When you get your wisdom teeth extracted, should I be sedated or opt for just the local?

Question

I have to have both of my upper wisdom teeth removed. I thought they only did this to teenagers. Who knew I'd be in my 40's getting my wisdom teeth removed? The oral surgeon said it would be my option. Sedation or local anesthetic. What do you recommend?

Answer 1

First of all you have not indicated if the teeth are total bony impactions and if there is infection involved in the surrounding tissue. Having worked for an oral surgeon for seven years.. there are many factors to local or sedation anesthesion. Sometimes infection can block the absorption of local anesthesia causing it not to numb the tissue adequately. The degree of impaction will also determine how long the surgical extraction of the molars will take. General anesthesia makes it easier for both the doctor and the patient. Of course local is cheaper.. but it's all in what your preferred preferences are as the patient.

Answer 2

when I had my wisdom teeth removed, I choose a local anesthetic only because Insurance wouldn't cover Sedation.

If I had to do it again I would go with the local, other than the pain of the needles, pulling of the teeth didn't hurt. I just felt a little pressure.

good luck!!!!

Answer 3

A serious question!!!!! This is not fair. I had all four of mine removed when I was 12 or 13. Why are they being removed now? It probably comes down to how much pain you are comfortable dealing with. When I have my teeth filled I opt for novacaine. My mother hates needles and has her teeth drilled with no anesthetic. It depends on your pain threshhold. You can probably get by with a local anesthetic, but I don't know your track history in dealing with pain. Remember, grasshopper. Wisdom only comes through pain. Put your dentist's hand on a Bible and make him swear that he will pull the tooth, the whole tooth and nothing but the tooth, so help him God. The tooth shall set you free.

Answer 4

Of course, it depends on whether you wish to stay awake. I was in my mid-20s when I had 2 wisdom teeth extracted. As I wanted to know what was going on at all times, I chose to have local anesthetic. First off, be sure to let the dentist know whether you're allergic to Novocaine, so that they can use another type of medicine. If you decide to continue, do tell your doc if you can still taste it at your injection site (which does taste bitter); he or she may then need to inject the nerve again. If they offer an aspirin prescription for pain relief afterward, take it. The numbness wears off after a couple of hours. Good luck!

Answer 5

I need to have all 4 of mine removed, and I'll be sedated via IV. The bottom 2 are completely horizontal and impacted and all, and 1's pretty close to the facial nerve. There's going to be breaking of my wisdom teeth in order to remove them, so I would much rather be sedated for this.

Answer 6

I only had one done, and was in my 20's then...had the local. Not too bad, just felt the pressure. If I had to have more at once, I think I might choose the sedation. I'm in my 40's and now I need the other top one out...
Hope you feel better soon after all this! The hardest part for me was when the stitches came loose...gag, eww! Take care Dear!

Answer 7

Enzyme 360 already used my line, Grasshopper, but it is the tooth, and it SHALL set you free.

My former brother in law is one of the top dentists in Las Vegas, and he was so good with the needle, it didn't matter; I had one done with the gas one day, and tried one without the gas a week later, believe it or not. I had to drive home the second time alone (shame on me, I know!) so opted to go with just the novocaine. I have to say that it really makes no difference what you do. If you are going it alone, stay away from the gas. If you have a ride, try some Nitrous Oxide, which is really a gas! ;-)

However, I think whatever you decide for the surgery is not nearly as important as how you take care of yourself AFTERWARD. If it hurts, AND IT WILL, don't try to be "Little Miss Studly" and get by without some type of pain killer. Those things are made to make life easier for people when they are in a world of hurt, so take advantage of them. Unless you are prone to becoming addicted to stuff like that, use them as you need them, and you'll be glad you did.

Remember the cousin I told you about recently? You know - the one whom everyone in the entire country has heard about, but very few people know his name?!?! Well, he is home now, and had to be threatened by us family members to take pain pills when he needs them. Hmmm...thought he was being a wimp by taking them after what HE had been through. You don't want to be like that, do you? TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, GRASSHOPPER!

Answer 8

I've had plenty of teeth pulled, 13 at once a couple years ago, and always used the local. A couple of times they added the gas as well. The procedure doesn't really hurt with the local, just make sure you get something for the pain afterward, you'll probably need it. Good luck.

Answer 9

You switched your pronouns there...I thought to myself "how greedy is this woman, that she wants sedation when *I* am losing wisdom teeth?"

Sedation is the better way to go. I slept through it mostly. All four at once. My sleep was briefly disturbed by a bonejarring CRACK. I looked up through one eye, and the dentist said "yes, that was you." I went back to sleep.

Bill
(Formerly Bill the Spite Guy...LTNS)

Answer 10

Local anesthetic by far. You never want to go under unless it's really necessary. Oh, and don't forget the prescription pain killer meds. like Vicodin. You're gonna need those for awhile.