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My mouth is in a whole new world of hurt *URGENT*
AlyceInWonderland
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Wisdom teeth. Uhg. Yep, they're coming in, and yep, I have to get them removed because they're impacted. I had X-rays done a couple of months ago of these babies, and he said it wasn't urgent and I could take my time. But now, I think it's starting to become urgent. A hole has opened in my gum where my tooth is coming in, and food gets caught in it (that's just mildly annoying, as I gotta fish it out with a tooth pick. Gross), bu that's not the problem.
I'm experiencing horrible, terrible pain in my mouth where they're coming in. It's to the point where I don't even want to eat because the food just stings, or lacerates the gums, or just fucking hurts if I put any pressure on it. Even laying down on my side hurts like crazy, and I have to force my self to sleep on my back.
I've noticed that the gums where the bottom teeth are coming in are very swollen as well.
I've made an appointment for May 6th to get these babies ripped out of my face, but i'm wondering if there's a possibility that the pain is coming from infection, or if it's just from "teething". That's pretty much the only time I can have them taken out, cause I have finals all next week and can't afford to miss any days, but I'm afraid that the pain is telling me that it's getting really urgent...
So...there are a couple things I'm wondering. First, how in the world can I temporarily relieve the pain (I've been taking pain relievers, but they barely do anything)?
Second, I'm wondering about the procedure... I've had two teeth pulled before, but I think this is going to be quite different. Is it very painful? Is there anything I really shouldn't do after the surgery? What the fuck are 'dry sockets'
??
I would appreciate it if people could share their experiences too. I Know it's a very common procedure, but I can't help but be nervous.
Thanks! I really appreciate it.
I'm experiencing horrible, terrible pain in my mouth where they're coming in. It's to the point where I don't even want to eat because the food just stings, or lacerates the gums, or just fucking hurts if I put any pressure on it. Even laying down on my side hurts like crazy, and I have to force my self to sleep on my back.
I've noticed that the gums where the bottom teeth are coming in are very swollen as well.
I've made an appointment for May 6th to get these babies ripped out of my face, but i'm wondering if there's a possibility that the pain is coming from infection, or if it's just from "teething". That's pretty much the only time I can have them taken out, cause I have finals all next week and can't afford to miss any days, but I'm afraid that the pain is telling me that it's getting really urgent...
So...there are a couple things I'm wondering. First, how in the world can I temporarily relieve the pain (I've been taking pain relievers, but they barely do anything)?
Second, I'm wondering about the procedure... I've had two teeth pulled before, but I think this is going to be quite different. Is it very painful? Is there anything I really shouldn't do after the surgery? What the fuck are 'dry sockets'
??I would appreciate it if people could share their experiences too. I Know it's a very common procedure, but I can't help but be nervous.
Thanks! I really appreciate it.
AlyceInWonderland on
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Are they giving you a local? putting your half-under? or are you going all the way out?
I let them put me completely under and it was amazing, goto sleep > wake up > go home > goto sleep.
The first thing I said to my mom when I was in the recovery room was to tell my fiance that I wouldn't wake up.
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I only had one wisdom tooth, and my dentist was amazing; after the novocaine, he made a show of packing in the gauze to keep my jaw open, really stuffing it up in there.
Then he said he was done, because he was, and the packing feeling was him doing a crackenextract in one swift move. He is a freaking magician, and I would have his children.
Also, he has the most amazing eyes. Big brown and friendly. I think that's important in a dentist. Y'know, for when the drilling starts.
I was put under completely; first some gas (which was awesome) and then a general. I don't remember waking up and going back to the car, which may be a good thing. Apparenty I was upset that they didn't save my teeth and they had to take me out a back door as to not upset the people in the waiting room.
