Wisdom Teeth Removal Recovery Tips & Advice

[therealkellys]

I just got back from getting my wisdom teeth out. Any forumites have advice on keeping the swelling down / recovery? It doesn't seem too bad so far. My mouth is numb, but no pain whatsoever (yet)

 

[brewnog]

Regular warm salt water mouth rinses, and a shedload of codeine.

 

[Evo]

I just got back from getting my wisdom teeth out. Any forumites have advice on keeping the swelling down / recovery? It doesn't seem too bad so far. My mouth is numb, but no pain whatsoever (yet)

Your doctor didn't give you a list of instructions to follow so you don't develop things like dry socket?

 

[BobG]

Your doctor didn't give you a list of instructions to follow so you don't develop things like dry socket?

No, but his dentist was one of the real McCoys. His neighbor held his face down in the snow for awhile, then punched him in the jaw.

 

[russ_watters]

Yeah, I got a printed list of instructions. #1 is do not rinse for the first 24 hours, otherwise you might start bleeding again...

 

[hypatia]

I cryed for hours when they took all 4 of mine at once. Didnt help as much as the drugs...so no crying and take drugs

 

[therealkellys]

Your doctor didn't give you a list of instructions to follow so you don't develop things like dry socket?

Oh... they did. I was just looking for more advice from personal experience and stuff I guess. Also, posting on Physics Forums helps eliminate the boredom of sitting at home with nothing to do :)

 

[MeJennifer]

Regular warm salt water mouth rinses, and a shedload of codeine.

At least in the US you will have a hard time finding a doctor who is willing to prescribe codeine for a pulled wisdom teeth. And justifiably so IMHO!

 

[brewnog]

At least in the US you will have a hard time finding a doctor who is willing to prescribe codeine for a pulled wisdom teeth. And justifiably so IMHO!

Good job I'm in the UK! Don't see why you'd have a problem with codeine though, nowt wrong with some analgesia if you use it properly. Don't need a prescription here for 8mg doses (with paracetamol).

 

[MeJennifer]

Don't need a prescription here for 8mg doses (with paracetamol).

The combination is actually available in the US as well. It is only schedule II controlled if it is not found in combination with another substance.

However the amount of codeine compared to the other substance makes getting "a shedload" very impractical and also dangerous.

 

[hypatia]

Thats why it pays to live 20 minutes from Canada, you can get it there too. I have never had a problem getting a codeine script{in the US} from my doctors, when needed.

 

[brewnog]

Yeah okay, perhaps "a shedload" was more a colloquial term for "enough to dull the pain and send you half way to la la land" than a quantitative dose.

 

[chroot]

So I guess a shedload of the boogeyman is out of the question?

- Warren

 

[radou]

My wisdom teeth were never operated on in any way. I'm l u c k y.

 

[FredGarvin]

I still have all of mine as well.

 

[ranger]

Mine was acting up - swelling and pain. But I left it. Now it doesn't bother me. Most of it has now surfaced. It seems that every time I get swelling and pain, it surfaces more.

 

[BobG]

Your doctor didn't give you a list of instructions to follow so you don't develop things like dry socket?

Yeah, I got a printed list of instructions. #1 is do not rinse for the first 24 hours, otherwise you might start bleeding again...

Actually, I didn't. They were very organized at my dentist's office and gave me a clipboard with a form to sign acknowledging I was aware of the risks, etc. On a second sheet behind the form were post-operation instructions and the dentist's assistant probably had to see me reading them. I think she just assumed I would keep them and so she didn't say anything about them. When I got home and started wondering how long I should leave the gauze in, it occurred to me it would probably be better to actually have a copy of the instructions than trying to remember them. Turning post-operative care into a closed book test is a little harsh.

I just expected a story about why therealkellys didn't get any instructions.

 

[Moonbear]

I don't know. I had all 4 out at once, but never needed to take a single pain pill. The oral surgeon called the same night to check on me, and I told him I was just finishing up a bowl of chili and feeling fine. His response was, "Chili?! Okay, sounds like you're doing fine." The only pain I had was from one of the stitches that was a bit tight...as soon as I pulled that sucker out, I was completely pain free. I really had expected much worse from hearing others talking about it, and I've seen some people who are much worse off (their entire face swells up), but I guess I was lucky...or else have a really high tolerance for pain (it's probably a little of both).

If your mouth does get really sore, to where it's painful to open it very wide to brush your teeth (you do still need to brush the ones left, just be careful to avoid where the removed ones were), one suggestion I was given at the time was to get a children's toothbrush. They're pretty small, so easier to fit in your mouth if it hurts to open wide, and easier to brush your back teeth gently without hitting where the wisdom teeth were. I never needed it, but it sounded like decent advice.

 

[Moonbear]

Actually, I didn't. They were very organized at my dentist's office and gave me a clipboard with a form to sign acknowledging I was aware of the risks, etc. On a second sheet behind the form were post-operation instructions and the dentist's assistant probably had to see me reading them. I think she just assumed I would keep them and so she didn't say anything about them. When I got home and started wondering how long I should leave the gauze in, it occurred to me it would probably be better to actually have a copy of the instructions than trying to remember them. Turning post-operative care into a closed book test is a little harsh.

I just expected a story about why therealkellys didn't get any instructions.

That's a bad plan. When I went, they not only gave me a written set of instructions, but gave the person giving me a ride home the run-down on the instructions too. With the "twilight" anesthetics they use (valium, or similar classes of drugs), you can seem totally awake and aware of what's going on, but have no short-term memory to remember anything they tell you if some of the anesthetic is still lingering in your system, so they make sure you are given everything in writing and make sure someone else knows you have the instructions and the key points in case you forget.

 

[BobG]

I don't know. I had all 4 out at once, but never needed to take a single pain pill. The oral surgeon called the same night to check on me, and I told him I was just finishing up a bowl of chili and feeling fine. His response was, "Chili?! Okay, sounds like you're doing fine." The only pain I had was from one of the stitches that was a bit tight...as soon as I pulled that sucker out, I was completely pain free. I really had expected much worse from hearing others talking about it, and I've seen some people who are much worse off (their entire face swells up), but I guess I was lucky...or else have a really high tolerance for pain (it's probably a little of both).

I was never one for the pain pills either, at least during the day when you tend to focus on other things. At most I'd take a pain pill at night if it hurt bad enough to keep me from getting to sleep. Of course, I worked construction helping build fireplaces and chimneys when I had my wisdom teeth removed and my fear of falling off the scaffold was a little stronger than my fear of pain.

 

[Moonbear]

Of course, I worked construction helping build fireplaces and chimneys when I had my wisdom teeth removed and my fear of falling off the scaffold was a little stronger than my fear of pain.

That sounds like a pretty strong fear of pain to me.

 

[therealkellys]

Just a quick update
Barely any pain 12 hours post-op, but some annoying numbness that is the result of (hopefully temporary) nerve damage. Apparently, the nerve wrapped itself around the root of the tooth Overall, this has been way better than I expected. I've read over the sheet of instructions and all of your tips helped, as well Thanks to everybody that contributed!

 

[MeJennifer]

Just a quick update
Barely any pain 12 hours post-op, but some annoying numbness that is the result of (hopefully temporary) nerve damage. Apparently, the nerve wrapped itself around the root of the tooth Overall, this has been way better than I expected. I've read over the sheet of instructions and all of your tips helped, as well Thanks to everybody that contributed!

Well good, but eh... well, how's your wisdom?