Have to have all 4 wisom teeth out...anxiety over this! I am terrified of being put under.?

Question

I am 34 yrs old, a mom of two....and just found out today I need all 4 wisdom teeth out. Not a total shock...they've been there for years and I knew this would happen.
My bottom two are in sideways and impacted. They will require a specialist. The top two are out and the dentist says he can do it at the office.
Noe, I have a history of anxiety/panic attcks (overcome them but still have the odd issue, mainly with feeling out of control) and have NO problem with pain. I've birthed two kids, first birth a 36 hour mess of 4 hours pushing.....the second one natural at home no meds etc.....you get the picture, I am ok with pain.
I am terrified of the idea of general anestethic. Dentist and hygenist say no issue, local is fine. My conecrn is, will I be ok? Will I hear them yanking and freak out? How bad does it get? I wantto bring my MP3 with me possibly....close the eyes.........the whole thing has me freaking out a bit now...........

Help?

I need to add that I am grateful for these great answers so far but must underline that my PANIC/ANXIETY is about GENERAL/BEING PUT UNDER not so much the pulling the teeth etc...if I have to choose I'll endure the fear of watching over being put under.

Answer 1

If you have anxiety issues, I would insist on a general anesthetic. I have the same issues! I had all of my wisdom teeth pulled when I was a teen under a general anesthetic and had no issues whatsoever. I went in for a filling one time (recently)and they ended up pulling my tooth out. I've literally had nightmares ever since!! Now I hate going to the dentist. Sorry about that....I guess I missed the point to you question. I would not be worried about a general anesthetic. Believe me, you will hate to go through what you see more than a little needle prick, sleep, and wake up (which all happens in what seems to be all of 2 seconds!).

Answer 2

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Answer 3

I had the same operation, except I was 20 and single.

I went for the general anesthetic. I had an amazing specialist who had to cut my gums, scrape some bone away and pull out my two impacted wisdom teeth in my lower jaw and pull out my top two wisdom teeth as well.

I woke up half-way through surgery and I freaked out because I saw my reflection on the side of the light fixture they were using. I saw my mouth wide open, more than I could ever make it do. I felt a lot of pressure, I heard scraping sounds and smelled blood and metal.
Then I don't know if I passed out or the nurse put me down again.

If you can...I would suggest getting knocked out. It makes everything go by more quickly, you don't experience all those things I mentioned, and you won't remember much, you'll sleep a lot, pass through the pain of that first day and feel well rested the next day.

I was very anxious as well, all that adrenaline made it a little difficult to fall asleep when I was administered the anesthetic, but the result was great.

Don't be scared, they do this kind of stuff all the time. The specialist will have a nurse with him, you will have great support there.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I am also thirty four and had my last two wisdom teeth removed last year, along with two dental implants by an oral surgeon. I was put on what they call conscious sedation. This entails them putting an IV in and using versed, and a morphine compound to help you relax. You are still able to answer questions and are technically not under general anes. but you really are not aware of what is going on. With conscious sedation you don't have to be intubated (putting a trache tube in) you are totally breathing on your own. They hook you up to a blood pressure and heart monitor so you are safe and watched at all times. It really is not a big deal I promise. They give you the meds, and in no time you are off to la la land. They numb you with local after you have been given the IV so you don't feel the pain from the injections. I was driven home by my husband, rested the rest of the day, and felt sore, but fine the next day, You will be so relaxed that you will not feel like you are out of control at all. If you are having anxiety the night before, than talk to your specialist. Many of them will prescribe a valium for you to take the night before to help you rest and feel relaxed for the next day. Don't worry about it, this is a cake walk in comparison to having a child. You will do fine, esp. if you are in the capable hands of a great oral surgeon. If you only want local and don't want to be sedated an ipod or mp3 player is a great idea. We use these all of the time in our office it really helps the patient to relax and focus on something else other than the sounds that they are hearing. You can also have your dentist only prescribe Valium to help you relax and use your music to set the tone. Just make sure that you have someone drive you to your appointments whether you decide to do IV sedation or just Valium. You don't want to be pulled over for being under the influence of a drug or possibly get into a wreck where you could hurt yourself or someone else. I promise you that you will be fine. Go ahead and have then out, the longer that you wait the more scared that you will be. Just get it over with and move on to happier pursuits.

