May 15, 2008

• Many monkeys have gone through this before. I maintain that local is the only way to go*. Your recovery time is much, much faster. Preparation includes a stockpile of videos, and a drooling cup. *Though I admit that I went for general for surgery on my broken knee, but that was probably the Morphine talking. From what I remember, they were going to give me the choice, but then I just sorta blacked out.
• Oh, and lots of room-temperature tea, more for gargling than swallowing. Some do the salt-water rinse instead, but I kept that to a daily flushing with a syringe. The tea was much nicer. Most importantly, though -- indulge your crabbiness. Lord it over everyone. You don't get many chances like this in life...
• I had all four wisdom teeth taken out at once. I was definitely not prepared for it! I didn't realize that I was going to have to be such an active participant (I was NOT under general anesthetic!). My experience: - 13 shots total (was not novocaine, I forget now what it was) - a dentist who kept yelling "you MUST OPEN WIDER!!!" - my entire face was numb afterwards, and I didn't realize that I was drooling saliva and blood on the way out of the office to the horror of patients waiting in the reception area - sick to my stomach from demerol the day after - an idiot dental assistant who ripped the wounds open the week after, mistakenly thinking that the stitches had only been tied with single knots. That said, I was glad that I had them all taken out at once. What you have going for you is that you will be under during the procedure, and that you are taking the time to prepare yourself. I had never met the dentist who took mine out prior to the procedure; if you are familiar with your dentist already, then take confidence that you are in assumedly good hands. I hope everything goes well for you! I'm in for a root canal next week... I was in excruciating pain the past few days, until I had a temporary filling put in last night. Dentists: you either hate them, or consider them gods. Last night, I was bowing to my dentist...
• Not under general, no, I just did the local + gas and put on some headphones so I couldn't hear the power tools. Thanks, Stevie Ray Vaughan, for playing louder than an airplane. Keep your jaw iced as much as you can. That really helps with the swelling. Anti-inflammatories, too.
• I also agree with the Cap'n about local + gas. There were several complications with mine -- I was supposed to be in the chair for 45 minutes, and it wound up being over two hours -- but even with that it wasn't too bad, and I didn't have to deal with the recovery from the anesthetic. However, yeah, be careful about drooling blood everywhere.
• Admittedly, with the local, the experience can be quite revelatory -- new sounds (bone breaking inside your skull), new smells (burning bone inside your skull), new sensations (why is that spoon-shaped scalpel heading for inside my skull?). Luckily, though, even with just the local, you're still in a fairly disassociative state, so you can take it all in somewhat objectively, as curiosities. Plus, you get the bragging rights. Bragging rights count big. It allows you to be a big suck, and do nothing but lie on the couch under a bunch of blankets and demand that people change the channel for you, and empty your drooling cup.
• What Capt says. Not only that, but I was fielding calls from friends that I hadn't heard from in ages... (granted, I was in a drug stupor, and probably said wrong things to them). My recovery time was quite fast, even considering the ripped-open wounds the week after.
• Nothing to add apart from *hugs* It'll all be fine :)
• oh boy. I better buy a bib. I decided to go for G.A. because I'd been under twice before, with pretty good responses. For some days after the op, I tended to just nod off if no one was talking to me, so I figured that would be a good way to get around the soreness and pain. - a dentist who kept yelling "you MUST OPEN WIDER!!!" That made me LOL loud enough to alarm my mom (^_^)
• I bet that's what gomi's doctor was yelling last night.
• *wonders if that's better than "you're going to feel a tiny prick..."*
• The last time I had teeth pulled they just gave me something to drink that made me all woozy. No idea what it was, but I found myself unable to walk for the rest of the day. As a T-totaler, this was retrospectively alarming, but at the time I felt very calm and clear headed and just thought 'ok, fair enough'. I don't even remember the actual surgery. I just remember trying to get up again. My sympathies, 'neddy. I hope that it all goes well.
• Morrrrrrphine! I kept hoping my wisdom teeth would grow back. ;-) You'll be fine, ma'am.
• I had my 4 out late (36) with IV morphine, which put me out completely. I had no recovery problems, all went smoothly. the pain afterwards is a drag but take care of yrself and it's not too bad. be sure to have someone around to take care of you the first day or two. have lots of non-straw-needing cool beverages and snacks around. take the vicodin, it's your friend. You'll be fine in no time, it's really not that bad! good luck, neddy!
• by snacks I mean--yogurt and other soft things
• A STRAW
• Had all 4 out under general about, oh, 17 years ago. No problems at all, barely any pain. Was munching on crackers later that evening.
