posted
Well, I saw a dentist today, and these suckers have to come out. And they have to come out soon. They wanted to schedule it for Monday, but I'm not sure that I can find someone to take care of me by then, so right now it looks like it's going to be the 11th.
What was it like for you guys to have yours out? Were you awake or out? They gave me an option...I could be awake with the nitrous, or I can take some kind of mild sleeping pill and be barely conscious.
posted
Were yours already coming in? Mine aren't...they've decided to party with the roots of my other teeth. I'm not really sure I understand how they're going to get them out, since they're still under the gums, but I'm also not sure I really want to know.
What does the nitrous even feel like? The only dental work I've had before is my inlays, and I just got novocaine for those.
posted
ph, mine were like that - they weren't all the way in yet, but had to come out. The dentist made a small incision, pulled the tooth, then had to stitch it closed with one or two stitches, I believe. I was awake, I also hate nitrous, and had just novocaine. Didn't feel any pain during the procedure but a lot afterwards - they were so far down it took quite a bit of pulling to get mine out and I had a terrible bruise from it.
I looked like someone had slugged me in the jaw, be prepared. Someone I worked with actually asked me if I was okay or needed a shelter or something - she thought my husband had hit me!
Now, yours may not be that severe. Do make sure you have someone with you to drive you home and get your pain prescription filled before you get home and take a painkiller before you think you need it so the pain doesn't get too bad before it kicks in.
My preference would be take the pill, mainly because I've had nitrous before and didn't like the way it made me feel, at all.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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posted
Well, since you asked for horror stories too...
I was awake the whole time and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. Apparently my wisdom teeth weren't coming in properly or something, because they couldn't just pull them out. The dentist used what looked to me like an ice pick to crush the teeth into tiny pieces, so he could suck them out. So for the better part of two hours I had a guy putting the full weight of his body into crushing my jaw. Seriously, I could see huge veins popping out of his forehead and his sweat was dripping onto my face. He was pushing with all of his might against my back teeth, and while my mouth was numb, the rest of my head could feel it just fine. He pretty much turned my gums into hamburger meat. He said that it was the worst extraction he had ever had to do, and prescribed what he said was the strongest pain medication he was allowed to by law (I don't remember the name).
So we leave the dentist and go home and my mom goes to the pharmacist to get the medication. Unfortunately, the dentist's office neglected to call in my prescription and it took a good hour and a half for her to get back. By this time the novocaine had worn off and I was beyond communicating farther than animalesque screaming and howling. Naturally my mouth was bleeding profusely at the time, so with each scream blood would spray out of my mouth and coat anything in front of me. I was in too much pain to sit still, so I was wandering around the house aimlessly, screaming at everything. I vaguely recall scaring the bejesus out of some neighborhood kids that came by looking for my little sister.
Eventually my mother came home with the pills and while the label had death threats against taking more than one ever 6 hours or so, I ended up downing 2 every 4 hours or so. They didn't really help. And to make it all so much more fun, the wounds weren't healing well and the gauze that we regularly changed out was absolutely no help in stemming the flow of blood. When I tried to sleep that night there was a constant flow of blood down my throat, which would eventually fill my stomach and trigger my gag reflex, causing me to vomit blood about every hour or so. All in all, a good time.
So the moral of the story is... don't go to Castle Dentists (no offense to anyone that may work there). I'm sure your extraction will not be nearly as bad as mine, as I've met few people who's were. I would suggest going under for the duration of the procedure though. Good luck!
Posts: 2596 | Registered: Jan 2006
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posted
I got mine out about two years ago... or is it three?
I don't know, but it sounded like a fairly similar situation for me. My wisdom teeth hadn't come in yet, but they were going to throw my teeth out of whack which would be horrible since I had just gone through orthodontia. (My teeth still went out of whack, but for other reasons and a different story.)
So for me, they put me to sleep, but it was through an IV, not a pill. So basically I remember them putting the needle in, and then waking up. (Though that's fuzzy memories. I was still really drugged up, so I kept asking if we could go yet, and my mother kept telling me once the nurse brings the wheelchair. But I was a broken record. )
So my experience getting them out? Don't remember. I was out of it. But I can tell you not to be too afraid of them having to get them before they're in. They'll just cut the gums a bit, and because they probably haven't rooted yet, they pretty much just pop right out. Afterwards they'll give you a couple of stitches on each one.
