Having My Wisdom Teeth Taken Out

Wasn't too bad for me.

I was 19 and had all 4 out AND had a...oh shoot...can't think of the '-dectomy' name that it's called, but where you get the tongue-tied piece cut under the tongue.
I had one of those 'dream pills' for the pain which was great b/c I was awake and knew what was going on, but it seemed kind of distant and not painful. I think a coule of mine were 'impacted' a little bit.

keep the holes clean and use ice.

I havent had my wisdom teeth out, but my hubby did last year and it took him a good 3 days to to start feeling better. If you are being sedated, I would definately have someone helping you at least that first day, he was out of it pretty much all day. Goodluck to you!

Just wanted to let you know the b/c of the pain of chewing afterwards I ate KFC mashed potatos for a week... that was the only part I could deal with

I had all four of my wisdom teeth cut out at the same time. I had this done on a Friday and returned to work on Monday. One thing I really think helped me was to drink lots of tea. You can also place used tea bags on your gums. I did not drink anything carbonated for a week. No straws.

Good luck!!!

Hi S.. Listen, I'm going to tell you my total story about getting all 4 of mine out because NOONE warned me and so therefore, I wasn't prepared. Come to find out, women who get them out later than their mid twenties or so can have more complications. I am 31, but my dentist told me this AFTER I went back to her for a checkup after my surgery to be checked out about complications I was having. First of all, I was completely out of commission the entire first day. Not only was I in lots of pain, but I was also having to change those gauze pads regularly because of the bleeding. Don't let me scare you or anything, because it's not like you're in serious pain, but it's substantial enough that when I would try to just open my mouth, I literally cried. I felt like a total wimp, but I couldn't help it. Just to drink the water to swallow the pain pills was bringing tears to my eyes. Also, you will not be able to open your jaw all the way possibly for the first 2 weeks after your surgery. At first, I even majorly struggled opening it enough to get the pain pills through, and when I was finally able to, I had to cut all of my food into the tiniest pieces and couldn't even get a fork in my mouth with a bite on it, so would push the food through with my fingers (hopefully this will help you choose meals). I wasn't prepared for this. It took literally a full two weeks for me to be able to open it comfortably, longer to be able to open it all the way again. I also went back in to the doctor and was given more vicodin because my supply ran out and I was still in a lot of pain. One other thing, just so you know ahead of time, at our age, sometimes some of the numbness can stick around for awhile. I was freaking out because the whole right side of my tongue was totally numb still 3 days later. I'm talking AS NUMB as when I FIRST GOT HOME. It took all of the first two weeks for me to be able to talk coherently because not only was my jaw not able to open to talk correctly, but my tongue felt HUGE inside my mouth due to the numbness. So, come to find out, my dentist told me that it's not uncommon for that to happen. She said the younger you are, the less complications you are bound to have, which is why she recommended I get them out now and not wait until I'm older and they start deteriorating, but as crazy as it seemed to me, she did talk like I was in the "a little older" category when she explained the reason for complications....AT 31!!! Now, this is I guess even more uncommon, but I STILL have numbness in my tongue on the right side and my surgery was April 25. I also did everything right that they told me to and still got a dry socket. If you end up getting these, do yourself a HUGE favor and take a 20 oz of root beer to the office with you on your first visit. The gauze they pack it with has the STRONGEST clove taste I have ever tasted and no joke, I was seriously having trouble not choking on the flavor. I could barely talk for the first 10 minutes because the flavor was so overpowering. They didn't say anything to me that first time about how to help with it, but one of my friends is a hygenist and told me that root beer helps, and it DOES! I drank so much root beer during that week and a half I had to have that gauze taken out and replaced. Anyway, I almost didn't respond to your request, but I really wished that someone had given me a heads up on possible complications or harder recovery. I thought it was a simple thing, and so I was completely unprepared. My husband stayed home the first two days so I could rest. By the way, I have a high pain tolerance too, but that doesn't help when you're talking about a lingering constant pain. Pain here and there is easy to overcome and ignore, but when it's for a constant 24 hours or more in my case, it gets to you. So, just have lots of ibuprofen and tylenol around. My surgeon said that I could mix the vicodin with either tylenol or ibuprofen..I don't remember which it was, but I literally was going back and forth between the one allowed like what we do with our kids when they run a high fever. I hope yours goes much much better then mine, but if it doesn't, don't worry, it will get better. I'm used to my tongue being numb now and it doesn't even bother me, but at times I will admit, it is ANNOYING!

