older wisom teeth removal?

Question

I am 33 and think it is time to break down and get this done. I haven't yet because I haven't had any pain or other symptoms, nor the money. But now the one in bottom back is starting to throb and swell my gums. I have 2 competely in and one that has not come through at all... I would like to know from anyone who is older and had impacted teeth, how this went for you. Did you have local, general or total sedation and how was it? How was it after for pain? Did you have more problems than non-impacted patient? I have never had surgery or any extended time in the hospital, so any procedure is new to me. I think there has been a tremendous amount of good info in response to this, but I would like to hear from some others who aren't so young w/ "fresh, easy" teeth. Thanks!!

Answer 1

To begin you will be hard pressed to find an oral surgeon that will A) have you stay in the hospital or B) put you completely to sleep. You will most likely be outpatient or go to his office and you will have some antianxiety medication along with local anesthesa. Having a wisdom tooth removed shouldn't be more than most other removals. You will have pain the first 24 hours but will improve rapidly after that. For the most part wisdom teeth are removed from adults and age just doesn't really factor in too much.

Answer 2

I too am 33, and had mine removed nearly 2 weeks ago. Mine were only partially erupted, just peeking through the gum. It was just my bottom ones. I had conscious sedation (with local), though I don't remember a thing. I was given Tylenol w/ codeine for after, and used it right when I got home and every 4 hours thereafter. I didn't really have much pain, my biggest problems were and still are to some extent, a VERY stiff jaw, and numbness in my chin/teeth/lip on the right. Slimfast Optima was my best friend the first few days. About day 3-4 when I started to try more solid foods, I could hardly open my mouth and my jaw and neck muscles were very stiff. I often felt like I had a headache in my jaw. My jaw muscles are still very stiff, and I am having a device made that they use for TMJ to try to get them to relax. I can open my mouth now, and I can eat fine, it just feels tight. Evidently this is very common after wisdom teeth removal in "older" people with "slight build" (I am a rather thin person). The numbness, I've been told, will go away. It does seem like it is getting better, it will probably just take a while. So I had other difficulties, but the "pain" as far as where the teeth were extracted was not really a problem. I still feel this was something I needed to do, and would do it again if I had to rather than risk the infections with them being partially through the gum. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Well, I am 33 as well, and thanks to evolution, I was born with only 2 wisdom teeth. However, when I had one of them out a few years ago (it was halfway through the gum), it took 5 hours to get it out, 11 shots of novocaine, 3 shots of steroids to prevent swelling and promote healing, 5 stitches, and the most incredible pain I've ever endured. Novocaine has worn itself out with me, and does little or nothing to dull the pain. I've had 3 caesareans, and had an epidural all three times, that's just another form of novocaine, and in two of the cases the numbness wore off and I was having abdominal surgery while wide awake. The pain is similar to that magnitude. I still have the other one, plus a few that need pulling desperately, but I can not make myself go back to the dentist. I've pleaded with them to put me out, even said during the 4th hour that gee, maybe we should have referred you to the hospital! Oh well too late now! Well, that was covered by my dental, but I no longer have dental, and damned if I'll pay them my hard earned money to torture me in such a way again, no bloody way!! Since the one above it was pulled and I had no top wisdom teeth, the one remaining bulldozed through the tooth in front of it, and is fully out, and although it hurt coming in, it doesn't bother me yet. I would take some advil for the pain you have now, nothing else works better, by the way, and maybe make sure its not absessed, it is if there's swelling, antibiotics will take care of that, and most likely when thats done you won't have any more pain. If that's the case, don't get them pulled. Unless you can't live with the pain, don;t get em pulled because I swear, it just isn't worth it!! You've gotten away with it this long, and tho I do believe the longer you wait the more complications can arise, but if you look after your teeth, you might be able to get away with it. I envy the future generations because soon no one will have wisdom teeth. They are being weaned out of our DNA as useless to our anatomy.

Answer 4

I'm 32. I still have my top 2 wisdom teeth. They're impacted but not bothering me so I haven't had them out yet. The bottom ones started coming in pretty much like yours. I took antibiotics for a week, then went back to have it extracted. It was a pretty simple procedure. It was out in a few seconds. The other one, they had to section to get it out, but it wasn't a big deal - pretty much just like getting a filling done. If the 2 that have come in already aren't decayed and aren't bothering you, they should be okay for a while. But, once your lower wisdom teeth are gone, they will keep growing out since they won't have anything to bite against. Then you may opt to have them out since they will likely be loose and, with no occluding teeth, they won't be functional for chewing.

Answer 5

i had mine out when i was still in high school, but the procedure is still the same. they will give you an anesthetic that will knock you out (probably akin to laughing gas). you will need someone to drive you to and from the procedure, as the drugs they give you will effect you for the rest of the day. the rest is a cake walk, just rinsing out the holes left by the teeth with a saline solution or salt water, the stitches are designed to dissolve in your mouth when the wound heals, and it might take a weekend before you feel/look normal again. the only thing to really look out for would be dry sockets, but those usually don't occur unless you don't keep the sockets clean. from my experience with talking to others about this procedure, it seems that the whole thing is blown out of proportion on how severe the surgery is...

Answer 6

I had two out last fall and I am older than you. I opted for total sedation and it was over in no time. I had minimal swelling and very little pain but I understand this is not the norm. Good Luck.