What is it like having your wisdom teeth removed?

Question

I've been having problems with my wisdom teeth for some time and over the weekend I have developed a bad infection along with a very swollen face. I'm going to ask my dentist if I can have them removed. I was just wondering if anyone has had theirs out after having problems with them and what it was like? I'm a bit scared but I think I've had enough of all the infections and having to be on a liquid diet when they are bad!

Answer 1

I've had 3 removed & glad i did, i had no end of problems from them. My dentist gave me an injection the first time & the one he took out came out in a second & without any further problems. The next two, i had to be sedated for, but i knew nothing about it & went home to bed, had a bit of pain but nothing a few painkillers didn't sort out & the next day i was fine. This all coming from someone with a pain tresh hold of zero! I have to have the last one out at some point, but have to go to the hospital for this as the root is wrapped around the main nerve & if they pull it, it could damage the nerve & i will be left without any feeling etc, but it has to be done as i can't floss very well between it because it is at an angle & could decay the whole of my bottom teeth. So not looking forward to the whole thing, but sure i will be fine just as you will be, i highly recommend having them out, nothing worse than that pain! Very best of luck!

Answer 2

Wow, wisdom teeth can be so vicious. I too had problems - cavities which became infected, and had to have 2 removed. You will be suitably numbed in the area concerned (strong local anesthetic that will even numb the outside of your cheek) Once this has taken effect then the tooth will be wiggled out. There is the sensation of something going on in your moutn, but NO PAIN !! Afterwards there may be a little bit of bleeding, and you are told not to drink hot drinks for a while, to allow the gap to start healing. After this there will be no more discomfort, and the hole where your tooth was will gradually close up over the space of a couple of months.
All in all, well worth it. !!

Answer 3

I had one out recently that was growing at a right-angle to the rest of my teeth. The extraction is not so bad as you might think. I just had a local anasthetic, but you can have Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) or even a general anasthetic if you want.
The pain afterwards is negligable. Certainly, the pain you get from infections and suchlike is far worse.

(After the op, make sure you bite down hard on the area where the extraction has taken place, with a streile surgical wad, or hankerchief. This helps the blood to clot and the wound to heal. My dentist forgot to tell me to do this and as a result I have a large hole at the back of my mouth).

Answer 4

You'll be given antibiotics for the swelling. Probably Amoxicillin (Penicillin in tablet form). The dentist won't want to take the tooth with all the pus around.
After the course of Antibiotics the swelling should have gone down, then the Dentist will remove the tooth.
I have heard horror stories about hooked roots, or Dentists wrestling with wisdom teeth. Mine came out in a couple of seconds, no pain due to the painkiller. 6-8 hrs. later however the medication wore off and no tablet painkiller could help. It is bad, but it's just one of those things, you'll get through it. Shouldn't last more than a 1/2day to a day before the pain is under control.
It happened to me just like you described.
You've gotta have them out, you could lose your jaw or die of blood poisoning. The best outcome if you do nothing is that it will seem like something died in your mouth. Mouthwash and brushing will do nothing to the smell.

Answer 5

I had one removed - up top on the right - when I was 18. That went well except it created a hole in my palette which I could blow threw, then it healed. Since then the remaining 3 have been well behaved. Well that is except one which grew sideways and moved another tooth until it cracked and I was in the dentists for an hour while they split the tooth into four and then extracted each one bit by bit with loads of injections. The dressing in the hole fell into my gin and tonic at a wedding reception the following day - other than that. No problem.

Answer 6

I have had all four removed. Every time I felt a little pressure and then was told to rinse - and was shocked to find the tooth was out! Completely painless experience. Saline rinses for a few days afterwards. Don't miss them.

It looks like it depends on the experience of the dentist. Good luck, and remember that some dentists will give you some diazepam, if you ask, if you are nervous of dental treatment.

Answer 7

My dentist tried to remove one with a local anaesthetic. it wouldn't budge and he ended up breaking the top of the tooth off.

He sent me home as is. I was in agony and had to go to A&E for strong pain killers.

I saw an emergency dentist the next day who took an x-ray. The root of the tooth was hooked and would never have pulled out.

I had to do into hospital for the maxillofacial surgeons to remove it.

I had it done under a general. I didn't feel a thing and the releif was instant. I had no infections and no further problem.

Answer 8

I would say get them out under general anaesthetic and get them all done at the same time.

I had 3 of mine out - 1 by the dentist and 2 impacted bottom ones by the doctor in a chair in the hospital. I was completely awake, I heard all the noises and crunching and saw all the instruments but the worst thing was the first one got badly infected afterwards, and I knew I had to go back and have the second one done... it was horrid.

So... General Anaesthetic, all at once... my recommendation.

Answer 9

I kept getting an infection, so once that was cleared up, the removal was painless - just a big hole in your gum for a few months!! My removal was painless though as the root of the tooth didn't have any nerves interfering with it. The dentist will do full xrays first to assess the situation.

Answer 10

I had all 4 of mine taken out at the same time by the dentist. I was knocked out for it. It hurts when you first wake up but the pain killers take care of that. I did look like a gerbal for a week with my face all swollen. Don't be surprised to find a bruise on your chest.