Really, the thing I'd say that I didn't like was just the soreness.
Posts: 1831 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Mine went well. They gave me a valium and something else that worked perfectly. I remember hearing the drill and feeling my head shake a little, but I was so out of it I couldn't open my eyes, and didn't feel any pain.
I woke up, and I ignored any advise of what "not to do", drank soda out of a straw, ate some popcorn, had a hamburger....
I got a dry socket, which is where a blood clot goes away and you have exposed bone (lest, my understanding). I deserved it. The solution for a dry socket, is they take a tiny metal hook and put some gauze on it. Then they proceed to shove the tiny metal hook down the whole in the back of your mouth where the dry socket is, pushing the gauze in there. Though completely tame in comparison to vonk, it was quite painful, but my own fault. The gauze tastes awful, btw, and will ruin just about anything you eat for 4 days after.
Posts: 9754 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I was out cold for my Wisdom teeth. Then again, the two lower ones were very impacted, meaning the slit-and-pull option was way out. I imagine my operation went much as Vonk's did, but I did the nitrous and then IV drip of something to knock me out cold for about 4 hours. Yes, it will feel (and look) like someone slugged you good a few times. The guaze is fairly nasty business as well, but that's to be expected.
If you want the true horror stories, ask not about wisdom teeth but about the dry socket that occasionally (rarely?) follows their removal. General note: do not play brass or wind instruments for at least two weeks after having your wisdom teeth removed. You will give yourself dry socket (then again, I tried playing about 48 hours after having mine out, which was a monumentally bad idea). My dry socket involved them giving me novacaine, going back in and cutting all the stitches out, putting medicated tabs into the sockets, and stitching them all back up again. Better than the historical alternative (which was small pieces of bone. shudder).
Posts: 1368 | Registered: Sep 2002
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posted
My top ones are wayyyy far up and have no roots, but my bottom ones are starting to grow roots and shoving into the molars, and they said I should just get them all out at once, since the top ones will have to come out later anyway. Did they give you guys pills to help with the swelling, and if so, did it actually help? How much time should I figure I'll be out of school?
I don't think they're going to give me any IV at all, like I said, they told me that it's just a pill. But I'm not sure. I'm going back in 2 weeks to talk more with the doctor and get more antibiotics (they're infected, so they gave me antibiotics and painkillers today). Dose the nitrous make you sick, or something?
posted
I had a sore tooth so I went to my dentist. He said it was a wisdom tooth that had come in, but was so far back in my jaw that it was impossible to brush (your head just doesn't open up far enough). He said it had to come out along with the other three.
Top teeth are easier, since things tend to fall into the empty bottom sockets and inflict pain. So for top teeth, Novacaine was due, for bottom teeth, unconciousness is suggested.
I was between jobs at the time, and between insurance.
I opted for just having the painful one removed, and then getting the rest done later. Since it was a top one, I didn't go under.
It was about 20 minutes, and very little pain later, but a soreness as he stretched jaw muscles I didn't know I had.
I didn't use all the pain drugs he gave me, though I am highly allergic to pain. I break out into screams and girlish cries, but that's another story.
That was 18 months ago, and I've not had any problem with my other three teeth yet. Even though my dental insurance just kicked in, I am not rushing to have the others removed.
On the other hand, without that tooth taking up space in my jaw, my sinus headaches have been less often and less severe.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
I had only upper wisdom teeth (lucky me). They hadn't started causing problems yet (but would when they decided to descend), so I had them out when I was 21 (and before I would be living in Bulgaria for a year and a half). I opted for an IV to knock me out (I'd had some unpleasantness with novacaine not working during some earlier extractions and didn't want to do that again). In less than half an hour, the surgeon was done. The pain wasn't horrible (I didn't need pain meds for long). The most horrible things about the whole experience were some muscles in my check that were pulled and that the vein in my arm became inflammed from the IV. So, all-in-all my experience was not at all horrible. Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
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posted
If you've got the option and you've never had any problem with anesthesia, I would choose to be out.
I had mine out and I was unconscious, then I had good painkillers and cortisone shots in my jaw so it didn't swell up. I slept for about 48 hours and when I woke up, I felt pretty good.
I recommend being out for the surgery, then try to sleep as much as possible the next couple days. Easy as pie.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
I had 4 wisdom teeth, all partially or fully impacted. I had them out under nitrous at the oral surgeon. He told a really bad joke to be sure the nitrous was working.