If you're nervous about dentists you might ask for a calming agent before hand. I had valium, because I'm nearly phobic about dentists. I did have to come in an hour early and pay extra for it though, so keep that in mind (assuming your dentist isn't knocking you out entirely, which they don't do here unless you see the oral surgeon and that's a year long waiting list unless you fork out an extra $700)
Post-surgery, follow the guidelines the dentist sets. Change your gauze when it gets blood-filled. DO NOT sleep with the gauze in your mouth, it will make it harder for your body to form the necessary clots. Sleep upright for the first couple nights if you can, at least for while you're mouth is bleeding. I kept a small cup nearby overnight for the first couple nights as I still seeped blood slowly, enough that I'd wake up with some in my mouth and wanted it out right away (tastes way more metallic than blood normally does, and just generally extra icky)
Stay with soft foods. Don't suck on straws, don't suck on anything, don't smoke anything, don't poke at the clot, don't eat sharp/crunchy foods for the first while, etc. If you're still bleeding noticeably during teh first day, you can bite on a moistened tea bag (regular tea, like red rose brand or whatever) as the tannic acid there will help make you form a clot. Tastes gross though, just to warn you
If you're face is swollen (as often happens) you can use a frozen icebag intermittently. Just don't use it all the time, like 10min 10min off is ideal. Brush the rest of your teeth as normally as you can. You can rinse your mouth with a saline solution (salt and water, about as salty as you can stand) and then rinse with water to clear out the excess salt to help keep it clean. I would wait a few days on the salt solution though, at least until your clots are secure. DO NOT SWISH in your mouth with clots still, just tilt your head to make the salty water reach most of your mouth
If your jaw isn't opening as far as normal post-surgery, it's probably because your teeth were a whore to get out. When you're feeling up to it, open your mouth as much as you can. Then use your hands to stretch your jaw a little more. Do this regularly and your mouth will be normal within a few weeks (for opening that is). This problem only occurred for me when I had my last two pulled, not for the first two, so it's probably not horribly common. Also, if you get a hard ball in your jaw post-surgery, it's probably just some blood pooled under the gumline and saline solutions regularly (like, 10-30 min) will help draw it out faster.
Follow the dentist's instructions for pain killers. I was told to take extra strength ibuprofen in slightly larger doses than normal. I was mostly fine between two surgeries, save for when I did apparently get a touch of dry socket (which meant, eat drugs try to sleep, eat drugs try to sleep so that I could ignore the pain)
Stick with soft foods for about as long as you can stomach having such a bland diet. Sharp foods will hurt yer gums more and make it harder to heal
I was awake when they pulled mine. 3 of them came out fine and were easy to pull. The last one though had to be cut out. It wasn't bad at all cus I didn't feel a thing. If you want to be asleep for the whole thing it costs another 300-400 dollars and thats not worth it. I had some rancid ass breath though cus of the infection though.
You know, I have no idea. I kind of wanna go all the way out. I figure it would be best, and would feel faster. I don't know, I gotta talk to my dentist more, I guess.
Thank you guys so much for all the awesome advice. Seriously. This is really helpful!
EDIT: Wakkawa: Whiskey, really? Never thought of that. I gotta check if my parents have some in the house, but if not, then I'm out of luck.
Actually, to be quite honest, I'm looking forward to lazing about after they get taken out.
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How early is the average age to get them in?
I think I've got a ways to go, seeing as I'm fourteen, but, I hate mouth pain and this thought terrifies me.
It varies, but I believe for most people you'll have them coming in by 25 or so at the latest.
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around 16 or 17 they start being noticeable. It's best to get them pulled earlier than later, but apparently after about 23/24 it doesn't make much of a difference - they'll be obnoxious regardless
My wisdom teeth never really hurt, but I knew my jaw was too darned small for them plus they were impacted. The one side put pressure enough on my teeth that it felt like I had a cavity (sensitivity to sweets mainly) in one tooth, but it was just the pressure (hurrah no fillings)
As far as I understand it, most people don't experience as much pain as the OP is - that's fairly rare. It happens, but it's more common to have very mild pain or no pain at all. The post op pain, well, that's different from person to person. I took a while to recover and was in a fair amount of pain, some people are fine within like 24 hours. I also think that the more impacted your teeth are, the more traumatic the surgery, and thus the more pain and longer recuperation time. But, that's personal opinion
I'm sure I'll be needing it eventually then.
