Anyone here had a wisdom tooth out?

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 7:33 pm

Had one out about a fortnight ago, and I've still got some jaw ache. There's no swelling or inflammation or even really outright pain, just a dull ache, especially after about 12 hours of being awake. I'm eating pretty sensibly - nothing particularly chewy, avoiding using straws - though I understand smoking extends the recovery period from the simple mouth action of inhaling.

All of the online stuff I can find goes on about dry socket and infections and the like, but it doesn't seem to be anything like that - my teeth and gums seem to have healed really well, TBH. What I can't seem to find out anywhere is how long general jaw ache should last before I need to start thinking about asking a doctor/dentist to sort it out - anyone got any ideas?

Ta!

Post by **Clay** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 8:46 pm

I've had two wisdom teeth out, and two different experiences. The tooth on my bottom left jaw came out without much fuss, and the socket healed quickly, but my jaw was sore sporadically for about a month. The tooth on my upper left jaw came out with a spur on the root and left some bone debris in the socket, but after I picked that out with a dental pick, it healed up. Oddly enough, it was never sore. This was all about two years ago.

And, yes, that means I've looked myself in the eye in the mirror while removing a piece of my own skull with a pick. That was the day I became... legend. lol. I kept the piece... I should post a picture.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:25 pm

Awesome. I was briefly tempted to remove mine myself, but was talked out of it.

Ergh, sounds like I'm just being a slow healer, then - the dentist did have to really wrestle the thing out of there, so I'd pretty much guessed it was just trauma to the jaw, just wondering how long is normal.

Springer85 · Post by **Springer85** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:34 pm

It normally passes after a day or two. I had three of those pulled out.

Post by **Clay** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:56 pm

Cliffjumper wrote:Ergh, sounds like I'm just being a slow healer, then - the dentist did have to really wrestle the thing out of there, so I'd pretty much guessed it was just trauma to the jaw, just wondering how long is normal.

I'd say give it another two weeks, then call your dentist. If aspirin is enough to keep the aching in check, it sounds normal.

angloconvoy · Post by **angloconvoy** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:13 am

Sometimes the jaw fractures when they pull them out, especially with the bottom teeth. A fractured bone isn't usually such a big deal but it would account for the ache. I've had both of my top wisdom teeth out, one healed with no fuss at all, the other ached for about a month.

Post by **Sades** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 2:00 am

I vaguely recall having had mine out years ago. Nothing wrong with them then- as I recall, my jaw lacked the space for them to come in properly so the dentist took them.

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:02 am

Dead Man Wade · Post by **Dead Man Wade** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:27 am

Got the two on the right taken out back in June, and it was a nightmare. I wound up with food debris in the socket on the bottom, and had to have it cut open again so that it would heal up properly. The entire process took far longer than it should have because my dentist is a gibbering moron.

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:25 am

DrSpengler wrote: My dad stole all my percocets and the refill, too, so my only relief came from Excedrin. The major pain went away by the end of the weak, but the soreness lasted for a few more.

Cultural question: Do most Americans know enough about medicine so that you can throw these terms into a sentence, and it makes sense?

I'm always fascinated by how much Americans seem to know about medicine - I guess it comes from having to pay for your own.

-Ss

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:20 pm

My Mother had one of hers out on Thursday, the advice sheet she was given (which I'm looking at now) makes it sound as if your mouth isn't back to normal after 24 hours, you're screwed.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 3:29 pm

inflatable dalek wrote:My Mother had one of hers out on Thursday, the advice sheet she was given (which I'm looking at now) makes it sound as if your mouth isn't back to normal after 24 hours, you're screwed.

The one I had recommended swilling your mouth with hot salt water 12 hours afterwards, and left me with badly bruised knuckles after I knocked the shit out of one of the bathroom walls.

These responses are why I love this place, it's like a geeky version of How. I've been through NHS direct with this, but I'm so much happier now I've listened to the thoughts of a bunch of toy-collecting lunatics. What an awesome place we post at

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:06 pm

Cliffjumper wrote:The one I had recommended swilling your mouth with hot salt water 12 hours afterwards, and left me with badly bruised knuckles after I knocked the shit out of one of the bathroom walls.

This one says the same (and may indeed be the same one). I was misreading it though (hey, I'm taking time out from a wedding to answer this*), it just talks about how you basically shouldn't do anything even remotely energetic with your mouth for 24 hours or you'll be screwed rather than the whole thing being fixed by then.

These responses are why I love this place, it's like a geeky version of How. I've been through NHS direct with this, but I'm so much happier now I've listened to the thoughts of a bunch of toy-collecting lunatics. What an awesome place we post at

I'm not sure if that's some sort of very clever back handed insult or a genuine compliment, but it's How 2 now Granddad. I was surprised when staying away a few years ago to see old Fred presenting their local BBC News, considering we get Nick Owen round here I can only assume the local offices is where former TV stars go to die.

I don't think Champagne is my drink, far too dry.