I got home and bled and sucked down Tylenol with Codeine for a day. Then was fine.
By the end of the weekend, I felt fine and didn't really hurt that much...
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
I've never been under any anaesthetic before. This is the most involved medical ANYTHING I've ever had. Before, I had stitches on my forehead and the inlays put into my molars, but that's all. I don't know what this pill is...some sites say a lot of times they give you valium. But then, would the nitrous be more effective? I don't know. Why have some of you not liked the nitrous? Is that the one that makes you see things?
I know IV anaesthesia isn't an option, but I'm kind of glad that it isn't too because I think it might freak me out. But if I do the nitrous instead of the pill, they said I could probably take a bunch of ativan before I went in...
I'm trying to figure this out now because my parents have already mailed them the check for the extracting, and we have to send in more money if I decide to be out.
posted
pH, I'm pretty sure the reason nitrous and I don't get along is that I have over-reactions to most drugs. I usually end up only taking 1/2 to 1/4 doses of allergy and asthma drugs, and they sometimes still knock me out. My last experience with nitrous was very like the descriptions I've read of a "bad trip" on LSD. I think I was more controlled -- of course I was strapped into the chair with my mouth propped open, so it's not like I could have done or said anything obviously stupid -- but I had the hallucinations and the paranoia. It was horrible.
My mom swears I even get drunk on novocaine, but I don't think that's possible. I say I was just naturally goofy that day. Posts: 9866 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Nitrous oxide is laughing gas. It's a fairly safe anesthetic because just a few breaths of regular air or air enriched with a higher concentration of oxygen and you come down off of it.
The problems with doing this procedure under just novocaine are that: - it needs to last a long time. - there are nerves at the back of the jaw that need to be numbed whereas for normal things like a cavity you can pretty much get by with numbing a smaller number of nerves. They have to stick the novocaine WAY inside. It hurts getting it in there, but you'll be numbed up pretty well.
As for being "out" -- if you have a bad reaction to an ingested drug, you'll either have to wait it out or go to the hospital. IMO, not worth it. I swear that most people do NOT need to be "out" for a tooth extraction. Once the roots are severed, their ability to cause pain is gone. You aren't really going to feel a whole heck of a lot. On nitrous, you won't care.
It's a bit nerve-wracking because they do have to break the teeth up to do the extraction. It involves pliers and lots of suction and pressure. Sure thing!
But it's not that bad if you are on nitrous because you really won't care.
And the novocaine will be there to ensure that you aren't feeling any SHARP pains. You'll still feel pressure sensations, but no nerve pain per se.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Mine were only part of the way in and they were never coming any farther in. Stuff would get stuck in them (especially grapenuts which would shred my cheeks)
So they had to come out
The dentist did all four in one sitting. He numbed me with novacain and gassed me with nitrous and I was floating while he shattered my teeth and picked out the shards.
Afterwards I went in to work. I didn't take any pain medication.
I DID get sick of the taste of my own blood though...
posted
I desperately need mine out, but have no money for it. I need to get on the list for one of the local dental schools.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Bob_Scopatz: But it's not that bad if you are on nitrous because you really won't care.
Almost everyone I've talked to about getting wisdom teeth out has said this, and it really confuses me because when I got mine out the nitrous gas they gave me before the IV did absolutely nothing.
Posts: 1658 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Possibly the biggest part of pain for me is the fear that something perminate and awful is happening to me. If I know nothing's wrong, pain still sucks, but it's much more endurable.
Nitrous removes the caring all together. Once, while on Nitrous I started hyperventalating. I knew all I had to do was signal the dr to turn it down but I didn't. Becuase I didn't care. At one point I remember thinking "I'm going to die now.... But that's ok...."
Fortunately the dentist noticed what was going on and turned it down.
posted
Just hearing you story made me want to pass out Vonk.
My wisdom teeth hadnt dropped by the time I was 19 so the doctor said I should be fine for the next 2 years. At 21 they had dropped and the dentist said all 4 had to go. I had the nitrous oxide (which didnt seem to do anything really) and novacaine.
He pulled out two and when he got to the 3rd one he exclaimed that it seemed be just fine where it was and asked if I wanted him to pull it anyway. I said if it doesnt need to go to just leave it in my gums (who knows when I am like 80 right?) he then pulled out a 3rd one.
