So about a week ago I had 2 of my lower wisdom teeth surgically extracted. The remaining 2 wisdom teeth at the top hasn't come out yet - hopefully NEVER. For these 2 bottom ones, they were impacted which is why they needed to be removed.
Prior to this, obviously I've had consultations and stuff. I had to take an X-ray of my teeth, plus a scan (I forgot what exactly it's called) to see if the teeth to be extracted was near any nerves, to avoid nerve damage of course. The scan showed that my left tooth was only 1mm away from a nerve which connects to my left, lower lip. If during the extraction this nerve is accidentally irritated/damaged, I will lose sensation on my lip temporary or permanently.
Sounds scary right? Haha. But the dentist assured me it's fine, he can work with that 1mm. Well he's the pro so I believed him, not that I have any other choices lol.
The procedure started with anesthetics. I had local anesthetics which means I was awake and conscious but I couldn't feel anything on the area anesthetized. I've known people who opted for general anesthetics (which means having the procedure done in a hospital I suppose?), which of course is a far more expensive option (approx. additional $1K) but to be honest, I don't think it's necessary unless the condition is extremely complicated.
Prior to this, obviously I've had consultations and stuff. I had to take an X-ray of my teeth, plus a scan (I forgot what exactly it's called) to see if the teeth to be extracted was near any nerves, to avoid nerve damage of course. The scan showed that my left tooth was only 1mm away from a nerve which connects to my left, lower lip. If during the extraction this nerve is accidentally irritated/damaged, I will lose sensation on my lip temporary or permanently.
Sounds scary right? Haha. But the dentist assured me it's fine, he can work with that 1mm. Well he's the pro so I believed him, not that I have any other choices lol.
The procedure started with anesthetics. I had local anesthetics which means I was awake and conscious but I couldn't feel anything on the area anesthetized. I've known people who opted for general anesthetics (which means having the procedure done in a hospital I suppose?), which of course is a far more expensive option (approx. additional $1K) but to be honest, I don't think it's necessary unless the condition is extremely complicated.
The procedure itself obviously didn't hurt, what hurt the most was the anesthetic jabs but it only lasted for a second for each jab. All I could feel was a few stings. During the procedure, there were pressure and lots AND LOTS of loud drilling noise (think construction drilling noise right beside your ears). And cracking as the dentist 'divides' (dental jargon I guess, in other words BREAK) the tooth into pieces and remove them.
Throughout the entire procedure the dentist was constantly checking if I was feeling alright, and telling me what's going on, what he's up to, and how's things looking. Which I thought to be really professional and appropriate because obviously you NEED the assurance that the dentist knows and cares, which in turn keeps you calm. And going through such a procedure you need to feel as calm and relaxed as possible, nervousness and tension only make everything an ordeal even when it isn't one. Especially when the dentist's chair isn't the most comfortable thing in the world. The entire procedure took an hour.
I took the prescribed antibiotics and painkillers straight after and felt drowsy so I went home and took a nap. No actually I went shopping straight after the procedure lol! Not full on shopping la, just wanted to try a couple of dresses, but the drowsiness came after about 1 hour.
By the way straight after the surgery, my lower lip and entire jaw area was numb. I could feel NOTHING. Couldn't move them at all. Or maybe I could, but I couldn't tell if I was moving them. I could talk, but my speech was slurred. I could drink water but I had to use my hand to shut my mouth otherwise water would leak wtf.
The pain kicked in when I woke up from my nap. I ate some porridge, took another stronger painkiller I was prescribed with and again, it made me drowsy so I took another nap.
By the way straight after the surgery, my lower lip and entire jaw area was numb. I could feel NOTHING. Couldn't move them at all. Or maybe I could, but I couldn't tell if I was moving them. I could talk, but my speech was slurred. I could drink water but I had to use my hand to shut my mouth otherwise water would leak wtf.
The pain kicked in when I woke up from my nap. I ate some porridge, took another stronger painkiller I was prescribed with and again, it made me drowsy so I took another nap.
When I woke up, the pain was sort of suppressed but I started feeling a little dizzy. After taking a shower I felt nauseous. I thought I was going to throw up but nothing came out. So I took my next antibiotic and painkiller and 10 minutes after, my vomit decided to push through my throat like a water jet wtf.
It felt so much better after throwing up but I was bleeding quite a bit so I had to stuff a gauze pad on the wound for a while. I didn't know what made me sick. Could be the pain killer, could be the combination of antibiotic and painkiller. I took Panadeine Forte, maybe that's too much? Maybe I should have taken Panadeine Piano wtf lol. Musicians will get it haha.