S., two of my children have had all 4 of their wisdom teeth out with out much pain recently . All their wisdom teeth were impacted .. Just make sure that when you get home you are alternating putting ice on and off every 20 to 30 minutes. Have the ice packs ready ahead of time. Instruct whoever is taking care of you to do this for you even when you are asleep. When I had mine out many years ago I was taking care of my 3 children in a day or two. Good Luck.......I hope you're going to an oral surgeon.

S.,
I went to work after having my first one removed butit hurt like crazy for about a week.If you smoke try not too or at least keep it covered with gauze.A dry socket is the worst pain I can imagine , I had one and the Dentist had to go in and make it bleed again to get a clot once again.You'll know because you can hear and feel your heart beat in the area. I had the other 3 taken out seperatly as well.The two top ones I got black eyes from , but the lowers never really hurt much.If they want to do all 4 at one time I would see if you could be either gassed or knocked out for it.It is going to hurt and you can figure on eating alot of jello and soup and having to rinse your mouth with salt water several times a day.I would ask to be put on antibiotics afterwards as well just in case.I just had a lower molar removed about 10 days ago it was wrapped around the jaw bone, really long roots I am still in pain and on a second round of antibiotics as big dummy me smoked.I really tried not too but it is a very hard habit to break.I have to alternate between Advil and Vicodin for the pain and swelling.Thank goodness I don't work I couldn't do it with this pain. Good luck and be careful of what the Dentist decides is best.I can't imagine trying to care for 4 children and feel like I do now.

I had all of my wisdom teeth removed when I was in college. It was awful. I was knocked out, and it was a good thing. My jaw is so small and my mouth wouldn't open up wide enough. They had to dislocate my jaw to get back to the teeth. My bottom two were impacted and they had to break the teeth to get them out. My top ones had to be cut out. They weren't coming down and I guess they were stuck in my jaw. Not fun. I was in horrible pain for about a week and wound up with dry sockets. I lived off of pudding and applesauce for about a week. I had some pretty severe bruising and swelling too. I would recommend hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. It's always best to be prepared. If you wind up doing great, then you'll still have a little down time. I sincerely hope that you're experience is better than mine! I don't want to scare you or anything.

S.,
I was 19 when I had my wisdom teeth all 4 of them taken out, they had to cut all of them out, I told them I
wanted to be asleep when they cut them out. I think it
took me maybe a couple days. I did go to work the next day,
but had to leave early because I still didn't feel to good.
My boss said I looked like a chipmunk. I don't remember it
hurting though. Good luck. I would definitely want someone
there with me to help out the first day if you can.

K.

I was not a mom but a preschool teacher when I had mine taken out, and I took off that whole week from work. I probably could have come back a day or two sooner, but I was still on the pain meds and didn't want to drive or have the kids accidentally hit me in the mouth. I had 2 pulled and two cut out. It just takes a lot out of you. My grandparents stayed with me the whole time. I do recommend having someone there while your husband is gone to help care for you and the kids.

I had one of my teeth surgically cut out and I go next month to have three more done. I was put under (compltly zonked out) and I didn't remember a single thing. I woke up the next day and was sore and in pain, but it is beyoung worth it. I ate alot of ice cream and pudding. Which was hard with my kids wanting to eat what I ate lol I would be sure to have a sitter for the day of surgery and the following day. Best of luck

I was physically down the day of the surgery and the day after and made sure I didn't do a lot of heavy lifting for the next few days. Couldn't eat solid food for about a week if it required a lot of chewing do and my two lower ones had to be cut out because they were impacted.
I will pray for you! Thank goodness I had mine taken out when I was 18!

I had all 4 of mine taken out at the same time, 2 were cut also. Granted I was 15, however, it ws 2 days and it was fine. I wouldn't pick up your 2 little ones for a couple days, 4 or 5 maybe.
Good Luck!
J.

I was normal enough by day 3. I'd have someone with the kids if you can for at least the first 24 hours and hopefully the first 48. Good luck!

Hi S.,

I just had mine out on Friday 10/10. 2 had erupted but 2 were impacted (growing in sideways). I have 2 busy boys (1 & 3) and luckily my husband was home with me the 1st day. To me, the pain and headaches that I had prior to the surgery were worse than the pain afterward. I was sedated (the thought of which made me very anxious) and a little out of it for a few hours afterward. My surgeon prescribed Darvocet and that helped. I was feeling much better by Monday but didn't go back to work until Wednesday.