I got really annoyed with the drooling feeling and the numbness, but there was really almost no pain. I was eating icecream by that evening, and I was on to breads and chips by the next day.
All in all I was just fine.
Posts: 14316 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
My shrink says I can take 2 ativan every 4 hours before the appointment, which will if nothing else make me a little sleepy and probably much calmer than I would have been. Gah, but if I just did the nitrous, would he be able to switch to something else if it didn't work and I panicked?
I had mine out last September. I am *terrified* of dentists; it's actually a borderline phobia. There was no way I was doing it unless I was completely knocked out -- which I was. (I get nitrous every time I have a cavity filled. The sound of the drill makes me sweat and freak out. Prior bad experience.)
Anyway, the procedure totally under was fine (I had the IV anesthesia.) Unfortunately, there's a allergy to anesthesia that runs in my family that I hadn't been tested for. We knew about it, though, and so did the doctor - so he gave me less of the anesthesia that normal in case he needed to pull me out of it if I had a bad reaction. What happened was that I came out of it early, while he was closing up, and I have vague memories of the end of the procedure. When I came out of it fully, I was hyperventilating and sobbing - not because of the pain or for any other reason. I was completely sane and not panicked inside my head; I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I was crying. It took a good hour to get myself calmed down; luckily I teach Pilates and knew pretty instinctively how to do calming breathing exercises. Those really helped, so if you find yourself panicking I could do that. (PS - Nitrous is really easy because you can totally control it. They put the mask over your nose, and if you feel like you're getting too much all you have to do is start breathing through your mouth. You'll immediately feel your head start to clear.)
As far as recovery goes - I was totally fine on generic Advil. I was told that you can take up to four Advil every four-six hours (200 mg pills) safely.
I didn't have a lot of swelling with mine; I had mine done on a Friday afternoon and was back to school on Monday. I needed some rest and some help from family members with soft food and such things like that; I found italian ice and other cold, non-cream-based stuff *really* helped. I also needed ice longer than through Monday; I remember icing my jaw probably until Weds. or Thurs. of the next week. But I could attend class no problem.
Anyway, that was me....does that help at all?
Posts: 1784 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Vonk, that was an awful story. I'll be seeing those images in my head all night.
I had a perfect experience getting my teeth out. They used an I.V. and in seconds, I was out. I woke up when I was supposed to and my mom took me home. I took my pills exactly as prescribed, staying ahead of pain just as the doctor recommended. I made sure to follow the directions to ice the area and had little to no bruising. I ate the right foods, soft and used no straws. I don't remember how long I used the pain meds but I'm sure I didn't use them all.
It was nice having my mom baby me but I'd say I probably could've handled it myself.
Posts: 2064 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
Well, hopefully it won't take me long to recover because my boyfriend says he doesn't think he can take 2 days off. From what I've read, the recovery time can be even less when they don't knock you out, and they told me that this dentist can usually do wisdom teeth in 45 minutes or less, which I guess is good?
It seems like for the most part, people have been having okay experiences, which is good. But I'm sure even if something goes wrong, I'll be able to get someone to help.
How did they get infected if they're still impacted in the bone? I have to take a week of amoxil, and they gave me percocet for the pain. But how did the infection get in there if they aren't in my mouth?
posted
Well...you're left with a hole where the tooth was. It's possible for food to get in there and you can get an infection.
Posts: 22497 | Registered: Sep 2000
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posted
Didn't read the replies - just scrolled down, so sorry if I'm being repetitive...
I had impacted wisdom teeth. I had them out and got knocked out when it happened. I wasn't really given an option, though, and I was either 16 or 17 so maybe the option was extended to my parents (i don't really know). It wasn't really that bad. I remember the mask going over my face, telling the doctor nothing was happening, and him and the nurse sort of laughing (not in a bad way) and telling me that by the... that's it. I woke up in a room on a brown fake leather (aka pleather) bed with my Mom right there. She stepped out, got someone and we went into the waiting room. I feel sorry for anyone who was in there for a consult, 'cause I was WAY out of it and had dried blood on my face! (don't mean this to be scary to you, pH, 'cause of course it's par for the course...) Anyway...
The pain drugs didn't really work for me. They really just made my brain feel detached from my body but I could still feel an uncomfortableness in my jaw. The worst thing ever, was dry sockets. I got two. I did what they told me to do but I guess not well enough. The only thing I'd change is to ask more about what to do to avoid them. It really was a horrible feeling - like a semi-sharp pain in my lower cheeks that I couldn't get rid of and was constantly there.