I also took Diclofenac which is stronger (on its own, not with Panaedeine) but with this painkiller it has to be taken after a meal. Honestly, my mouth was tasting nothing but blood and my saliva was extra slimy and gross. Plus I just spewed a mix of blood with my half digested lunch and painkiller (which left a disgusting bitter taste in my throat), all my appetite just committed suicide wtf. So I didn't bother with that anymore and only continued with Panadeine Forte.
The next day I felt much better (no nausea, no pain, saliva not as slimy, less blood) although I did get a little feverish at night. I didn't take the pain killer throughout the day as I didn't like how it would make me drowsy, so only left it for night before I go to bed. To be honest, I don't think I need it anyway because the pain was tolerable, almost non-existent. It felt more like tenderness rather than actual pain. I took it just as a precaution, it's easier to prevent than to cure when pain strikes.
After the 3rd day, I stopped taking painkiller altogether. In total, I took 5 doses of the painkillers in 3 days (3 on first day, 1 every subsequent day). Apart from the first day after my nap, pain was really not an issue at all which was a surprise. Which also means it was a waste of money to get the Diclofenac because I only took 1 tablet from it (which I probably vomited anyway), and I have lots of Panadeine Forte left which I will never take simply because it's too strong. My advice for anyone who's going to do wisdom tooth extraction is, get the leftover painkillers from a friend who's done it.
I also took Diclofenac which is stronger (on its own, not with Panaedeine) but with this painkiller it has to be taken after a meal. Honestly, my mouth was tasting nothing but blood and my saliva was extra slimy and gross. Plus I just spewed a mix of blood with my half digested lunch and painkiller (which left a disgusting bitter taste in my throat), all my appetite just committed suicide wtf. So I didn't bother with that anymore and only continued with Panadeine Forte.
The next day I felt much better (no nausea, no pain, saliva not as slimy, less blood) although I did get a little feverish at night. I didn't take the pain killer throughout the day as I didn't like how it would make me drowsy, so only left it for night before I go to bed. To be honest, I don't think I need it anyway because the pain was tolerable, almost non-existent. It felt more like tenderness rather than actual pain. I took it just as a precaution, it's easier to prevent than to cure when pain strikes.
After the 3rd day, I stopped taking painkiller altogether. In total, I took 5 doses of the painkillers in 3 days (3 on first day, 1 every subsequent day). Apart from the first day after my nap, pain was really not an issue at all which was a surprise. Which also means it was a waste of money to get the Diclofenac because I only took 1 tablet from it (which I probably vomited anyway), and I have lots of Panadeine Forte left which I will never take simply because it's too strong. My advice for anyone who's going to do wisdom tooth extraction is, get the leftover painkillers from a friend who's done it.
My first breakfast post extraction. Looks like vomit right wtf. It's bascially just oats and I couldn't even finish half of it.
Day 2 - My left cheek swelled up - trust me, the swelling was worse than what it looks like here lol. I looked like a hamster hiding food from his friend. The right side didn't swell as much. The left side swelled so much I had double chin fml. The swelling slowly subsided from Day 3 onwards.
I was pretty much on a liquid diet, only taking oats and porridge for the first 3 days although you're only not supposed to take solids in the next 24-48 hours post extraction. After that you can eat whatever you want being careful with not touching the wound. You're also not supposed to suck on a straw as it risks dislodging the blood clot but by Day 3, I knew my wounds were healing already so went ahead with this, being as careful as I can - as in suck it really slowly haha.
I was really bored and tired of oats so made myself a blueberry smoothie one morning. Super easy. Just blend together some blueberries and yogurt and you're done. Thin it down with some milk and sweeten with honey if necessary. Taste almost like melted frozen yogurt with actual blueberries.
Day 3 - So happy that I could finally take selfies without looking like I had food in my mouth! Lol. The swelling has gone down a little bit.
To be honest, if there's anything uncomfortable or unpleasant at all having wisdom tooth extracted, is tasting blood through out the day, for some reason your saliva being especially slimy and thick making it really hard to swallow but all these were gone by the 2nd day.
Oh another discomfort is not being able to sneeze with your mouth close. Yes it is a discomfort for me because I find sneezing with my mouth open is terribly unhygienic to people around me, and vice versa obviously. I've accidentally sneezed with my mouth closed once and I could honestly feel like my wounds were about to explode lol. Oops, never doing it again.