• Was munching on crackers later that evening. That proves it. Koko truly is a man-eating beast! Oh yeah, straws = no good. Forgot all about that.
• Did I say crackers? I meant NAILS.
• P.S. Neddy: ask them to try to yank 'em out whole, if possible. Great jewelry possibilities!
• If you've had G.A. with no trouble before, then I don't think it's likely you'll have trouble this time. It makes me vomit horribly, which isn't very comfortable with holes in your jaw. Rinsing with warm salt water helped me a lot. And I found it easier to keep old towels around for the drool and blood, rather than tissues. Don't be afraid to ask for a Vicodin prescription if they don't offer it. If there's any sign of infection, don't wait around hoping it'll get better before calling the office. And if they can;t het you in, your G.P. can handle an antibiotic prescription. If you do opt to stay awake, wear dark glasses duting the procedure. Not only is it less scary, it keeps spraying water and stuff out of your eyes. Yes, my relationship with the bitey things in my mouth has been a long and complicated one. For some reason, whenever I have dental work done, I get the uncontrollable urge to sing "V'adoro pupille" from Giulio Cesare, because it sounds like Elmer Fudd on a bender.
• Good luck- I've had two out. It kinda sucks but you get over it fast. It is NOT worse than your fear of it so take comfort in that.
• Painkillers are your friend. The more powerful the better. The operation is a breeze compared to the searing pain in the lower jaw afterwards. I made the mistake of thinking my doctor told me that "eat nothing" meant nil by mouth, so I didn't take painkillers the first time (I had one removed at a time -- I have one upper left). I hoped the world would end for two days. The next time, I clarified, and knocked myself out on codeine for three or four days. I woke at peace with the world. Take your lessons where you find them.
• I had all four of mine out under general anesthetic when I was in college. One tooth had actually cracked the jawbone and abscessed, so whatever they had to do was pretty invasive, and I don't remember being in much pain afterward. Of course I didn't remember much of anything for a couple of days, including the trip from my home in Arkansas to my college dorm room 350 miles away. Yay for good drugs. Anyway, whatever pain I had afterward was nothing compared to what I had before, so. You'll be fine. Whatever you've been under for before was worse, I'm sure.
• My son had all four taken out a year and a half ago. General anesthetic. Two teeth were bony impacted, one was soft tissue impacted. The oral surgeon was done in about 20 minutes, and my son felt sore but very little pain. We almost had to force him to take pain pills because he said he didn't think he needed them (while still recovering from the anesthesia). The next day, he had bloody gauze in his mouth but felt fine otherwise.
• My experience with a single wisdom tooth is in the other thread: the other three, rotated and deformed in surprising ways, but harmless to date, remain within my jaw.
• Had all four of mine out under local when I was 16. Three were impacted, so had to be taken out in pieces. The forth was more straightforward. As Capt. Renault says, you've got to be prepared for the sound of things being broken inside your jaw, and despite a massive dose of intravenous Valium along with the Novocain, it was a pretty unpleasant half-hour or so. However, as others have said, recovery was very fast and I was functional in a day and back to normal within the week. Unfortunately, my mom grabbed the quite generous bottle of percocet I was prescribed once it became obvious that I was no longer in any significant pain and was planning on staying pleasantly buzzed until the pills ran out.
• three wisdom teeth plus a horizontal impaction that I HAD NO IDEA I HAD until I had a full jaw x-ray done for the first time for the wisdom teeth. *flashback to self holding up x-ray, thinking "that isn't right"* Anyway: GA = good stuff. Good surgeon so I healed fast. Anti inflammatories, warm saline rinse, (spitting out humungous blood clots!) and Panadol Forte for a good nights sleep. Worked for me. Vanilla custard smoothies worked wonders on the food front.
• Take your first pain pill before the novocaine finishes wearing off. Stock up on instant mashed potatoes and Jell-O pudding cups.
• Thank you all for the reassurances, I feel much better. Heard a few horror stories from some friends, and started getting worried. *cuddles her stash of ibuprofen*
• I suggest all the popsicles you can eat. Cold keeps the swelling down and makes it ache less, and the yummy sweet makes you feel like a kid again. It will be ok, darling 'nedra. Don't listen to the scare stories--everything's worse when you go in tense and worried. Remember, drugs are our friends!