I say - go for it. From what I hear from friends who've avoided the wisdom tooth removal thang, their discomfort for years is worse than my temporary discomfort. Just, like I said, ask specifics about the dry socket piece.
edit: i got the mask/knocked out in an oral sugeons office - not the hospital. he's in a building right next to my dentist, so i don't know exactly what the stuff was that i was under...
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
I got an infection in the wisdom tooth area while at Disneyworld. We had to leave a day early and spent all night driving home. Then I got right in to see the dentist that morning and they took either two or four of them out that day. I don't recall any real problems with the extractions, other than the fact that the rides at Disneyworld were too painful to be any fun the last day there and we still have four unused Disneyworld tickets in my parent's sock drawer.
My mom always made out that the infection was my fault for not taking care of the half exposed wisdom tooth. *shrug* I'm quite used to the idea that I singlehandedly ruined our week vacation in Florida after all these years of hearing about it but I still harbor the hope that maybe it wasn't really my fault.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
(unrelated to the thread – mickey + co forgive all wisdom-tooth-trip-cutting-short incidences... in fact - mickey blames the wisdom teeth and asks that the extracted teeth be handed over to him for compensation from the tooth fairy, to be delivered to mom and dad and fam upon receipt.)
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Wow, vonk. That is an utterly horrifying story.
I actually still have my wisdom teeth - when I was getting braces at 14, they decided to take out my four frontmost molars instead of my eyeteeth (because I'd had root canals in two of the molars), so they let me keep my wisdom teeth and just incorporated them into the braces to straighten them out.
But anyway, when I had the molars removed, I did nitrous and the IV, and I think I may have gotten some shots of novocaine before they put me under, too, but I'm not sure. I had a history of needing nitrous at the dentist for pretty much any filling requiring novocaine, so I think they gave me the works just to play it safe and keep me from getting upset. After about 10-15 minutes of nitrous (or probably less), I barely even noticed when they put the needle in my arm - or rather, I knew they did it, but it didn't seem important.
I actually quite enjoyed the experience. I got to skip a day of school, they gave me lots of bliss-inducing nitrous (at what felt like a higher concentration than what my usual dentist used), I had the adventure of being knocked out (which was new to me), took a nice nap, and then my parents were fluttering over me for the rest of the day, and I had lots of nice painkillers laced with codeine. And I had the most bizarrely intriguing (and fun) dreams that night too, which I think may have been due to the anaethesia, as I don't recall any other freaky dreams after nitrous by itself.
Of course, it wasn't quite as much fun after I regained mostly full consciousness that afternoon, since I had a mouth full of gauze, which I couldn't take out because my mouth was still bleeding. And I was really hungry because I hadn't eaten since the night before, but I couldn't eat with the gauze, nor could I drink through a straw or from a glass. But by the next morning things had clotted up enough that I could take out the gauze and eat with a spoon. I was still a little woozy that morning (probably more from hunger than the drugs), but I didn't really need anyone to take care of me, and I was okay to stay home by myself. I didn't have any dry socket problems afterwards either, and I didn't really do anything special to take of the holes. They gave me a syringe thing, but I only used it once or twice.
If I suddenly had to have my wisdom teeth out, I'd definitely not want to be conscious for it at all. It's bad enough when I can hear the drill and feel the pressure, even when I'm all gassed and numbed up. I would absolutely not want to have any memories, however drug-warped, of them shattering my teeth and picking out the pieces. Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
You'd already had root canals?! Those sound awful. I don't even really know what they are, except that they're just about the least fun you can have.
My shrink advises me not to take my Wellbutrin for a few days when I have them out, so I'll be a little drowsy already...that coupled with a miligram of ativan every 4 hours plus painkillers (wow, dentists don't screw around when it comes to that stuff) should hopefully keep me in an altered consciousness for a couple of days.
posted
Root canals aren't really all that bad. At least mine wasn't that bad. I was gassed up pretty good too. I woke up during it, but couldn't feel anything. An' no I didn't complain what-so-ever about waking. Those nurses were cute. Posts: 2208 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
Yeah, I'd had some really old fillings that had fallen out without my noticing, so the cavities just got worse (but thankfully, not to the toothache stage) in the 2-3 years that I was dentist-less. The root canals weren't really much worse than a regular novocaine-needing filling - they just took a bit longer to do. I was conscious for those, but I was plenty gassed and numbed up, so I was reasonably happy.