I started taking soft solid foods on Day 4. You CAN take solids 48 hours after extraction but from my experience, your jaw feels so tensed it's even hard to yawn... so chewing solids will take quite an effort. I am now able to eat normal food bearing in mind that debris will easily get trapped in the 'sockets' so rinsing is really crucial.
I was googling about how long until the wounds are fully healed and came across this forum with people discussing about how to care for the wounds post extraction, especially after eating and stuff. Look what this batshit crazy woman responded:
Yes Wisdom Tooth Widow, Margret just said "Use a bobbypin to get the food out". I found that suggestion to be horrifyingly hilarious lol. Of all things, bobbypin. Maybe she's a hairdresser with too many bobbypins lying around.
My dentist never said not to use a foreign object to pick food out but erm... I don't think it's a good idea Margret.
I rinse with an antiseptic mouth wash recommended by the dentist after each meal (If I remember to heheh), or warm salt water works fine too. Sometimes I use a plastic syringe filled with salt water to 'spot-rinse' the socket. To be honest, 3-4 days was all it takes for recovery - bleeding, swelling and tenderness. By Day 5, I knew I was actually fit enough to start working. But I took a week off work just to be safe.
I should also clarify that this is purely MY experience. Everyone's condition and recovery is different, so is their dentist. What I went through may not be the same as you. Wk took 4 teeth out, his surgery took 3 freaking hours, he needed more than 1 week for proper recovery. And he needed a lot more painkillers than me, although he didn't have to throw up once. Maybe guys just have a lot lesser pain threshold in the oral department. Hahah.
Anyway, if anyone wants to know more details, leave a comment or email me. I'll be happy to provide the details. Don't wanna give the dental free advertisement here, as though they're not charging people enough already lol.
Oh another discomfort is not being able to sneeze with your mouth close. Yes it is a discomfort for me because I find sneezing with my mouth open is terribly unhygienic to people around me, and vice versa obviously. I've accidentally sneezed with my mouth closed once and I could honestly feel like my wounds were about to explode lol. Oops, never doing it again.
I started taking soft solid foods on Day 4. You CAN take solids 48 hours after extraction but from my experience, your jaw feels so tensed it's even hard to yawn... so chewing solids will take quite an effort. I am now able to eat normal food bearing in mind that debris will easily get trapped in the 'sockets' so rinsing is really crucial.
I was googling about how long until the wounds are fully healed and came across this forum with people discussing about how to care for the wounds post extraction, especially after eating and stuff. Look what this batshit crazy woman responded:
Yes Wisdom Tooth Widow, Margret just said "Use a bobbypin to get the food out". I found that suggestion to be horrifyingly hilarious lol. Of all things, bobbypin. Maybe she's a hairdresser with too many bobbypins lying around.
My dentist never said not to use a foreign object to pick food out but erm... I don't think it's a good idea Margret.
I rinse with an antiseptic mouth wash recommended by the dentist after each meal (If I remember to heheh), or warm salt water works fine too. Sometimes I use a plastic syringe filled with salt water to 'spot-rinse' the socket. To be honest, 3-4 days was all it takes for recovery - bleeding, swelling and tenderness. By Day 5, I knew I was actually fit enough to start working. But I took a week off work just to be safe.
I should also clarify that this is purely MY experience. Everyone's condition and recovery is different, so is their dentist. What I went through may not be the same as you. Wk took 4 teeth out, his surgery took 3 freaking hours, he needed more than 1 week for proper recovery. And he needed a lot more painkillers than me, although he didn't have to throw up once. Maybe guys just have a lot lesser pain threshold in the oral department. Hahah.
Anyway, if anyone wants to know more details, leave a comment or email me. I'll be happy to provide the details. Don't wanna give the dental free advertisement here, as though they're not charging people enough already lol.
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Good post. I feel for you. I'm guessing the scan you had was an OPG?
I have four wisdom teeth, but my dentist recommended only my top left be removed. I've been putting it off.. (a year to be exact) and he keeps saying, "We'll do it when you have a quiet weekend planned." huh? what? IKR?1! I didn't even know what that meant until I read your story. Sigh.
That particular tooth started to have bits of it break off and I thought it was part of my normal set of teeth. Until, I went to the dentist and racked up $5k of dental work, including a root canal and many cavities. What can i say.. I love my sweets.
I should have married a dentist. heh. No really.
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