What is it like to have your wisdom teeth pulled?

Question

Actual process and recovery.

Answer 1

It is like, one minute they are there - and the next they are gone.

It's different for everyone. I've known someone to return to work that day, and others who had a rough time. If they are impacted, it's worse.

Answer 2

The actual procedure, unless there is bone cutting, is surprisingly quick. Most of the time involved will be in getting you numb...which can be done in as little as ten minutes.

The anesthetizing process (usually involving Xylocaine) is painless, as the dentist will be going for a large, easy-to-find nerve that runs along the jawline. The injections will be delivered inside the mouth, in the crease where the cheek pulls away from the jaw. You almost certainly won't even feel the needle go in.

The extraction itself feels odd, but not painful. You'll hear and feel a crunching sound, and you'll feel the pressure needed to get the tooth free.

After the tooth is extracted, the dentist will place a small roll of gauze over the empty socket. He'll give you a list of do's and don'ts, which you should be careful to follow.

Everyone reacts differently; I was able to go out with friends the evening of the day of my extraction, but I'm half nuts. Some people need a day or two to feel right again.

If you have unusual pain...a kind of pain that doesn't feel "right"... you should call your dentist right away.

Good luck, sweetie...it will be ok!

Answer 3

I actually had no problems even though most people told me I would be in a lot of pain. I had two wisdom teeth, both were impacted. The initial cutting them out hurt a little, it was very quick - I was a little dizzy afterwards from the medication, but I went home, sent my husband to the pharmacy and really felt fine once the medication wore off. I cooked dinner that night for my husband and even went out shopping with a friend of mine the next day for pretty much the whole day. I was barely swollen. The only problem I had was I had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. Even though I felt fine it was about a week and a half to two weeks before I could go back to eating whatever I wanted.

Answer 4

I'm sure it is different for all but here is how mine went.

My top wisdom teeth were growing with the bottoms of them facing out and cutting into my cheeks all the time. My bottom ones were coming in pretty normal but had pushed my two bottom front teeth a little crooked.

I went to my regular dentist and he was really nice and pulled the top two out in about 10 seconds. I didn't take any pain pills and the only thing that bugged me was the food getting stuck in the holes left behind.

Bottom ones were the next month. They were a little harder to get out and one broke as he pulled. Took about 5 actual minutes all together and that was done. I was warned that the bottom ones are worse and that this time I should take the pain pills. I didn't and I was fine. Of course it is not completely pain free and there is discomfort but not a big deal.

He only charged me $500 to pull all four of them out, too.

Answer 5

almost as bad as giving birth, it's right up there. Then again I've heard they are getting better. Just make sure that you have a nice dentist, that doesn't shove you back in your seat and tell you to stop acting like a baby because it hurts. I don't go to the dentist any more unless it's bad because of that incident. Takes about three days before you feel normal again, but bruising can last up to a week. The thing is, is that it's different for each person and who you use as a dentist. If your teeth are impacted then it takes longer to heal. If they have little hooks on the roots then it can take longer to dig them out. There are so many variables that there really is no way to tell you. Some do well and others don't. Ask for some valium to take before you go in. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

I was sedated, so I just woke up with a stiff jaw and loads of gauze stuffed in my mouth. They gave me some extra gauze and sent me home. I had someone else there to drive because I was going to be woozy from the drugs. The back of my jaw ached for a couple weeks, but the pain killers they gave me kept that down pretty well. I was puffed up a little on each side of my face, and it looked like I had a big square jaw at first! I had to be VERY careful what I ate for a little while because anything hard or crumbly could easily get caught in the healing tender part. Before you get your wisdom teeth pulled, go to the grocery store and stock up on apple sauce, pudding, tomato soup, yogurt, etc because that's all you'll eat for a couple days.

Answer 7

I went to an oral surgeon. I had three wisdom teeth pulled, one was impacted and wrapped around a nerve. And I was unconscious when they took mine out, just last week!! I didn't know anything that was going on. And when I woke up my mouth was still numb from the surgery. I took a pain pill before it started to hurt and I slept all night!! . When I woke up the next morning i felt fine. It was the third day that I felt the worst. And you can't eat anything but soft foods for a few days.

Answer 8

It depends on how far they've descended. Mine were pulled after they broke through my gums.

The process was easy. You get put under for about an hour and, just like with any anaesthesia, you wake up feeling like you slept just for a minute and with grogginess. Of course, you get pain meds like ibuprofin and vicodin. Since mine were out a little already, recovery was nothing for me.

I went out with friends the same night. I took a vicodin, which I don't even think I needed, and that was it for the pain-killers. Plus I didn't experience any swelling. Thank god for that.

If they haven't yet broken the skin, then recovery is longer. Up to a week is what some of my friends experienced. One of my friends looked like a stinkin' chipmunk and was way out of it for a couple of days because of how far up they still were when they were pulled... Sucks for him.

Good luck.

Answer 9

Achhhh!
Achhhh!

I jest...sort of. I had a bad experience, my wisdom teeth were impacted and it was,next to childbirth one of the more painful moments of my life.

BUT...I would not say that is always the case...most people I have heard experience little to no pain during the actual extraction, and with rest,careful attention to your dentists recovery advice,and plentiful amounts of the Percodan they may or may not give you,you should get by just fine!

Heh. Also, make sure to have a day or two off work if possible.
I had to work the night I got mine out....yikes!

Answer 10

Wasn't bad for me. They gave me a few shots around the area and when it got numb they pulled it. It was kind of a combination yank and a wiggle back and forth till it came out. The dentist stuck in a folded gauze pad to absorb any blood. Then he told me not to use a straw in the next few days because the suction could reopen the wound. He told me it would heal in about a week but it was more like 3 days. I had no other complications. I had 3 pulled, each separately. They give you pain pills in case you need them, I think I only needed a few initially when the shot wore off. I was about 30 when I had them pulled.

Answer 11

I had wisdom teeth surgery. Basically my doctor shot me full of novocaine(literally, i was so stressed out it took 7 shots for me to go numb) and made incisions in my gums. He then kinda yanked em out. It all depends on ur root system too. One of my teeth was like, really deep in there, so my dentist had to break the tooth up into pieces and it HURT. However, you get medicated, so you'll only feel your pain if youre not on top of your pills. Also, your mouth will be very bloody for about 2-3 days, then gradually itll start to dissappear as your gums heal. In addition, you are told not to eat greasy foods, do heavy lifting or go into the sunlight, well, direct sunlight. Stitches may be involved, but you won't weel a thing.