If you can have someone keep your boys for the 1st 24-48 hours, that would be ideal. You probably won't be quite yourself for a little while. As long as you rinse with salt water, apply ice, rest and take your pain meds before the pain gets too bad, I think you'll do fine.

S.,

I just had two of my wisdom teeth taken out last Thursday. I had one that was cut out and one that was pulled. They are both on the the left side so that has helped me out:) I opted not to be sedated, because I didn't want to lose a 24 hours of my life. I had the laughing gas and then just local anesthetic. I was very afraid that the "sounds" would bother me, but really the laughing gas relaxed me so that I wasn't really paying attention to the oral surgeon. Definitely eat only soft foods and broth for the first week. I am still eating (drinking) chicken noodle soup and mashed potatoes quite a bit. Ice, Ice, Ice will help the swelling go down, and don't feel bad if you have to take the pain meds. I had to take the Vicodin the first couple of days to just minimize the pain. If you have any other questions for me, feel free to e-mail me. I will be praying for you!!

M.

My brother had all 4 of his taken out and was up and out of the house that night. He was only 17 y/o at the time and a football player. I had mine taken out at 18 y/o and couldn't move for 2 days, was sicker than a dog and ended up with dry socket. So recovery varies greatly. Best of luck!

I had three of mine removed at the same time. I was lucky enough to have my in laws take my oldest back to Michigan with them for a week (she's 4) and I had them out on my husbands day off so he could help with the baby who was then7 months old. Ice is your best friend, use lots of it in the days after to reduce the swelling and pain. I only took the Vicodin at night so I wouldn't be too groggy. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad pain wise and I am a wimp. Just don't bend over if you can help it, it makes the pain worse somehow. Good luck!!

i had all 4 of mine out at the same time about two years ago, i was 26 then. i'm a very small person, only 4'9", so the stuff they gave me before i had them out realy put me under. i was out the first day totally- the next few days weren't much better. the left side of my face sweeled up likea balloon and i was in so much pain i couldn't eat or drink. i had them out on a friday and on sunday night i went to the e.r. tehy thought i had an infection, not sure if i did or not, but i spent the night. i was still haveing trouble opening my mouth a few weeks later, went back tot he doc and he chiseled more of the left bottom tooth out and then i finally felt better. i went back to work a week and a half after the surgery. hope yours goes better, just wanted to warn you it would be a good idea to have people on hand that could help if needed!

I was only 14 or 15 when mine were done, but I was kinda out of it the day of but up and moving the next day. BUT I didn't have to take care of 4 kids and you aren't supposed to lift anything for a few days. I'd say get it done on a Friday and you need to have your husband stay home with you for the weekend. By Monday you should be ok on your own. I found it very helpful to sleep in a recliner so I didn't roll over and so the blood didn't rush to my head. I also kept ice packs and frozen peas on my jaw all day and night. Good Luck!

The first and second day are the worst for pain and then the rest of the time it is pretty good. You just need to be sure that after you eat, you irrigate the area throughly. Otherwise it could cause you a problem you don't want. Eating was a little difficult for a while, but it really isn't that bad.

I had all four cut out at age 16 and was pretty miserable for a couple of days. After that it was just difficult to eat...not terrible otherwise. With four little people depending on you it will probably drain your energy a lot faster... I don't know if that's very helpful or not!

Good luck, hope you have a quick recovery!

J.

Dear S.,

A long time ago I had 4 removed and all had to be taken out in pieces. I could have passed for Alvin the chipmunk's twin. I got one day off work. The next day I was called in at 10:30 and the following day it was 8:30 when the phone summoned me to work.

My only advice is to keep the sockets clean so I didn't eat solid food for a few days. For cleaning I prefer my alcohol in the form of adult beverages, which when swished will help keep the sockets clean and when swallowed will relieve pain. Can't guarantee your doctor will suggest same but it worked for me :~).

God Bless,

S.

I had my top two pulled out and my bottom two cut out several years ago. I only had two done at a time, and they were done a year or two apart. The anesthesia they use now (or used when I had my last set out) didn't leave me too groggy and sick to my stomach, which was the case with my first set. For me, I had to eat soft food for the first day, had some pain the first day, but after that, I don't remember pain being an issue. The oral surgeon gave me some pain meds, but I didn't feel it was bad enough to use them. I had to have someone drive me home and stay with me for a while, but after a few hours, I was able to "function normally" again. But, everyone is different, so it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to plan for the worst case.

