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My wisdom tooth extraction experience

cornbb

Got the first of my wisdom teeth out under local anaesthetic on the 6th (the monday before last). The two lower teeth were impacted, meaning they were growing in horizontally, and needed removing as they would cause chronic infections and all sorts of horribleness.

So, I read all the horror stories on the web, prepared myself, and headed for the dentist. He pumped in a load of anaesthetic and slit my gum open with a scalpel (the tooth was more or less fully buried under the gum). He then proceeded to take out the tooth, alternately drilling at it and wrenching at it with some sort of lever. The nurse sucked away all the blood and bits of broken tooth, the dentist stitched up my gum, and it was all over in about 15 mins.

Now, this may all sound horrible and gory so far, but it was actually grand. The whole procedure and most of the recovery was completely painless. I got a course of antibiotics and painkillers, which I didn't use very much. My jaw was a bit swollen and bruised, and my gum leaked small amounts of blood for about 5 days. I'd rate all that as an inconvenience at worst, to be honest.

Its 8 days later now - the stitches are irritating my gum a bit and there's a little pus still leaking out but generally my mouth is back to normal. So, basically, all I'm trying to do here is reassure anyone facing wisdom tooth removal that its not as horrible as you're lead to believe!

Anyone else want to share?

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is_that_so

My one wisdom tooth experience involved the dentist kneeling on my chest and yanking it out after about 7 injections. Think he enjoyed it. No pain in my mouth but I was numb for three days.

GerryRyan

is_that_so wrote:

My one wisdom tooth experience involved the dentist kneeling on my chest and yanking it out after about 7 injections. Think he enjoyed it. No pain in my mouth but I was numb for three days.

Ah for fcuk sake. I've to get mine out next Friday. Thanx for that account

Big_G

If I had 20cent for every time a patient told me that a dentist 'had his knee in my chest' when he was pulling out their teeth, I wouldn't need to be practising any more. I've never seen or had another dentist tell me 'I had my knee buried in their chest, but the tooth eventually came out'. It would actually make it more difficult to pull out the tooth.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Big_G wrote:

If I had 20cent for every time a patient told me that a dentist 'had his knee in my chest' when he was pulling out their teeth, I wouldn't need to be practising any more. I've never seen or had another dentist tell me 'I had my knee buried in their chest, but the tooth eventually came out'. It would actually make it more difficult to pull out the tooth.

I agree..10 years of pracice here...1000's of extractions and never one knee involved.

shoutman

I got my wisdom teeth out last year, as strange as it sounds it was actually good fun.
I'm not a recreational drug user of any discription but whatever anesthetic the dentist gave me made me crazy, in a good way.
I was definately out of it and thought everything was hillarious.

The whole thing was painless however I did look like desperate dan for the next week or so on account of the swollen jaw/cheeks from the extraction, my wisdom teeth were lodged against a mollar or something so it had to be split before extracted if that makes any sense.

Anyway wisdom teeth extraction, nothing to be worried about.

APM

Cornbb was that with your regular dentist? or at a clinic?

Interested to find out where you had it done

PM if you don't want to post on the thread, Cheers

hunnymonster

I've had both my lower wisdom teeth out on separate occassions. The first was a couple of years ago under a general anasthetic in St Vincents (maybe 1996?) It was fine. Was done on 22nd December and I was able to enjoy my Christmas dinner.

The second was done in Northern Ireland. Not as a cost saving measure, but as a student at the time I was using a medical card and there was an arrangement that people in Dundalk went to an dental surgeon (that may not be his correct job title) in Newry. This wasn't a hospital procedure but I was still temporarly knocked out. Like the others have said the bruising was horrific. I had to give my first ever talk at a major conference looking like I'd said nasty things about Mike Tysons Ma

No pain worth talking about though.

LundiMardi

A friend of a friend when to get her wisdom tooth out, (friend isn't known to lie)... Anyway, apparently the dentist didn't check or do the xrays correctly. It so happened that the tooth in question was somehow attached to the jaw(or some kind of bone)...

