Medical Managing Wisdom Tooth Pain and Potential Complications

[russ_watters]

Actually oral surgeons do use general anesthesia with an anesthetist, it's done in an operating room, you are hooked up to all of the monitors, you are unconscious during the surgery and taken to a recovery room to wake up and they take you to the car in a wheelchair (someone else has to drive). Evo child had all 4 of hers take out at once, two were impacted, and the other two looked like they would become impacted.

Well...my "recovery room" was a window sill with a seat cushion on it, and my mother helped me down the stairs and to her car, but other than that, yeah. I didn't wear a hospital gown, but I'm pretty sure I pulled-up my shirt to put some electrodes on my chest.

Everything about that surgery was worse than my hernia (which was about as easy as they get, so I was told). My teeth were pretty well impacted and it felt every bit as if I'd been hit in the face four times with a hammer and chisel (which I had). A week and a half later, I was still feeding pizza through the 1/2" slot my mouth formed.

 

[russ_watters]

I had mentioned that nitrous oxide was a weak general anesthetic already, what does bringing that up have to offer?

Apparently, I'm still not adequately getting the point across:

Well IV sedation is known as deep sedation. It means you had remained conscious however you were in a 'sleepy' state. You still breath and are somewhat responsive to the dentist(they have to more than just talk to you though) your eyes do shut but you haven't lost conciousness yet. AFAIK deep sedation in America is not considered to be general anesthesia in America GA is considered as being unconscious and unresponsive as well your protective reflexes will more than likely not be operating (breathing). In some countries it is I'm pretty sure America is not one of those countries.

Yes, I said "general anesthetic" and I meant it. As said by someone else, it means completely unconscious. That's the state I (and several of my friends) was in when I had my wisdom teeth out. Nitrous is not the same. I can believe that dentists deliver nitrous to make you groggy, but that isn't true/full general anesthetic and it isn't what my oral surgeon did.

Again, this is why an oral sugeon is needed: A dentist does not deliver real general anesthetic.

It's not really normal nor necessary to use this on patients for dental work, even tooth extractions. Generally speaking it's only done at the request of the patient or if the dentist thinks it would be best to go that route for a particular reason. I.e. the patient seems nervous or won't be able to sit still and follow what the dentist says etc.

Well apparently that's a difference betwen the US and Canada, then: In my experence and that of most of the people I know, getting wisdom teeth taken out by an oral surgeon with real general anesthetic was SOP.

I have also heard that if you're rich, you can request general anesthetic (not sure if that is true general anesthetic or just nitrous) for basic dental work like cavities and root canals.

 

[lisab]

My experience was very similar to Russ's. I had full anesthesia, and was very groggy for at least an hour after I woke up. No hospital or hospital gown, I wore normal clothes. It was done in an oral surgeon's office.

Then, a long week with a bruised face and not being able to move my jaw (no one told me to expect that, I was sure I had tetanus, haha).

 

[Count Iblis]

Moonbear, thanks for your detailed reply. I've read that before you can get general anesthesia, you cannot eat anything for many hours. That sounds extremely inconvenient to me.

 

[zomgwtf]

Apparently, I'm still not adequately getting the point across: Yes, I said "general anesthetic" and I meant it. As said by someone else, it means completely unconscious. That's the state I (and several of my friends) was in when I had my wisdom teeth out. Nitrous is not the same. I can believe that dentists deliver nitrous to make you groggy, but that isn't true/full general anesthetic and it isn't what my oral surgeon did.

That wasn't what I was talking about at all. Sure maybe you were under GA but it's not called IV sedation, that's not general anesthesia, that's deep sedation and you are still conscious for this.

As well it's not true that dentists can not administer anesthesiology, I don't know why you are under this impression all that is needed in both America and Canada to administer anesthetic drugs is the proper training and facilities. Most dentists DO have the proper training and plenty of offices, here at least, do have facilities for anesthisology right in the office. Nitrous oxide can make you unconscious and it definitely will bring about IV sedation, which in some countries (not America) would be considered GA.

 

[russ_watters]

That wasn't what I was talking about at all. Sure maybe you were under GA but it's not called IV sedation, that's not general anesthesia, that's deep sedation and you are still conscious for this.

I didn't use the term "IV sedation", you did. I said "IV general anesthetic" and it would seem you misread, thinking I meant "IV sedation". I did not. I meant exactly what I said: general anesthetic delivered via an IV. I said that because I wanted to make it clear I wasn't knocked out by a gas.

The rest of your post is following a similar track, arguing about something I made clear is not what I was talking about. Maybe it would help clarify if you answered a straightforward question: can a dentist administer a *real* general anesthetic (as per our discussion which defined it) or do you need an anesthesiologist for it?

Please do not answer that in some countries they consider nitrous to basically be a GA - you know by now that isn't what I'm talking about.