Answer 5

If you can get the top two extracted at your dentist, I say go for it. That's how I had mine done and one literally took 5 seconds to come out. The other one, they had to cut in half but it was no big deal - it was kind of like getting a filling done, then a bit of pressure while they took out the roots. That's it. Local should be fine, even for the impacted ones. If you are really anxious, they may prepare a sedative for you to take before your appointment. It will just relax your nervous system and you'll be fine. And remember - you'll be frozen so all you'll feel is pressure. They will likely have to drill to section the tooth before they can remove it, but you don't feel it. And, if they will let you bring an MP3 player, then do it. It will help relax you and you won't hear anything. =)

Answer 6

You can have the procedure done under a local. Meaning you will be awake and they will numb the area by the wisdom teeth. Just like when you get a filling. You won't feel pain. Maybe pressure. But no pain. You will hear and see what they are doing. Bring your MP3 player to help you relax. I this done. All of my wisdom teeth were impacted. Had two done at a time under a local. Piece of cake. You'll do fine. You can ask for something for the anxiety . Some dentist will prescribe something for the procedure to help the pt relax. It couldn't hurt to ask.

Answer 7

Ok, so the pain thing isn't what you are worried about. Good, because you will be okay. A couple of different options:
1: be put out completely; oral surgeons usually have on staff an anesthetist who specialized in this field only
2: local anesthetic combine w/Nitrous (laughing gas). this is a good option, however nitrous works better on kids not adults. But it is a good option. Nitrous does allow you to still be in control of your functions, you are just a little loopy.
3: some type of oral sedation. meaning a pill you take the night before and another an hour before you go in. Some OS's will use Valium, Xanax, or Halcion(which, in my opinion works great). all of these pills still allow you to walk/talk and know what is going on, you just DON'T CARE! (cool huh?)
As far as noises and such during the procedure, yes there will be some noises. they are amplified because the Dr is working close to your ears. Yes bring your ipod and do your thing. you will mostly feel pressure and know the dr is working, but you shouldn't feel any sharp pain. If you do, tell the dr and he will administer more local if needed. if your oral surgeon is good he will section the teeth prior to extracting them. this is okay and makes it easier for you healing wise. so if he has to get out the drill, consider that a good thing.
You are a young person and it sounds like a healthy person, so you will heal quickly from the surgery. if you were older (65-90) it would take much longer to heal. One possible complication from the surgery is a dry socket. not so much on the top teeth as the lower teeth, especially since they are impacted. to avoid this you should be prepared to eat soft foods for a day or two (maximum) and have a frozen vegetable (corn,peas) on hand at home to ice this area constantly. don't drink from a straw for 24-48 hours and keep the bottom teeth covered in gauze as often as possible. your oral surgeon will advise you more on this ( in know this isn;t really part of the question, it just came into my mind). i know it sounds scary, but it will be good for you overall. Good luck!
RDH in WA

Answer 8

Please understand being nervous is normal. Even with your history you can recieve a valium Rx prior to coming to the oral surgeons office. Being put to sleep honestly is safer sometimes than being awake. Some local anethetic can speed up the heart and if you are a nervous wreck prior to going this may not help. Going to sleep is safe easy and believe it or not you would be surprised how quick. You even said it may be a difficult procedure you may want to be out. At least for the Doctors sake. You are stronger than you recognize , you had babies the way you did gurl.... you could do this and would not have a problem. Now think about it. Dentistry isn't Midevil anymore.:o)

Answer 9

i had the same procedure done .... my wisdom tooth was also in sideways and i required a specialist.They gave me morphine and said most people take one or two shots and just sleep through it . I took five and was still completely awake.I can tell you that you will not hear anything worth worrying about .... maybe a bad joke or two ... lol. But it wouldn't hurt to bring your mp3 player and listen to some music that you enjoy and will help you relax. Please don't worry about it .... it will be over before you know it and these guys know what they are doing.You'll come out of it fine. Good Luck to you : )

Answer 10

If you do not want to be put under you do not have to. Most patients decide to be put under because they can't deal with the sounds or the feeling of their teeth being pulled out. If that does not bother you, that I suggest brining your MP3 player.. cranking up the music and just relaxing - than you won't hear anything, you'll just feel some pressure from the teeth being removed. Its not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Good Luck!