So anyway, he goes to yank it out and CRACK!!! Broken jaw(or something).. Mouth had to be wired for quite a long time!

lilrayosunshine

I got my top right wisdom tooth out 2 years ago.. was all nice and quick.. a bit too quick as I got up out of the chair and walk back out to reception and fainted!
Got my top left one out in April.. not so quick and the tooth broke while the dentist was pulling (cue panic when dentist says "whoops") but he just left the bit in there and my gum healed over it.
I now need to get my bottom ones out but they are apparently impacted and covered in bone or something like that and a chunk of my jaw needs to be taken out with them

Not looking forward to that.. it means 2 nights in hospital and a week off work!

carsd

Can Someone tell me how much this is going to set me back
have to get two bottom wisdom teeth removed.

have VHI and all that

jahalpin

I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth out last year. I am with the VHI and went to a consultant Maxiofacacial Surgeon to get the teeth out. I went into the clinic in Ranelagh, got a general anesthetic and when I woke up all the wisdom teeth had been removed.
The mouth was a bit sore for a few days and I had to take a week off work, but it was worth it.
The VHI paid for the actual clinic but U had to pay e180 for consultations, 120 for the first and 60 for the second

Roddy23

I have to get all 4 of my wisdom teeth out, as they are impacted at the moment. I'm on a course of anitbiotics at the moment, as I was in considerable discomfort last week. I got a referral from my dentist to see an oral surgeon, but he hasnt a free appointment till May. If it was anything like last week, the next 6-8 weeks are going to be fun.

art

I was just told today that I need to get my wisdom teeth out - knew there was something wrong really but, apparently, one in particular is impacting a molar and decay has formed there leading to a chronic infection..? I think that's what was said. Unfortunately, after some bad experiences with dentists in the past, I get all nervous and spend the whole time focusing on getting out of there and not really listening to what I'm being told

I do know, though, that I've a card in my wallet for an oral surgeon who I've to arrange an consultation with ...

Anyways, these bleeding stories are just making me feel worse! Really don't want to get this stuff done at all ... wish they would just magic away!

art

cornbb wrote:

Its 8 days later now - the stitches are irritating my gum a bit and there's a little pus still leaking out but generally my mouth is back to normal.

Why do you have pus, is pus not a sign of infection and so, basically, a bad thing?

Vas_Guy

I know someone whose bottom teeth are impacted due to her wisdom tooth what are the criteria for having the wisdom tooth removed under local can a dentist do it in his surgery or does it need a referal to a maxfax surgeon?

Thank cornbb for posting your experience I'm sure it will dispell a lot of myths about having wisdom teeth removed.

ianmc38

Im going to have to get all 4 out whenever the oral surgeon ahs a free booking. Not looking forward to it!

susanna

I'm getting my upper right one out next week, the lower one is starting to peep through and its impacting. Apparently its far too close to the nerve to risk taking it out now so hopefully with the top one gone it'll have a bit of room and will come up.

Whatever happens I need to get it out fairly soon as its already causing infections, but my dentist is waiting to try to reduce the risk of nerve damage.

Not looking forward to any of it, but thanks for your report cornbb, makes me feel a little bit better

toothie

I had one of my lower wisdom teeth out three years ago in the dentists surgery under local anaesthetic, and I had to go to an oral/maxillofacial surgeon to have the other three out under general anaesthetic in hospital three weeks ago. To be honest, I was dreading the second lot of extractions as the first one was so painful, but second time round, it was a lot less painful. The only thing is my lower lip still hasn't regained total feeling yet and occasionally tingles. I went back for my three week checkup today with the surgeon and he thinks it's only temporary but to keep an eye on it.
Don't worry anyone who has to get it done, it's not too bad. They numb your face really well and it lasts for about two days, so you don't feel any pain! Plenty of soft foods and soup!
Here's hoping my lip goes back to normal!!!

PeakOutput

iv to get all four out under general just had to wait 8 months for an appointment with the server and now up to 12 for an actual operation. :rolleyes:

toothie

That's annoying. I went public with mine as I was still at college, and I was waiting two years to get it done. I would still be waiting if the hospital hadn't put me on the NTPF. I ended up getting them done in a private hospital with the very best of care, totally free of charge! Well worth the wait!

PeakOutput

toothie wrote:

That's annoying. I went public with mine as I was still at college, and I was waiting two years to get it done. I would still be waiting if the hospital hadn't put me on the NTPF. I ended up getting them done in a private hospital with the very best of care, totally free of charge! Well worth the wait!

i forgot about the ntpf...........i have insurance but for some reason the consultant took me as a public patient and im starting college soon so i couldnt be arsed sorting it out at this stage.....i made a phone call and they never rang me back so fk it

toothie

It would be worth finding out if your insurance would cover it. You may still have to pay a small percentage of the cost but it would be really worth it to have it over and done with before you get into the thick of college. Good luck with it whenever it happens. Oh, I also found an ice-pack wrapped in a towel held to my jaw for the first day or so was brilliant for reducing bruising and swelling. After that, switch to a heat pack. I didn't swell too much on the outside at all.
Best of luck in college too!

