<p>I have to have my wisdom teeth removed next week, and I’m a bit nervous. 
Is there anything I should know about wisdom teeth removal? I’ve been told to eat “bland foods” and that I can’t eat beforehand. Other than that, I don’t know very much. Also, I’m not sure which route to go anesthesia-wise:
<p>Any opinions/help are welcome!</p>
<p>Just a note of encouragement, warbler. S had his wisdom teeth out last summer with minimal discomfort, really. Never even used the oxycodone he was provided for after, just the tylenol (maybe with codeine, I forget). </p>
<p>I don’t remember what he had for anesthesia; will ask him when he’s home.</p>
<p>I had mine out mucho years ago with similar “success.”</p>
<p>Some people have trouble; I think they get a little infection. If you don’t have that complication, you may be pleasantly surprised with the recovery process.</p>
<p>Certainly, don’t plan anything at all for the first couple of days after; allow yourself R&R; follow the rinsing etc. instructions conscientiously. Plan a light schedule for about a week following, maybe less. S had his out on a Monday; went to a 2-hour SAT prep class on Friday.</p>
<p>D is a big baby about needles, etc. Won’t go to doc unless she thinks she may be dying. Had impacted 4 taken out surgically last Christmas. Wasn’t fun recovery, but she didn’t get the dry socket, which is the biggest post prob. Anyway, she was out almost completely, and did well. They used some anesthesia - IV with her.</p>
<p>Just make sure you have a good oral surgeon who comes highly recommended. My daughter had hers out a few years ago and my son last month. FYI - Cadets and Midshipman going to West Point and Annapolis are encouraged to have their wisdom teeth out before they arrive (I think mostly so they don’t overwhelm the military dental system) Here’s a whole thread from the US Military Academy message board - <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=61708&highlight=wisdom+teeth[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=61708&highlight=wisdom+teeth</a></p>
<p>go with the IV sedation; I wish I had. Beyond the actual removal, the recovery isn’t bad.</p>
<p>I’m a general dentist and I agree with the oral surgeon recommendation unless they’re fully erupted or you live in a rural area with few specialists. If you’re nervous and/or they’re impacted, IV sedation or general anesthesia is the way to go. Recovery is typically uneventful if you follow instructions.Usually you can expect a couple of days rest & soft diet.</p>
<p>DS#2 had two wisdom teeth removed to prepare for braces. It was done under a local in the oral surgeon’s office. He bounced back quickly with no pain. However, he refused to use the ice packs highly recommended by the surgeon and mom. After all, 15-year-old boys know everything, don’t they. By the second day he looked like a squirrel with a mouthful of nuts. Guess who got the last laugh. 
So remember - ice, ice, baby.</p>
<p>My daughter had hers out a week ago - IV sedation in the oral surgeons office. She remembers absolutely nothing of the procedure and felt good that afternoon. She did, however, wake up sore for the next two days and took minimum doses of the prescribed percocet (sp?). She had very minor swelling - if you didn’t know her well you would never notice it - and no bruising. We even went shopping for all her dorm stuff the day after. As of today, no pain at all and the stitches appear to have dissolved. It really was not a big deal at all, and hers were all impacted. Good luck, I’m sure it will be much easier than you expect.</p>
<p>My D had 2 taken out last year and she decided she was an “anesthesia-chicken” and would tough it out with just the novocain. The dentist had reservations about this because they typically like to work fast, hard, and without any struggle from their patient. But she went through with it while awake and said it was like he was a mechanic working on a car–uncomfortable, lots of pressure at times, strange noises of course, but got through it. Later she said she’d much rather have not been able to see and sense everything he did. So when we schedule her second pair of wisdom teeth, she’ll go under.</p>
<p>D felt really out of it and couldn’t leave her bed for a day or two and had a bit of pain. Didn’t really improve till the 3rd day. The worst thing about those days is all the bloody gauze in your mouth. Changing that every few hours is enough to make anyone lose their appetite. Once you don’t need the packing you’ll feel much better. D liked having Jamba drinks–cool and maybe a bit more nutritious than ice cream–but using a spoon, because not allowed to suck through a straw. </p>
<p>She also got a prescription for a vicodin-type drug for pain and I remember she thought at first that was pretty cool. Till she took one and we left to go to a concert that night. We came back late thinking she would be sound asleep but instead she jumps into our arms crying with relief on opening the door. Apparently the drug gave her some mild hallucinations of hearing people in the house and other things that weren’t there and it just completely freaked her out. Guess I’ll won’t have to worry about anyone in college pushing strange pills on her now :)</p>
<p>You should stock up on milk-shakes, yogurts, custards, fruit smoothies etc. For 2 or 3 days that will be all you can handle. Keep the area iced, and take lots of Motrin/Advil for the inflammation. </p>