Sorry to hijack the topic.
But god damnit
I still have mine, and I'm 24. My great-uncle, an old WW2 army facial surgeon / dentist, saw little evidence that they'd cause much problem so long as I made sure to brush that far back and use mouthwash regularly. My childhood dentist, who used to take sheep, chickens, and lawn-mowing for the summer as payments if money was tight, said the same. My new dentist took one look at my mouth, saw the wisdom teeth, asked why they weren't out, and tryed to schedule a surgery with the local surgeon before I told him not to bother (it doesn't help that the local oral surgeon is the father of my stuck-up ex-gf).
My point is, unless you have access to an old school dentist, you're probably going to have to get them removed no matter what. It's basically part of growing up, these days.
I had local, and it was pretty cool. Though for mine (I only had one) all he had to do was dig in there and yank it out (no real surgery.) It was kinda cool though, he basically went to town on the back of my mouth and all you could feel was some pressure - no pain at all. Basically it just felt like somebody was probing around in there. IMO it was better than being knocked out - no haze afterwards.
Yeah, you'll probably need them out, unfortunately. I have a very small jaw, and before they started coming in, I basically thought there was no friggun way they were going to fit, cause there was no room.
Good luck to you in the future though, and I certainly hope you don't have this much pain (or any at all, really)!
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That's "IV sedation," and I recommend the OP ask about it since the pain is bad even when nothing's going on. I've had it too, and it makes ugly dental procedures barely unpleasant at all. You feel really dizzy and weird for a second when the drug kicks in, and then you just relax and mentally check out, not feeling any pain while they do the dirty work. I hate drugs, but this is totally worth it. Drawback is, don't even think about driving, biking, etc for the rest of that day. Make arrangements with someone to transport you, so you keep it safe.
Mine was $1500 CAD, but I was put under general anesthetic. The longer you wait, the greater the chance of complications and the greater the expense. Impacted wisdom teeth are roughly double what normal wisdom teeth are just for the extraction, never mind the general anesthetic itself (if needed) which costs an arm and a leg. So the sooner you deal with it the cheaper it will be.
It was at the hospital, out-patient surgury. They wheeled me into the operating room, I remember the guy asking me if I had ever broken any bones, and the next thing I know its 3 hours later and the automatic blood pressure cuff squeezing the hell outta my arm is what woke me up.
All 4 of mine were impacted, growing completely sideways. The post-op painkillers they game me were too powerful and just made me nauseous. Ibuprofin was all I took. Ate only cooled off chicken noodle soup for about a week. Rarely left my bed.
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Okay, so, question. What are the best painkilers to take NOW. My teeth are starting to bother me even more (Especially in the morning), and I hate the constant ache and sharp pains when I eat. (I just bought like 40 cans of soup.)
Also, I think the infection is going to my ear now. It really hurts. What in the world can I do for that? Infections make me nervous...
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Also, I'm told not to eat ice cream. Cold and hot stuff is out, since the nerves back there may be a bit exposed and sensitive, so room temperature or warm food/drink is the way to go apparently.
What worries me is numbness in the bottom right of my lips, extending down my chin. I was told before surgery that there's a 1% chance that some nerves will be touched on by the root of your teeth coming out, and this can cause numbness in some cases lasting up to a few months. Even permanent, although that's much rarer than 1%. A dentist friend approved the oral surgeon I was going to though so I'd be surprised if I was in that 1% and I had damage, but, y'know, it is a bit worrying.
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Your best bet for OTC pain killers is ibuprofen, as it can help both the pain and the swelling. You can GENERALLY take up to 600 mg at a time 3 times a day (many people even more), but you should start with 400 mg (the maximum recommended OTC dose, usually 2 caplets) and then go up in 100-200 mg increments if it isn't working. Always take it with food or at least milk. If you experience anything like stomach upset, nausea, or diarrhea, STOP taking it. Ibuprofen is a pretty forgiving drug, but don't go overboard. If 600 mg isn't working or you are sensitive to it, don't try to take large doses of other stuff, either. You can also try local oral anasthetics like Orajel (benzocaine / lidocaine), but these hardly last long and the temptation to take way too much over the course of a day is strong. Finally, you can always suck on ice and/or put a cold compress to the side of your face.
