Need input on getting wisdom teeth pulled

[kaseyb (Supermom!)]

I would appreciate hearing about your experiences with getting wisdom teeth pulled, if you've done so.

 

Obviously, I'm considering having my wisdom teeth pulled. The two uppers are partially in and the two bottoms are in full. I never have problems with them at all, but the dentist says that if I wait until I'm older to have them pulled, then the job will be harder.

 

I've read that sometimes getting this done leaves some pretty icky side effects, such as losing feeling in certain parts of the mouth. I don't like the sound of that at all. *sigh*

 

Also, following an extraction, a condition called "dry socket" may occur. If the blood clot that formed in the extraction area becomes dislodged, it exposes the underlying bone. Ouch! Veeery painful.

 

If anyone has had wisdom teeth removed with either good or bad experiences and you don't mind sharing here, I'd be grateful. Also, if you'd let us in on the age you had it done, that would help because theoretically it's much easier when done in one's teen years.

 

 

 

 

[gardnmom]

The only difficulty I had getting mine out was due to the fact that there was not really room enough in my mouth for them so they were tight against the jaw bone. Just difficult to numb. Had I waited longer to have them out they would have come out in pieces as they had no center in them, they did not break however. Just follow the instruction, don't smoke or do some of the things people do, to soon after extraction to dislodge the clot and no problem.

[ejagno]

Teaberry I had my top wisdom teeth pulled 25 years ago by a quack who called himself a dentist. I had such a bad time I quit going.Then I had an abcess and I had to go get it taken care of,and a miracle happened I went to a new dentist and I sat in his chair shaking like a leaf and I found out that dentistry shouldn't be painful. When its done right you should not feel any pain while you are there.{there my be some pain after its only natural , but it should not be bad]

my impacted lower teeth were taken out about 15 years ago when I was about 30ish The dentist I went to for that did a great job. After I had them done I stopped having sore throats it never occured to me that my teeth were bothering my throat. I have had dry socket and it hurts alot. When I went to get my teeth pulled I told the dentist my fear {i dont smoke but I naturaly create a lot of suction in my mouth} and asked them to please put a stitch over every socket so I wouldnt lose the clot. I had 15 teeth pulled in the last 2 weeks and no dry sockets.

[ricardo]

I didn't have them pulled. I had them cut out. Meaning,

I had anesthesia, the bad thing about that was I woke up

in the middle of it and I heard lots of scraping. I didn't

feel anything. Then the nurse said to the doctor in a very

calm voice that I was awake. Then I was asleep again.

 

I didn't have any kind of problems with mine.

 

Other than waking up. HORROR!! HORROR!!!

 

Sorry.

[Freetobeme]

Well, I'm supposed to schedule having mine out. I will just have the area numbed. I don't want to be knocked out. The dentist agreed to do all four at once. One is slightly impacted and will have to have the bone behind it chipped away and the tooth cut in two. The other three are in straight and should just pull out. I have had two of them filled and one has a big piece missing or I wouldn't be having them out. They don't bother me, but considering that when I quit my job, I won't have insurance...I consider getting dental work done part of my preps.

[Guest Guest]

I had mine taken out at around age 20. Mine were cut out, too.

 

I had very little room in my mouth and I needed braces, otherwise they weren't a problem.

 

My DH's dentist told him to get his out, too, but he has no problem with them other than a *very* occasional ache (every 3 years, maybe?). DH refuses to do it. They're healthy teeth.

 

In my opinion, if they're healthy teeth and not giving you specific problems, it's not necessary. DH asked his dentist "why?" and all he could say was that everyone does it, pretty much.

 

Easy money for dentists. And "easier" in the teen years because Mom & Dad or their insurance will pay for it.

 

 

[Freetobeme]

One very good reason is that if they are very far back (as mine are) you can't keep them clean and they decay below the gumline. This can lead to infection and rotting of adjacent teeth. I know that somewhere in the future (not too distant) mine will give me trouble so I want them out before my insurance is gone. (Preventative medicine?) I wouldn't want to have to pull the darn things myself, although I could probably handle any of my other teeth if absolutely necessary.

[Daisygirl]

Okay, here's a horror story, well sort of. I had my wisdom teeth pulled with local numbing only. Because of my more recent drug history the dentist was rightfully leary of doing anything more. So, I was sitting there and he went to work on the first tooth. I wasn't feeling anything, then BAMB the tooth imploded and I hit the instrument tray and tools went flying all over the room. It sounded like a shotgun going off in my mouth. It didn't hurt, just sounded like it should have. I gripped the arms on the chair, but nothing happened and the other two came out easily. Just a couple of years ago, I had to have 8 teeth pulled from the top in order to get dentures. I had an oral surgeon and was put to sleep. I too woke up while the dentist was sitting on my chest trying to pull a tooth. I still didn't feel any pain, but when I woke up the next time, I told him what I remembered and he was blushing and trying to explain what he was doing...it was actually sort of funny. I had a few tooth/bone chips that had to be removed as they worked they're way out, but the residual pain was nothing compared to what I had already gone through. One thing to note, not only does oil of cloves numb tooth pain, so does tooth paste and it tastes much better. Funny thing, I still have one wisdom tooth on the bottom and it's fine. That reminds me I have a dentist appointment tommorrow morning...oh, joy!!

 

As far as dry socket goes, don't smoke or drink through a straw for a couple of days and you should be okay...at least that's what they told me. If you must, cover the healting area with a wet teabag to prevent dry socket. If I could go 2 or 3 days without smoking, I wouldn't have had to know that.

[Guest Guest]

your teeth seem to be positioned for easy pulling, my bottom ones were growing side ways... I should have been sent to an oral surgeon, but little did I know that the dentist I went to was a maniac (later loosing his liscense for writing his own scripts for pain meds etc...)besides I was a kid then and didnt know any better, I will spare you the gorey details, but I was definitely a worse case senario, 4 dry sockets for a year type of deal... all the dentist would do is give me tylenol 4's! since then I have had other teeth removed, and let me tell you...TAKE THE GAS IF POSSIBLE!!! lol it doesnt make you laugh, just makes you not get stressed out and not care what they are doing in there as much.... also if you do happen to develope a dry socket (and a real dentist will insist on checking your progress) a good dentist can/will pack the socket with clove oil treated gauze, and that will help re start the healing process.

The last tooth I had pulled, I got stupid again and went to a regular dentist...DONT DO IT UNLESS YOUR TOOTH IS ABOUT TO FALL OUT ANYWAY!!! She ended up splitting it in half and caused alot of tissue trauma, not to mention mental trauma as well...anyway, go to an oral surgeon, they have much better training and way better tools!!! If you are interested in herbs, a great one to take after any kind of surgery or tissue trauma is the oral homeopathic - arnica montana... it really speeds up healing... ask for it at the health food store. You will do fine, just take it easy and follow the post surgery directions they give you, but do take the gas if offered, take pain pills if you need them, and dont eat doritos for several months afterwards...(dont ask me how I know...) lol AM