<p>Lay in bed, watch T.V., sleep, read.</p>
<p>My D used Novocain.</p>
<p>IV sedation, oral surgeon, ice, a few vicodin, a couple of days of rest. You can get through this. And don’t wait too long to schedule. Oral surgeons like to leave a couple of weeks post-op just in case something does go wrong. And their schedules fill up fast with all of the incoming college freshmen looking to get their wisdom teeth out before fall.</p>
<p>i have to agree with going with the iv sedation. when i had mine out it only took a couple days to really recoup from the surgery; in about a week i was able to make it to a concert (obviously with the help of some pain killers). getting wisdom teeth taken out isn’t anything to really be nervous about.</p>
<p>Wisdom teeth alone, even impacted or non-erupted, aren’t bad if you do as told and use lots of ice, AND are fortunate enough to not get an infection - which are uncommon, and sometimes not really preventable or traceable to “something you did wrong”. The ice seemed to help my daughter more than the pain meds. in that she had little swelling, therefore less pain.</p>
<p>Definitely IV sedation, you don’t want to actually know what’s happening in your mouth while it’s going on. As for ice, even better than ice packs are bags of frozen peas. Wrap them in an old t-shirt or undershirt so that there’s something between your skin and the plastic bag, and change the cloth when/if it gets skanky. The beauty of peas is that the bag molds to the shape of your face, and you don’t get poked by the corners of ice cubes. Buy several bags (the cheap store brand is just perfect), and alternate them, refreezing between uses. When you no longer need ice packs, throw away the peas. </p>
<p>Both of my kids had their wisdom teeth removed. DS had three that were impacted, and needless to say his recovery was not pleasant. The oral surgeon will probably give you a prescription for pain meds before you have the surgery - fill it and use it. If the directions say to take it every four hours, take it every four hours, at least for the first day. You may not be in “terrible pain” and may resist taking meds, but if you wait until you ARE in terrible pain, it will take longer for the meds to truly be effective. DD had no impacted teeth, and her recovery was a breeze. Follow the eating instructions that you are given - avoid straws (too much pressure on the site), crumbly or small-pieced food (no matzoh balls or rice in your chicken soup!), and don’t eat harder/crunchier foods until you get the go-ahead from your doctor. Go ahead, baby yourself, this is one of the few times in your life that you can do it and get away with it.</p>
<p>go for antibiotics prior to surgery…some surgeons prescribe them out as a precaution, and others wait; my rec is to take them as a prophylactic to help minimize the chance of infection.</p>
<p>also concur with marcyr:</p>
<p>take the meds the surgeon gives you – they usually include an anti-inflamatory, which helps reduce swelling and pain.</p>
<p>I had my wisdom teeth out the day after I had a tumor out (needed both out and it seemed like a good idea to be in pain all at once). I didn’t take the extra pain killers - just the Tylenol 3 for the tumor pain - and maybe an antibiotic. My jaw really wasn’t causing me any pain anyway. Not sure what this ice-pack stuff is about. 
I only did novocain, which was completely fine - although my teeth were coming in straight (they removed them because my jaw is too small) and they were not impacted. It didn’t bother me to know what they were doing.</p>
<p>It really wasn’t bad. I ate foods that I could chew with my front teeth. No suction allowed - you can get dry sockets from that. New Year’s Eve was shortly afterwards, and I had all sorts of fancy appetizer food and was fine. (Sure, I couldn’t lift my food to my mouth and had to chew with my front teeth, but was otherwise having quite a good time.)</p>
<p>So - it’s really not that bad. This post is really meant to be reassuring and encouraging.</p>
<p>Great advice on the bags of peas…they work great.
D couldnt tolerate any milk based products in those first few days so no milkshakes for her.It could be the mix with the vicodin, it made her nauseous and she claims gave her nightmares and she also was hallucinating.Never took them again.Got through with Advils.
Be diligent on the rinsing,even if the salt rinse taste yucky.
The advice on the timetable is correct.Docs want plenty of time on the other side of surgery to make sure everything is healing before you go back to school.D tried to schedule too late in Aug and he put her off until Winter break.Went under day after Christmas…everyone in the waiting room was a college kid…was fine by New Years.Left for school two weeks later.</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks for all the great advice, everyone. :D</p>
<p>Daughter had hers out a few weeks ago. She would strongly recommend the IV route. Her oral surgeon encourages Advil/Motrin 800mg every 4-6 hours. Patients seem to do better with that then the Vicodin types. Anything with codeine can cause nausea which can dislodge blood clots and lead to dry sockets. You do NOT want dry sockets. Trust me. Her surgeon also recommended using a syringe to irrigate the sockets for any kind of tiny food particles. Don’t start that or gentle rinsing until the second day. Frozen vegetables are perfect.</p>