Really, though, ask your doctor. He may just tell you a variation of the above, he may write you a prescription for 600-800 mg ibuprofen horse-pills, or if you're lucky or a really sad-sap, he'll try to get you something a bit stronger. Also mention the ear discomfort to him; while it probably is the swelling of your jaw causing some strain or pressure, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Unless the pain is so bad that it can't be (mostly) killed by a few capsules of ibuprofen or acitomenophen I don't think you should be worried.
OP you have pericorinitis, or an infection around the gums of your wisdom teeth. I had a longer reply written out then lost it so this will have to do. If you go to your dentist with that infection he'll presccribe you antimicrobials, flagyl/metronidazole for 5 days, which you can't take alchohol with, incidentally.
Alternatively and without medication:
Step 1: Clean behind your last standing molar teeth, underneath the swollen gums, with a toothbrush and floss. Yes, im aware this hurts, but food/bugs trapped there is what is causing you the pain.
Step 2: Use mouthwash, corsodyl/chlorhexidine is the agent of choice (short term use only), but anything baderiocidal will do.
Will this infection get worse? No, it's self limiting in people with average immune systems.
Will this effect your operation? Theoretically, an infection will make healing worse. In practice, a mouthrinse pre/post surgery will keep the area as clean as possible.
What is dry socket? It occurs 3 days post-op if your socket-clot falls out. Causes are sucking/playing with clot. Risk factors are the Pill, SMOKING. It hurts like hell, will take a week to recover from it, requires antibiotics and re-cleaning/re-packing of wound by dentist, should it occur. Follow the dentists advice -> Probably wont happen. Worth avoiding, i repeat, this is one of the worst pains you can get (deep seated osteomyelitis).
What is the operation? Under local anaesthetic normally, from the sound of it (depends on where the teeth are tilted), your dentist will cut a 'flap' of gum above the tooth, drill the tooth into two bits, remove the two bits of tooth, and suture the gum together. It takes ~15 minutes per tooth, but it can take up to 30 with difficult teeth. You won't feel pain, you will feel pressure/pulling/cold water.
Risks post-op: Soreness, swelling, dry socket. Altered sensation in tongue/chin/lips, depending on how close the root is to the nerve. Roots unable to be removed -> possible infection, needs regular review/extraction when possible.
Hope that helped
If that happens, the only thing I would say that helps is get a kitten. Made me feel better, hah.
ouchies. If you end up having problems clotting, you can try biting on a black tea bag (moistened) - the tannic acid in it (I think it's tannic at least) helps make your blood clot up.
people can also have milder cases of dry socket, where the clot doesn't fully cover the whole, or has partially come loose but not totally disappeared. Apparently I had this happen, which is why I was in more pain on the 4th, 5th and 6th days post-surgery than I was earlier on. Woulda been nice to have some stronger drugs then, but generally extra-strength ibuprofen is sufficient
Make sure they knock you out for the surgery. It's worth it. I had general anesthesia - sat in the chair, got gassed, and woke up at home. No worries until the drugs wore off. A close friend had local or just gas or something - very, very bad experience.
Spoilered for unpleasantness:
Your mileage may vary, of course, but why take the chance?
Afterwards - pain killers. Lots. When I had mine out, and they were quite badly impacted, I went: Vicodin (didn't work), Vicodin Extra Strength (still didn't work), Percocet (worked... and how). Plus Valium to sleep.
Assuming the worst (as was my case) plan for at least a week of recuperation. Then again, I've had other friends who've had them out, and been in top form two or three days later.
Hope you can get the pain taken care of, and best wishes for the surgery.
Haha!! That would have been nice...