Creachadóir

I just got out 4 of my wisdom teeth a week ago (in hospital under general anaesthetic). One had to be shattered to be removed. I have a few stitches. Do these stitches just disappear? The dental surgeon just told me I had them, nothing about how long they'd remain there or having any follow-up appointment to see if they fully heal. I was a bit sleepy at this stage so I didn't question it.

My jaw is still swollen, and I can only open my mouth a little. How long does this generally last for before you should contact the dentist. I can barely fit a spoon in my mouth! I'm not experiencing much pain though thankfully, just cramping in my jaw if I try to open my mouth too wide. Thanks in advance.

toothie

Hi Creachadóir, love your name!
If they are disolvable stitches, they will disappear and part of them will probably fall out. My surgeon said they'd be there for between 7-10 days, but mine were there for nearly two weeks. If your surgeon didn't tell you to come back, then they are probably disolvable. You could contact the nurses on the ward or the surgeons secretary.
I had mine done in Barringtons hospital in Limerick and I had a follow-up appointment three weeks after the surgery.
I wouldn't worry about the swelling too much, I was swollen for quite a few weeks and now five weeks later, my lower gum is still puffy and open and my jaw still cramps sometimes. If it's causing you discomfort or worrying you, then contact your dentist.
I'm not medically trained, this is just my opinion based on my own experience, so if you're worried, the best thing is to contact your dentist.

Feel better soon!

Creachadóir

Ya, I just wanted a bit of reassurance that this was normal. It's not bothering me too much, but more than a friend of mine who got hers out last week too. She's not all swollen like me. Thanks toothie!

toothie

You're welcome. There's loads of info on the net about it. You're lucky you didn't do what I did and google wisdom tooth extraction before I went to the hospital, I was terrified! :eek:
Take care.

Orange

I'm getting all four wisdom teeth out on Tuesday under general anesthetic.

I'm a bit nervous about it. Every question, (like how sore, how much swelling bruising etc..) I asked the doctor was answered with the same reply "It varies from patient to patient".

Any body out there have any more stories to share? How long before you were back to normal??

toothie

Orange,
I know this is impossible, but try not to be nervous. It really isn't that bad. When you're asleep the surgeon numbs your face, and I didn't feel any pain at all when I woke up. You'll be swollen and stiff alright, but a cool pack wrapped in a towel helped to keep my swelling down. Give yourself a week of total laziness, you may be a bit lightheaded, but after a week or so, you probably will start to feel yourself again.
I was dreading it too, as I had one wisdom tooth out in the dentist's surgery. It just didn't seem to want to come out and afterwards I had a lot of pain and swelling, and my face turned green. But after the other 3 under general, I was nowhere near as bad.
you could find that you are fine after a few days.
Hope it goes well for you.

DonJose

I'm on holiday at the moment and I just got my lower wisdom tooth pulled out today. My wisdom tooth was growing at a 45 degree angle and was pushing against my molar. My dentist in Ireland wouldn't go near it and she wanted to refer me to a surgeon, all those years in med school and she only feels comfortable selling tooth whitener.

Anyway went to the dentist, they took 2 xrays and began work, got jabbed with anesthetic, I could still feel my mouth so I got a double dose. Because of the angle she had to drill my wisdom tooth in half, then loosen it, then pull it out in two parts. Took around an hour, she did a great job as I was afraid they would have to remove the molar then the wisdom tooth, because of the angle. All in all it cost me €60. The rip-off merchants in Ireland would've charged me that just for the xrays.

scotch

Just been told I need all four wisdom teeth out. 2 top ones are down and not causing any probs, but dentist said that at some point they may start moving about and causing probs. Lower 2 are impacted. Not in pain at all,but bad taste and bad smell. dentist took x-ray to have a proper look just in case. Where lower left wisdom leans against molar, there is a cavity forming on molar. This cavity, if left untreated, will eat its way towrds nerve. I guess we would be looking at root canal treatment then.lovely!

2 options:
1. Be referred to hospital and get 4 out together under general anaesthetic. This will cost €140 for consultaion, then €1750 max for operation.

2. Dentist will take 2 top non-problematic teeth out at €78 a pop. He will refer me to oral surgeon who will remove 2 impacted lower teeth at €280 a pop under local anaesthetic. Can get this done in 3 weeks time.

Health insurance wont cover costs as you have to be with them for 5 years before you have major work and because it's a pre-existing condition. ...plenty of excuses.

I explained to my dentist that I couldnt afford the treatment, so he rang around various dental surgeons to compile a list of options.

This is the story in cork anyway.

Will being awake for the extractions be worth the €1200 saving?!