For me the first day wasn't so much about the pain as the bleeding. Then the second day my mouth was pretty sore. Nothing a little ibuprofen couldn't handle though so I wasn't a zombie.

Can I please give you a tip that was just amazing for me? My dentist/surgeon told me about it. It's for the bleeding. Not to be too gross here but they pack your gums in the back full of gozz. It quickly gets saturated in spit & blood and I would gag on it kind of bad. What they told me was to take a tea bag. Get it damp, ring it out with the string & bite on it. The flavor is a LOT better than the alternative & the tea helps the blood clot so it doesn't bleed as long. I had 2 wisdom teeth cut out & didn't know this and was miserable the rest of the day. Then I had my other 2 wisdom teeth cut out and did the tea bag trick. By that evening I was feeling like myself again.

Good luck S.!

oh
S. right there with you. SAHM as well and have a 10 month and 2 older so i was nervous about being out of commision as well. i will tell you my hubby travels and thank GOD that i waited for him to be here. Lost 4 days of my life because of the painkillers(which i NEVER take)So you will get thru it, just make sure you have back up help. good luck

S. - I've worked in my husband's oral surgery practice for years. Ice, Ice, Ice the first 2 days. 20 minutes on each side of the face every hour. The more you ice, the less swelling, the less pain, and the faster you'll be up and going. Take it easy the first 2 days. No leaning over, no picking up anything heavy and liquid diet (NO STRAWS!). Soft foods for a week after that. Please don't panic when you read some of these responses that say "the worst pain", etc. These instructions will also help reduce the possibility of side-effects. Good luck. It has to be done and won't be as bad as you think!

Hi S. (love the spelling of your name, I have a friend S. that I went to HS with)

Now, I had 4 teeth pulled this summer, not all at once, but each time, it was at least 2 weeks b4 the holes closed enough for me to have anything to chew. So, get stews, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, anything that does not required a lot of chewing but also has big enough parts that they don't get stuck in the hole (Painful and a pain in the butt to get out) I was sick to my stomach and had a headache for the first week but you never know, you may fair better than I.. It was uncomfortable but not so bad that I could not function. Ask for a pain killer just incase. Good luck.

I would try to plan on having help around for at least 2 days, more if you can get it. The first day or two were the worst for me. As long as you can function on pain meds (my doc gave me Vicodin) then you should be okay - some people get knocked out by the meds and can't stand the pain so may need more time. Try to keep the expectations low for everyone - the kids can watch a little more TV and that sort of thing. Good luck!

I had my all four of my wisdom teeth removed recently. I was advised beforehand to buy some arnica montana (30c), a homeopathic remedy for pain and swelling, and also to buy a dietary suppliment called quercetin with bromelain. These all work together to speed up your body's healing process. The oral surgeon also gave me prescrition vicadin for the pain afterward.
I was really drowsy for the first 5 hours after the surgery, and I stayed in bed the rest of the day.
The next day I was up and about a little more. By the fourth day I decided to stop taking the vicadin because it was making me spacy! I was suprised to find that the arnica and quercetin had been doing their job because I had NO PAIN, so I highly recommend using these. You can buy a product online called SinEcch, which has all this wrapped up in one pill. It was specifically designed to reduce pain and swelling and speed healing after surgery. It runs about $30 for 12 pills (all you need for one surgery), but I was able to cut the cost in half by buying all the above listed ingredients at a health food store.
Plan on being down for the count on day one, and have someone to check on you and help you if you need anything. You should be able to take care of your kids the next day, but just take it easy for several days following.

I, too, had all four wisdom teeth taken out at the same time. I was down for about 3-4 days (and that was 10 years ago when I was in my mid 20's). Definitely have some help lined up for a few days so that you can get some rest. Obviously, the first couple of days are the worst but, you may respond differently than I did. Have lots of pudding and jello on hand, and most of all listen to your body. It will tell you if you are trying to do too much, too soon! Good luck!

I was about your age when I got my wisdom teeth out. Mine were impacted and/or growing sideways. My roots were down to the nerve. It was not a good time for me. I'm glad all 4 went at the same time; I wouldn't have gone back to have any more taken out. Then I had complications with a dry socket. I was pretty out of it and miserable for a few days, as I recall. Sorry, I don't mean to scare you! Mine was probably not the typical case since my wisdom teeth had crazy long winding roots and all 4 were problems.