*Well, technically everyone's taken a break as we've all gone home now ready for this evening's fun, but that sounds less impressive.

EDIT: Strangely there doesn't seem to be any proper How 2 on Youtube, but there is an episode of what seems to be a 2004 Carol Vordormanless revival that should really be called How 3 surely? And Gaz Top has either changed his name or been replaced by a lookalike: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iKeqwbC5js

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:13 pm

I was rather surprised by being pretty much turfed out of the dentists with just a less than helpful sheet and advice to bite down on some cotton wool until "I got home" (what, by foot or by bus? Factoring in the hour or so I spent wandering around town?). I've honestly got more help vox-popping friends and workmates. Suppose that's what happens when you're NHS at a private dentist - they seemed more intent on trying to get me to sign up for a £200 clean to get the nicotine off my teeth, which seems a bit pointless as it'd be back in a few months.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:21 pm

Blimey, having now looked it up on Wikipedia, that wasn't a revival of the revival, How 2 actually ran for 16 years until 2006, mostly without Vorderman. That's a similar level of surprise to finding out Mike and Angelo ran for 10 years (and about 12 Mike's) or that they made some Transformers after the cartoon movie. It's almost as if children's TV carried on after I grew up and stopped watching it. I'd best not look up Woof!, considering it felt like it ran for years at the time they're probably still making it...

Slightly on topic, I did notice when I became old enough to be charged for dentistry they did indeed suddenly became very, very keen on all sorts of expensive extras like teeth whitening.

EDIT: Though having now looked up Woof! I'm surprised to see there were only three boys, I'd have sworn after the original did a couple of years they changed the kid turning into a dog every single season, making the teacher look really sinister as it always seemed to happen to someone in her class...

DrSpengler · Post by **DrSpengler** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 6:28 pm

Sixswitch wrote:Cultural question: Do most Americans know enough about medicine so that you can throw these terms into a sentence, and it makes sense?

I'm always fascinated by how much Americans seem to know about medicine - I guess it comes from having to pay for your own.

-Ss

It was either percocets or vicodin that I was prescribed for pain relief after my wisdom teeth were pulled. It was so many years ago, I can't recall which.

Percocets and vicodin are prescription pain relievers, but much like morphine, they're very powerful and give a whacked-out sense of euphoria. So they tend to be some of the most abused prescription drugs out there (which is why my dad stole mine).

It's commonly "prescribed" to people who don't really need it (claiming their minor pains are vicodin worthy or bribing doctors to prescribe it to them), which is why a lot of Americans know what it is (getting genuinely prescribed percocets or vicodin is cause for celebration for some, like medicinal marijuana).

Excedrin is just an over the counter pain reliever, like Tylenol or Advil or Bayer; a name brand aspirin or ibuprofin. Fine for headaches and hangovers, but for serious pain after an operation, it hardly cuts it.

ΩΩΩ · Post by **ΩΩΩ** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:05 pm

Not too dissimilar to speaking of Anadin or whatever over here. Commonly known and advertised and discussed drugs, different brand names,

Heinrad · Post by **Heinrad** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:08 pm

I had mine out years ago, all 4 at once, just novocaine(or however it's spelled). It's amazing the creaking sounds your jaw and skull make.....

As for what they put me on for painkillers, I can't remember. I do remember they told me to put wet teabags on the holes for a couple of days.

And of the wide variety of serious grade painkillers currently on the market for pain relief, I've only experienced two, percocet and delauded(no clue if I've spelled them right). Delauded they put me on post-chest surgery, first on a drip, then in pill form. In fact, after I woke up, the nurse hands me a button and she tells me, "This button is your new best friend. It controls the delauded drip. Every time you feel pain, push it, and the pain will go away." I could feel the pain(probably what brought me out of the anasthetic), so I hit the button. And hit it again, and again, and againandagainandagainagainagain..... I came to the conclusion that the button was there to distract me. I asked for something stronger, and they said they couldn't because I'd stop breathing. At that point, I didn't care. Hit me over the head, smother me with a pillow, damn it just make the pain go away.

I think I finally just got used to the pain as opposed to having the painkiller supress it. Given that apparently delauded, which is a morophine derivitative, was in short supply, when I ran out of the pills they gave me percocet. The percocet was great. It didn't kill the pain any better than the delauded did, but I didn't care.

So I guess what I'm saying is, given the choice, give me percocet every time.

Shrapnel Clone · Post by **Shrapnel Clone** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 2:42 pm

All 4 here too, and 3 weeks of agonizing pain. Here's a hint: Milkshakes are your friend (Fortunately, I wasn't lactose-intolerant back then). No chewing, plenty of calories to make it through the day, and so cold it helps against the pain.

Lady Quickswitch · Post by **Lady Quickswitch** » Sun Oct 09, 2011 4:21 am

All four pulled here too. Got a dry socket. Damn that hurt like a sunovagun.

If you don't mind the taste, miso soup is your friend too, just make sure to drink it warm and not hot.