I blinked and the operation was over. I went home with minimal pain and went to sleep. Teeth were fine afterwards. I only took the pills because my doctor said I should.
I'm allergic to painkillers. I threw up.
The pain was not bad enough to take painkillers.
I do not know if this would have been true had I gone the only Novocaine route.
No insurance?
The general consensus seems to be getting the gas. Anyone know what that costs, though? My insurance will cover 60%, either way.
I'm very good at dentists -- none of it bothers me. The smell of teeth being drilled, the pulling sensation and having your head moved around by the interior of your jaw, the shot of novocaine, I'm cool with all of it. I know they're doing good work and they're going to make my mouth better in the end. I still wanted to be knocked out, though, because it's like 15 minutes a tooth at minimum, so in your case that's 45 minutes of work. That's a long-ass time.
From a pain perspective, there wasn't any. However it was far from being a comfortable experience as I could still feel the pressure and sound from cracking/drilling the teeth (mine were impacted). Like Doc said, I was pretty damn cranky afterwards and despite the fact that I did nothing but sit on a table the whole time I was pretty exhausted too.
Judging by your experience from your first tooth, you'd probably be much happier going under rather than being awake the whole time.
I'm up in Canada like Arch Guru, but the injected general anesthetic I was originally going to have was around 100$ if I remember correctly.
That said, I 100% agree with AngelHedgie on who should do the surgery. Your dentist might be great, but imo they should be referring you to an oral surgeon for wisdom teeth removal.
Getting knocked out is the best. Do that shit.
EDIT: Then again, the oral surgeon knew my dad so didn't charge us for the anesthesia, so I guess... I dunno if it'd be worth it.
This is not true. I had my final 3 wisdom teeth pulled out 2 weeks ago and while my ortho was explaining methods of anesthesiology, he told me that the IV drip fucks with your memory making you forget what just happened. You are completely awake the whole time, you just don't care that some dude is clawing at your teeth. Personally, anything that fucks with your brain is not ok with me. I chose to go with the local and had absolutely no problems whatsoever.
Agreed 100%. In fact, I'm told that nowadays regardless of the ease of wisdom teeth removal, most dentists won't remove them, instead referring you to an oral surgeon.
Which ever way you choose, be sure to follow the mouthwashing instructions. No one wants to get absess. Also they will probably give you dissolvable stiches. those last about 1 and a half to 2 weeks. Or at least mine did. NO STRAWS FOR A WEEK TOO.
There's local anesthetic, which is novocaine or lidocaine.
Then there's IV sedation (aka "twilight sleep"), which is usually valium + demerol or something similar. You're awake for the procedure but high as fuck and you can't feel a thing.
And then here's general anesthesia (which also involves an IV) where you're totally unconscious.
I went with IV sedation, because it was cheaper than GA. I'm glad I did. I was up and on my feet and walking around within 20 minutes, and by an hour later I was fully cognizant. There was no pain during the procedure. I was awake, and I could hear the dentist talking and I could hear the saw going, but I didn't care - I was in a state of complete zen.
The out of pocket cost for me with Delta Dental was about $300. Had I lacked insurance, it would have been around $1600. Keep in mind that this is in downtown San Francisco, it would probably be cheaper in Spokane. Getting general anesthesia would have added another $2000 to that total.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I have had a friend who's teeth were taken out on his parent's kitchen table because it was an easy extraction and his mother is a dentist.
I had a nerve running directly underneath mine and my dentist wasn't comftable in doing it. He refered me to an oral surgeon. I had an IV of stuff and it was literally like I just wasn't paying attention and the entire time just flew by, I was awake and I can remember them vaugely poking around, but it was like reading a book with the tv on, you are only vaugely aware of what is going on on the tv.
Have a chat with your dentist about how complicated he expects the procedure to be, if he thinks it's just an easy job, go with the novacaine, if he things it would be something more complicated go see a dental surgeon and get drugged up propper.
Satans..... hints.....
If your more comfortable you can ask your dentist to refer you to an oral surgeon and have light sedation there. Most dentist do not have the training/equipment for more than novocain.
I myself have had two half impacted (the front half of my top wisdm teeth came in the back half stayed impacted) wisdom teeth removed with novocain and the dental equivalent of hammer and chisel. I personally had no problem with it besides some tugging and looking like the Dentist had roughed me up from teh blood. However my dentisit is in my opinion excellent and I have fallen asleep during 3 seperate root canals. (what else are you gonna do for 1.5 while ever thing is numb?)
I don't know where you are, but if you are in BC I do know that if it is bbad enough and your dentist has hospital rights as well as thinks it warrents it, you can have it done in a hospital covered under MSP.
As for the operation, I had novocaine. I had a severely impacted lower right wisdom tooth, they had to open the gum, crush the tooth, and extract it piece by piece. You mostly can't tell what's going on, but you feel pressure when they're cutting you open and you hear the crunch. You can also swallow a certain quantity of blood during the operation if it gets around the dam. So if you're queasy in any way, or ever have been in the past, you might really consider going under.
I'm against doing so whenever unnecessary because it's generally a royal pain in the ass and has certain risks that I feel to be unnecessary. Personally I'd repeat my decision to stay awake for the procedure, even though the surgeon had bad popular country music playing for the whole time I was in there (it's not a short procedure, mine clocked at around 45 minutes).
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
You don't want it done in a hospital. They're less used to working with mouths and you can expect bruising, and more stitches and a generally less clean job.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
It was a really tricky extraction for which I had to go to a dental university hospital rather than a normal dentist. It took a few hours, and I kept watching the dentist go change his mask, hat, and goggles, because my blood getting all over everything.
However, there was no pain.
As others have said, if you have a local and then there's some pain, let the dentist know.
And then they'll sort you out.
If you're squeamish about blood etc then get the sedation. But don't do it because you think there'll be pain otherwise.
My only problem is that last time I HAD a local do it, I DID let him know I was in pain, and he told me to shut up and hold still.
Its really not a good idea to post as if this is inevitable. I've never had a reaction to knockout, either the full general or the other method they use for wisdom teeth (eggy explained it in alyce's thread).