Sadly, my dentist at the time was a grey-haired woman, so I had no cute guys to ogle. Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
So how is this pain/discomfort/anxiety going to compare to...having my inlays put in without nitrous, but with novocaine? I mean, they did drill into my teeth. The noise was icky, but...not intolerable. But the whole smashing my teeth out of my jaw thing sounds disturbing. At the same time, I was born without a fear of the dentist...going doesn't really make me worried in and of itself. I've never had a terrible dental experience.
quote:Originally posted by pH: No Bob, I mean...according to the dentist they're infected NOW, even though they're all buried. I don't get how that happened.
posted
I had 2 wisdom teeth, one top and bottom, both on the same side. They put me OUT cold. I went to sleep and the next thing I knew, they were all done.
I've had nitrous before, but I certainly wouldn't have wanted it for the surgery. I guess mine was more intensive then yours, if they are saying a pill will do it. I guess that's good.
My only recommendation is to use ice as often as they say or more, and to take your pain meds. I think they told me to do 15 minutes of ice every hour or something like that. I used the ice diligently and I took the pain pills whether I thought I needed them or not. (Of course, I did need them, I didn't feel pain because they were working.)
My face didn't bruise, either. It probably had something to do with my use of ice.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I had four impacted wisdom teeth, stayed awake for their removal. No nitrous (tried it, didn't like it). The top ones came right out, the bottom ones were broken into three pieces each. I was sore and swollen for several days, but I didn't feel a lot of pain. The main problem was the residual bleeding and gauze. I hate the taste of gauze, it makes me gag. The procedure itself was rather interesting.
My wife just had her top two wisdom teeth out (she didn't have any on the bottom) and was asleep for the procedure. She had it done on Friday, and had to skip the whole next week of work, she was in such terrible pain, for so long. The doctor prescribed Vicodin but she has a high tolerance for it, had to take lots of Percocet.
Posts: 454 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
<joins Sterling in the still-got-all-my-teeth club>
I actually only have three wisdom teeth; the dentist joked that that meant I was more highly evolved, but I think if I've got this big old Neanderthal jaw with plenty of room for them, I can't be that far advanced Posts: 957 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
I only had 3 wisdom teeth. I had all of them out with nitrous and novocaine. I just put my walkman on, turned it up loud and went to sleep (on my own). It was just fine. I couldn't eat for the first day but ate a steak dinner the next night but I looked like I had a baseball shoved in my cheek on one side.
Overall it wasn't a horrible experience and I think you'll be fine (especially because you aren't scared of dentists already). I would take an mp3 player and play it loud, it helped with the sounds not being too creepy.
Good luck to you!
Posts: 697 | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
*fourth in the 3 club - but they're in a cool container they gave me to take with instead of in my head...*
Posts: 1355 | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
I had mine out...was knocked out, and, besides for being insanely dizzy and disoriented afterwards, had no pain and was perfectly fine the next day.
Posts: 3060 | Registered: Nov 2003
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posted
Honestly, I looked forward to getting mine taken out, and enjoyed the entire experience. They give you lots of fun drugs.
They started out with giving me nitrous oxide. I told them I could not feel it and had them turn up the dosage. Then they gave me an IV of fentanyl for the pain and some type of benzodiazepine to knock me out; midazolam if I had to hazard a guess. I woke up and was very high on the fentanyl; a condition that was to remain for several hours longer than I expected it to. Once I got home I started popping the Percocets they gave me, much to the consternation of my parents.
At the time, the place where they stuck the IV hurt noticeably more than my wisdom teeth. About a week later, maybe two, a piece of bone started working its way out, which was a minor annoyance until they gave me more Percocets.
If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would try to convince them to forgo the benzo, both to have more memory of the fentanyl high and also because I just have to wonder what it felt like having my teeth drilled out. I really liked the entire procedure, but apparently I had very little pain. My brother's hurt much worse, but then he was not looking forward to the drugs like I was.
Posts: 1364 | Registered: Feb 2003
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From what I've read, the recovery time can be even less when they don't knock you out, and they told me that this dentist can usually do wisdom teeth in 45 minutes or less, which I guess is good?![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I don't get how that happened.![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Wow, vonk. That is an utterly horrifying story. ![[Angst]](graemlins/angst.gif)