• All 4 at once, along with some gum surgery, as an adult. I don't think it was "general" or "local" - they told me it would be "conscious sedation" - but afterwards I had zero memory of the surgery - although they told me I was uncooperative at one point so apparently I was in some way awake throughout. They didn't tell me that after the stitches were out the uppers would seal over nicely but the lowers would have "pot holes" in them for months, that are a magnet for tiny scraps of food - a grain of rice was particularly hard to remove. You are not allowed to suck or use your tongue or toothbrush to get the food out (they say that prevents healing). The perfect solution is a plastic syringe (no needle) with a curved plastic end that squirts cool water directly into the hole and flushes out the contents. But they didn't tell me that this wonderful tool existed until 2 weeks later! I didn't need a lot of drugs (one day only, then Advil) but I did need a lot of mashed potatoes.
• MonkeyFilter: indulge your crabbiness MonkeyFilter: "you MUST OPEN WIDER!!!" MonkeyFilter: try to yank 'em out whole MonkeyFilter: staying pleasantly buzzed until the pills ran out. MonkeyFilter: I did need a lot of mashed potatoes. There ya' go, 'Nedra. All the info you (or Gomi) will ever need prior to any proceedure!
• Come to think of it, I never got nuthin' from the Tooth Fairy for that whole ordeal. I wuz robbed! And as a bit of an aside, the last time I was at the barber, some kid had to be bribed to get his hair cut, with the promise that if he put his hair clippings under the pillow, he would get money from the "Hairy Fairy" (which I would have thought to be the "Hair Fairy", as "Hairy Fairy" conjures up a different image entirely). So the kid sat in the chair, and his mom stood by and collected the clippings in a specially-addressed envelope... Suffice to say that that shit would Not have gone down in my house. Kids today. Parents today. Sheesh.
• Alnedra, I predict you will be up and about and be back in fine chomping order double quick!
• This video never fails to cheer me up.
• Alnedra, get the syringe thing if you can. I had one after mine and it makes keeping the 'pot holes' clean a lot easier and less painful :)
• can you find something like this in Singapore? Maybe the Hairy Fairy could bring you one?
• Wow, that looks kinda... big. Impressive! I'll try to get a syringe; the pharmacies around here should sell them. I had a very close classmate in UK who gave me a couple of syringes, but I can't find them now. Really should call her....
• I got told no Popsicles etc because sucking on things would promote bleeding. So if you get cold things, only lick, don't suck. I got two out last year or the year before, and the dentist had to pretty much crush one in my mouth to get it out. Didn't feel much beyond the pressure, but the sounds were horrifying. The two holes healed quickly (like I was eating normal food carefully within 48 hours) but my temperomandibular joints ached a hell of a lot from holding my mouth so wide open, or having it pushed open for so long.
• Wise call, Trac. Yes, don't suck on anything for fear of disturbing the clots. But, oh, how good it felt to hold that icy cold bite of popsicle next to my sore jawbone. (TM joints sore here, too. Nothing you can't handle, but they do ache)
• Yes - moving clots = bad. Spit out the big ones but you need need need the holes to be covered to promote healing. You do not want a dry socket.
• All the best - hope the butterflies aren't overwhelming. Fingers crossed!
• Thanks polychrome. *deep breath* I'm going in, guys. On the minute chance that I don't wake up from G.A., I'd like to say I loved every minute I've spent with all of you. Be happy.
• Yeah, but can have your mobile phone? And any money you may have?
• Sorry kit, but I survived (^_~) you wouldn't want my mobile phone anyway, it's damaged. Just a bit of aching in my lower right jaw, but I'll wait till tomorrow to see if the rest of my mouth will hurt. They were pretty parsimonious with the painkiller prescription but quite generous with the medical leave. I'm on hospitalization leave till 27th! I was supposed to be under for several hours but I was up and running within 2 hours, so the nurses kept calling my dad till he agreed to pick me up earlier. After the bout where I lost my sense of balance, the wooziness from the G.A. is pretty small peanuts. For those gruesomely minded, I will try to take pics of the teeth tomorrow and put them on Flickr. The problematic one (which probably caused this achey jaw) is in pieces. The rest are still intact. I wonder if I can do a Hogfather-themed brooch or something it for the Discworld Con....
• You want the tooth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TOOTH! Speedy healing, Neddy. Glad to hear all went well.
• Yeah. Take it easy, and don't hurt your mouth sticking a camera in it...
• *lights candle in front of Murphy the Molar shrine for good luck*
• Curses! Er.. I mean, that's great news! Get well soon.
• Glad it went ok, Neddy! Enjoy your time off. Also, MonkeyFilter: only lick, don't suck
• w00t!
• Happy sick leave!