Wisdom teeth pain from removal?!

Wisdom teeth pain from removal?

Went to the dentist today and they said I need oral surgery to remove my wisdom teeth. I wanted to know how bad is pain? How long would I have to take off from school/work? What can/can't I eat? How long does it take to recovery? Any other necessary things I need to know??

Best answer gets 10 pts asap

The amount of pain that you feel varies based on how impacted the teeth are (that is, how far they have emerged from the gum tissue), how smoothly the surgery goes, and your general reaction to anesthesia.

My best advice is to ask to be put under for the surgery. My oral surgeon gave me numbing pads so that I didn't even feel the insertion of the needle in my arm. He also gave me laughing gas to calm me down, and before I knew it, I was waking up from the surgery.

My advice would be to ask your oral surgeon to include a few drips of Gravol in your IV during the surgery. I find that this greatly reduces any nausea that you may feel from the anesthesia and/or blood in your mouth. It is also important that you fast, as recommended by your oral surgeon, before the surgery, as this will ensure that your stomach is empty. Get plenty of rest the night before and try to book a morning appointment so that you do not get a headache before surgery from fasting all day.

I did not feel significant pain at all after my extraction, despite my tooth being impacted and surrounded by a cyst. I am allergic to codeine and demerol (two commonly prescribed pain relievers), so my doctor gave me a prescription for Motrin. When you first get home, you may feel perfectly fine - no pain at all - as many oral surgeons inject local anesthetic at the site of the extraction. It is VERY important to begin taking your medication right away, as this will give you a head-start for when the freezing begins to wear off.

Your first day will be spent mostly sleeping off the anesthetic. It is important to change the gauze and alternate cool/warm compresses as your doctor recommends. I found that resting with your head slightly elevated from the rest of your body helps to slow the bleeding. Also, breathing through your nose causes you to generate less saliva, thus slowing the bleeding even more.

I was fully recovered from my procedure within three days. I had my surgery on a Friday morning and returned to school with no problems on Monday morning. If anything, I found that the stitches were inconvenient and the swelling was unpleasant. My cheeks were very sensitive to the touch and I had noticeable yellow bruising around my lower jaw (nothing that a little liquid make-up can't cover though!). I did not experience any sort of extreme pain, other than when one of the sites became infected...but that's a whole other story, and very unlikely to happen to you if you avoid getting any debris at the extraction site and gurggle often with salt water.

Foods that I found worked great (...some of these may sound bizarre):
- soup (mostly broth for the first day, soft veggies/noodles on the second, third, etc.)
- jello
- pudding
- applesauce
- yogurt (no fruits with seeds - these can easily sneak into the extraction site)
- mashed potatoes
- donuts/timbits (For some reason, I found that Krispy Kremes were the best, as they almost melted in my mouth.)
- soft cooked veggies (carrots work great)
- pasta salads (noodles slide right down your throat)

* NOTHING can be HOT or COLD. Everything you consume must be at room temperature.
* NOTHING can be consumed through a straw.
* AVOID dry, crumbly foods that do not stay contained in your mouth - i.e. crackers, chips, etc.

Other things to remember:
- DO NOT brush near the extraction site.
- DO NOT swirl liquids violently around your mouth or spit with force. This can upset the blood clots.
- DO NOT consume any COLD or WARM foods. Everything must be at room temperature.
- DO NOT drink through a straw. This can also upset the clots.
- DO NOT fiddle with the stitches with your tongue - although I know it's tempting! They are disolvable and will begin coming out (painlessly!) anywhere from the fourth day after the surgery to nearly two weeks after. Be patient!
- DO gurggle with salt water starting around your second or third day. This prevents infection. Your oral surgeon may also give you a syringe to squirt Luke-warm water at the site. This is very helpful in preventing infections and removing debris as well.

Anyhow, hope that gives you an idea of what to expect, at least the basics anyway! It's important to be comfortable with your oral surgeon so that you can ask him/her about any of your concerns beforehand. The oral surgeon may also provide you with some pamphlets to read up on.

Just remember to keep a positive attitude. Having been through several oral surgeries, I know that being positive helps your recovery immensely! Know that many other young adults sympathize, but have also survived the experience. Best of luck - I'm sure you'll come through it just fine :D