My advice, whatever you can do ahead of time to prepare ahead meals, etc., get help with your children, I'd do. If you realize that you don't need as much help with the children after your surgery, that is easier to let go than to find at the last min. Even with the best possible situation, you will be pretty out of it or miserable for 24 - 48 hours. You can ask your oral surgeon for his/her professional opinion. That might give you a good idea too.

Good luck and I hope that your experience is much better than mine was.

I personally recovered very well. I got mine taken out in high school and I was actually back at school a few hours after the surgery to get assignments from teachers and I went to basketball practice the next day. Sure, my mouth was sore, but I just had the energy and desire to get up and moving. You might want to take advantage of people offering to help though and take a nice break! Hope it goes well!

Everyone is different! It all depends on how difficult the teeth are to come out. Plan on laying low a few days and eating some nutritious soft foods....scrambled eggs, protein drinks, yogurt, whole grain pasta....to name a few! Make sure you use ice as prescribed by the dentist to minimize swelling...and yes...NO smoking or using a straw! If you're not currently taking any nutritional supplements, there are some great products to boost your immune system that are isotonic (drinkable and absorbed rapidly) by googling www.DrWalterRBelow.nutraMetrix.com. Antioxidants like OPC3 will boost your immune system and help reduce inflammation in the body. Good Luck!

I had all 4 of my out the same day. I agree with the previous poster. I was up and about the next day. Even went to work 3 days later. Didn't want to because had scheduled to have extra time off, but did OK. The healing took long, I remember how long. I tried to only eat things that I could chew with my front teeth or mush with my tongue. But, the end result was worth it. I felt better.

I second the suggestion to pack the area(s) with a tea bag(s). Steep in hot water, squeeze out moisture,wrap lightly in gauze if desired and then pack. The tannic acid and the pressure of the jaws closing down on the wound restricts the blood vessels in the area. This was advised for both of my older kids by their oral surgeon. It worked wonderfully.

All of mine were impacted, and I had to have them surgically removed. I was extremely groggy the first day (my husband spoon fed me pudding so I could take my vicodin!). The second day I felt better but was still sore for about a week. The best rule is no smoking or sucking for at least a week. If you suck on anything (like a straw) or smoke, you can get dry sockets which are very painful and very annoying. I had one dry socket. We used clove oil (purchased at the pharmacy). It works better than ambesol (sp?). It takes the pain away instantly. I was up and running the next day. Just make sure you aren't doing anything more than relaxing and playing with your kids. I wouldn't be doing any heavy duty farm chores for about a week. Don't be afraid to ask the dentist and the assistants questions!

I also had all four taken out at once, two of them cut out, however I was in high school at the time. I was put out, so the first day I was definately out of commission completely. Second day so-so and it got better daily - although I did miss a whole week of school, however I wasn't a mom yet so I'm sure I'd suck it up now if I had to go thru something like that again.

I only had 2 wisdom teeth (uppers) and they were both taken out at the same time. I had it done on a Tuesday, and took the rest of the week off. BUT they said most people like to do it on a Friday and probably can return to work on Monday or Tuesday. (That was before I had my daughters though.)

One thing I wanted to pass on was a trick a friend of my mom's told me about. Take a ziplock bag, and put 1 cup of water and 1 cup of rubbing alcohol in it - zip it up and put in the freezer. It'll get ice cold, but won't get hard - it'll get maybe a little slushy but still be liquid and you can use that as an ice-pak. Works so much better than an ice pack with "actual ice" in it...I thought so anyway.

Good luck!

Hi S.,

I had all 4 of mine out at the same time also. Mine were severly impacted due to a small jaw so I had a similar situation. For me personally I was able to do all the normal "chores" by the next day. I pretty much slept for the rest of the appointment day. Your mouth will still be pretty soar for a few days but you should be able to function normally besides that. A word for you: don't smoke (if you do) and don't use a straw!!!! I learned the hard way it's a painful mistake! I was terrified to go, you know you always here all these horror stories and such but it was pretty smooth for me. But they will give you something to help out with the pain, it's not heavy duty or anything but it will help. Good luck to you!!!!! I hope I was able to help out a little.

I was only out of commission for a few hours, the time it takes for all the anesthetic to wear off. I was able to function even though I was sore for a while. Good luck !