 

[zomgwtf]

OHHH you meant INTRAVENOUS. When talking about anesthesia it's usefull to use the full term for that because IV means LEVEL 4. That's MY mistake for misunderstanding though.

As well, to answer your question, yes dentists can administer GA sedation(this is what I've been saying the entire time and it will not change). The necesary tools etc., are bascially the same when the patient is in IV sedation. There are different guidlines for pediatric patients.

http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/positions/statements/anesthesia_guidelines.pdf

 

[fluidistic]

Update:
My gum is still red where I had the infection. The dentist told me it'd be better to remove the tooth, but it's not an obligation. However she checked out my other teeth and the upper left wisdom tooth has a huge tooth decay and the tooth caused my an ulcer (which didn't look good to her eyes!). She said it's urgent to remove this tooth. So I'm having it removed on 8th of april.
She didn't took a radiography of this upper tooth (though she did for my lower one, in case I wanted to remove it). I guess there's no danger to damage any nerve for the upper wisdom teeth, right?
She's going to do all by herself and she told me it could last between 5 to 20 minute and that it's a routine surgery.

I'll have to start to take antibiotics from the day of the little surgery.

 

[Evo]

If the x-ray is not too expensive, you may want one for piece of mind, just to make sure there isn't something odd (like when they found the roots of the tooth they were pulling were wrapped around the roots of the tooth next to it and required an oral surgeon).

 

[fluidistic]

This was it. I just got the tooth removed (30 minutes ago). A horrible experience, I almost fainted three times: the first time because of both anesthesias, the second time because of the sounds and sensation of the tooth during the dentist forced to extract it and another time while leaving because I thought about the huge place I now have in my mouth.
According to the dentist I should eat ice creams and "eat" only liquids for today.
I kept the tooth in case I need money: selling the ivory.

 

[Borek]

Get well fast. Weekend will be difficult, when anesthesia wears out.

 

[Evo]

This was it. I just got the tooth removed (30 minutes ago). A horrible experience, I almost fainted three times: the first time because of both anesthesias, the second time because of the sounds and sensation of the tooth during the dentist forced to extract it and another time while leaving because I thought about the huge place I now have in my mouth.
According to the dentist I should eat ice creams and "eat" only liquids for today.
I kept the tooth in case I need money: selling the ivory.

They didn't put you to sleep? They just numbed you? That's terrible. Make sure you don't get dry socket.

 

[fluidistic]

Get well fast. Weekend will be difficult, when anesthesia wears out.

Thanks :)
I was also scared about this, I asked the dentist and told me to take ibuprofen in case it hurts.
Now I need to buy some ice cream but I still lose blood. Too bad I'm not in Poland in winter, I'd have picked some snow to do the job.

They didn't put you to sleep? They just numbed you? That's terrible. Make sure you don't get dry socket.

She told me that the better for me now is to eat some ice cream. When I was leaving I told her secretary I wasn't feeling good and that I needed to sit on the chairs, which I did. After 5 minutes I left and I'm here now. I got rid of the bandage I had in the mouth, but it's still bleeding.
What is dry socket by the way?
She told me to put a lot of pillows in case I wanted to sleep.

 

[Borek]

told me to take ibuprofen in case it hurts.

It will hurt, no doubt about it :(

 

[fluidistic]

It will hurt, no doubt about it :(

Ok. I already have a bad headache! Last time ibuprofen killed almost totally the pain, I think it will work well.

I'll take it when the anesthesia leaves.
By the way, Borek, do you know what a dry socket means? In Evo's post I mean.

 

[Borek]

I guess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_socket

 

[fluidistic]

I guess http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_socket

Thanks once again.

 

[Evo]

Thanks :)
I was also scared about this, I asked the dentist and told me to take ibuprofen in case it hurts.
Now I need to buy some ice cream but I still lose blood. Too bad I'm not in Poland in winter, I'd have picked some snow to do the job.

She told me that the better for me now is to eat some ice cream. When I was leaving I told her secretary I wasn't feeling good and that I needed to sit on the chairs, which I did. After 5 minutes I left and I'm here now. I got rid of the bandage I had in the mouth, but it's still bleeding.
What is dry socket by the way?
She told me to put a lot of pillows in case I wanted to sleep.

She didn't give you an instruction sheet on how to prevent dry socket?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dry-socket/DS00778

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/dry-socket-symptoms-and-treatment

 

[fluidistic]

She didn't give you an instruction sheet on how to prevent dry socket?

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dry-socket/DS00778

http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/dry-socket-symptoms-and-treatment

Thanks for the info. She told me not to shell out so that the blood clot forms. No, she didn't say a word on this. In wikipedia it's stated that it's much less common for upper wisdom teeth (mine was the upper left).
I still have the anesthesias effect and an increasing headache (now I remember, each time I have an anesthesia I have an headache after it).