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No insurance + tight money = investigate low-income assistance available in your area. Check 'community health clinics,' look for teaching hospitals where they'll give you a discount for letting the students do the work on you, etc. Sometimes this stuff isn't the easiest to find on your own and you have to ask around to medical professionals, but it's worth a try.
I don't remember anything but walking into the office in the morning, and being wheeled out to the car when it was over. I woke up the next day with a decent amount of pain, but the hydrocodone works wonders for that.
All 3 of mine were impacted and had to be broken up. Even with that, it was the most painless dental procedure I've ever had, I've had cavities drilled that hurt worse.
Follow the instructions about avoiding dry-socket, and you'll be back to normal in a couple days (I felt like going to work even with the packing in my bottom socket, but was encouraged not to).
Good luck, also I recommend get a dental check up few months later. I went to get my teeth checked after my wisdom teeth surgery, I had so much cavities and problems due to pressure.
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Adhoc- Yes, your post helped BUNCHES. I plan on getting that mouth wash today and hopefully the infection will go away. Thank you so much.
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Funny story (and this may sound gruesome so beware). After I had mine taken out I was a bit loopy but I went through and signed all the forms, answered their questions etc. Namely by nodding my head. I couldn't really speak because my mouth was filling up with blood. By the time my father and I got to the car my mouth was completely full. You're not supposed to spit after the procedure (negative pressure leads to dry socket) so all I could do was sort of lean over and open my mouth - releasing a waterfall of blood. It was so very satisfying.
Then I looked up and saw another teenager who was likely going in to have the same thing done to me. The look on his face after seeing the horror show I just put on was priceless. My father was almost crying with laughter.
Anywho, like I said above. It's a simple procedure and you shouldn't worry at all. The drugs honestly make the whole procedure seem like it takes no more than a minute.
While i'm sure it wasn't the same as wisdom teeth, I had to have 4 of my permanent teeth taken out when I was about 13 due to crowding issues. I don't really remember much of it, but the cracking sound was...interesting.
I forget what they gave me exactly, but anything to put you to sleep/relax you is definately worth it - I remember just sort of sitting at home afterwards watching TV in a daze, being quite unconcerned with the new bleeding holes in my mouth.
you shouldn't lay completely down while you're mouth is still bleeding. After you've clotted up you can, but my clots always seeped for a few days after so I just generally slept with pillows and blankest mounded behind my back for a week or two after the surgery. Just gotta find a nice angle, I found 45-60 degrees or so was good for me (started a bit higher and invariably slumped lower as I slept, then wriggled back up halfway through the night)
tea bags are only really needed if you're having problems clotting/bleeding lots, they help promote clotting and don't really do anything for pain
Dentist said I could have gotten all 4 out at once, but I would have had to go to an oral surgeon for that. Laughing gas, all that jazz. I opted for him doing just two, because he said that the top two could be dealt with later.
Well, it's later, and my top left one is coming in sideways. Though, hopefully, it won't be as bad because I hear the tops are easier sometimes than the bottoms.
Anyway, I had just Novocaine. A lot, a lot, a lot of novocaine. He kept filling syringes with it, pumping it into my jaw, and asking me if I felt it when he jabbed me with a pick. I would say "yes, pain, god ow" and he would inject yet more novocaine. Must have been 8 shots of the stuff in total.
At least in NJ, dentists can't administer laughing gas, only oral surgeons can, so if your dentist does the procedure welcome to novocaine fun!
I just sat there listening to the crunching of bones and feeling such unbelievable pressure. Oh my god. That analogy up there about having a wrestler wrenching your jawbone around is very apt: it felt like my jaw itself would snap in half or be ripped out of my head. Jesus christ. It's not pleasant, even though there's no "pain."
So I would recommend getting the IV or laughing gas. From reports I've heard it makes things much easier.
As for healing, for a full 4 days I could not chew solid foods. It was awful. The pain was pretty bad the first couple of days but after that just annoying.
man, that valium stuff is awesome for dental procedures. well, for me at least. You're all calm and relaxed during it, and after it wears off you only have a fuzzy memory of what happened instead of crystal clear.