Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Did it. I am glad that it is over however, I wish that I did this in my younger years. Like everything I do, I always put up a strong facade and then get scared on the day off. I had requested to be on laughing gas because they are no longer allowed to knock you out unless the extraction is performed in a hospital in where a certified anesthesiologist has to be present.

Extraction Experience:
My first time on laughing gas and all I have to say is.... wowza!! Super loopy, super cool and super calm. I had 14 needles pierced into my gums to numb my entire mouth and tongue. I kept my eyes closed for the procedure, it helped me stay calm. Although I couldn't feel any pain I could hear all the tools banging and extreme pressure of the tooth being ripped out from its root. 10 minutes - yup, that is how long it took to extract 4 giant wisdom teeth for a lovely invoice of $1,500. Imagine that?! (thank goodness for dental insurance)

I didn't have to get my top wisdom teeth removed but because they had cavities I had decided to take them out - they were already full grown and not causing me any pain or discomfort. My bottom wisdom teeth on the other hand were causing me pain and had just began tearing through my gums in a slanted position which would in turn eventually caused my teeth to shift. To remove these bad boys, required a drill and some heavy duty tools - my bottom teeth definitely made the dentist work for his money. By the end of the extraction procedure I somehow managed to kick both of my boots off and was barefooted.

Post Extraction:
Mouth totally numb with gauze on both sides - frozen more than ever. At this point I could not even speak because the freezing in my mouth was at its maximum. In my head I envisioned my mouth to look like this.. bottom lip drooping down with my bottom gums and teeth fully exposed. Silly, but hey I could not feel my mouth at all so how was I to know what it was doing. When I looked in the mirror I surprisingly looked normal.

When I got home I was nursed by my girlfriends - 1 is pre-med so that helped because she changed my gauze pads in my mouth every 30 minutes without being grossed out by blood or my mouth (haha). I had to keep my head in an upright position which I so miserably failed doing so I consistently was drooling blood all over my sweat pants, sweater, the floor and my pillow. A bib would have came in handy. The bleeding stopped after 6-7 hours and my face was now swollen like I took a good beating but I was just relieved to get that disgusting gauze out of my mouth which I was consistently gagging on. The freezing also subsided after 7-8 hours and I was happy to be able to feel my mouth and control it again (minus the pain). LOL at my picture.

As for the meds, I was on Tylenol 3 and Naproxen and again... wowza!!! It literally make all the pain go away. I guess I could not kind of understand how and why people get addicted to pain killer meds (can not say I totally blame them, especially if one encountered a traumatic event or childhood - but this obviously not an excuse).

I did not consume any food or brushed my teeth for the first 24 hours. Thereafter, day 1 and 2 I was only able to consume Jell-O and soup with no spices which made me very upset. Day 3 and 4 I was eating mushy rice and light curry. Day 5 and on I was back in business - I stayed away from hard, crunchy, chewy foods because the area was still sore but I was consuming everything else slowly but surely. In addition, it is very difficult to fully open your mouth so I had to use the little baby spoon to it could fit in the small opening of my mouth. The best part of this experience was that my parents were treating me like I just had my legs amputated and could not get out of bed. I am not allowed to bring food into my bedroom but I had breakfast, lunch and dinner served in bed. It was cute!

Having the extraction done on December 27th, 2012 meant a sober New Years Eve for me. I could not consume alcohol because it would have induced bleeding in my gums and also because I could not combine it with the T3. I was responsible, yay!

The only thing I really hated about the first week was that after every meal I would have to rinse with salt water and fill up this syringe they provide with the salt water and spray it in every hole to rinse out any food particles that are stuck. It is always gross to see chewed up food come back out. But hey, this worked in keeping the area cleaning and preventing infection (dry socket). Yup, I googled the potential infections and gave myself the symptoms - mind over matter. my mind lost.

There you have it. I have heard some horror stories from some real bad wisdom teeth removal experiences and consider myself lucky. Currently still healing and I can feel the holes healing and closing up - maybe 2 more weeks to go. If you do not need your wisdom teeth removed I would not recommend taking them out. The dentist will trick you to take your money and they are very persistent and can be extremely convincing.

Happy Smile!