so i just got my wisdom teeth out - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**freespiritz** · 08-06-2006, 09:19 PM

i'm sitting here holding a bag of ice to my numb face and typing one-handed.

sucks to come home and find out i'll be at the dentists three times in my three weeks at home. got two teeth out today, thought id be in decent shape to go island hopping and diving this weekend but no, i have to go back to get stitches out next week. *sulks*

so i'm kinda bummed. oral surgery screws up travel plans, folks.

(i cant talk so im venting on a message board, obviously :P although the one-handed typing is very tedious)

i shall mooch around at home and wait for the anasthetic to wear off and for the pain to kick in. and stubbornly replan a trip for the day after i get stitches out.

i wanna go back here

down with wisdom teeth!

**raoulduke** · 08-06-2006, 09:40 PM

Don't say that. I need to get mine out soon so tell me it was a quick, easy, painless procedure that you recovered from instantly.

Thanks

Dammit now i want to go there as well, oh well good luck with your recovery

**Majestic58** · 08-06-2006, 11:59 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(raoulduke @ Aug 7 2006, 04:40 AM) [snapback]133932[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Don't say that. I need to get mine out soon so tell me it was a quick, easy, painless procedure that you recovered from instantly.
[/b]

Well i got mine out in '97, they did all four at once, in the hospital under anisthetic (cause i don't handle needles well) the stitches fell out on their own and I was 100% better in about 4 days.

**freespiritz** · 08-06-2006, 09:52 PM

haha, the procedure itself wasn't terrible...if your teeth aren't impacted it takes like a minute to take out. i had one impacted tooth which took about half an hour...as for pain I only felt the jabs - the first four anyway...out of maybe 8. :P

ooh, i can feel the ache starting to kick in...

but if you really want to know, it was a quick, easy, painless procedure that I recovered from instantly, of course.

**raoulduke** · 08-06-2006, 09:54 PM

Thanks. Ignorance is Bliss

**TheJake** · 08-06-2006, 09:55 PM

that's gonna happen to me someday too... I am not looking forward to it!

**LostFarmboy** · 08-06-2006, 10:18 PM

Yep, it's on my to do list too, my orthadontist keeps telling me to get them out but i'm too lazy....ok ok, i'll be honest - i'm too scared!! After hearing this i think i'm gonna put it off for another year or two.

....damn dentists.

**The Monsignor** · 08-06-2006, 10:25 PM

As a victim of a ton of dental work (including my wisdom teeth getting pulled), lemme give you some advice -

- Take ibuprofen 30 minutes before any appointment (800mg)

- Eat an hour or so prior to the appointment (you'll drool less)

- Have all your wisdom teeth pulled at once, recovery is about the same for 1,2 or 4, and it feels like you've been beat up professionally for a few days after. Just get it over with (and ibuprofen definitely helps - you can mix it with percocet, too)

- Take care of your teeth, dentists are evil!

**freespiritz** · 08-06-2006, 10:25 PM

Heh...well, I think it's better to get them out sooner than later...apparently it's best to get them out by the time you turn 20...before 25 at least.

At least it was free for me since our dentist is a church member. Hah.

**The Monsignor** · 08-06-2006, 10:27 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freespiritz @ Aug 6 2006, 10:25 PM) [snapback]133946[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Heh...well, I think it's better to get them out sooner than later...apparently it's best to get them out by the time you turn 20...before 25 at least.

At least it was free for me since our dentist is a church member. Hah.
[/b]

Grandpa Boris always said "Free advice is usually worth what you paid for it." (I wonder if this applies to dental work, too?)

**LostFarmboy** · 08-06-2006, 10:34 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(freespiritz @ Aug 6 2006, 09:25 PM) [snapback]133946[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Heh...well, I think it's better to get them out sooner than later...apparently it's best to get them out by the time you turn 20...before 25 at least.
[/b]

By the time you're 20!! But i'm 23!! That's it, they're staying....nah i'll get them out....one day in the distant future.

**freespiritz** · 08-06-2006, 10:29 PM

I think I trust my dentist :P

Apparently my stint at home is helping me lose weight...first by climbing and trekking Borneo, and now by just not being able to eat PLUS being on antibiotics which always takes away any appetite I have. Blek.

**freespiritz** · 08-06-2006, 10:37 PM

23 is still before 25 though!

My mum lost a few teeth because she never got her impacted wisdom teeth out and they got infected. If yours aren't impacted then you don't have to worry so much, but they might make the rest of your teeth crooked if you don't have enough jaw space...so if you've happened to spend a lot of money on braces you might wanna get them out.

**space virgin** · 08-06-2006, 10:57 PM

Ok, take this with a grain of salt because everyone is different and for whatever reasons I seem to have miraculously speedy recovery from injury/illness... but I got two nasty little buggers removed a couple of years ago -- over the age of 25, I might add-- and it really wasn't bad at all. I had a local shot of novocaine and entirely not enough nitrous oxide, but seriously? They hurt me SO BAD and for so long leading up to getting them pulled that the recovery was a snap. Felt like nothin'.

I didn't even need the vicodin they gave me, really. Sore for one day, running around like almost normal the next. :D

I also had the other two pulled just recently and it was the same thing, if not even easier-- they didn't even give me a 'scrip for vicodin this time. So, not EVERY wisdom-tooth-extraction story is tragic!!

For me, the tragic part was the excruciating pain leading up to getting the little bastards removed.

**freespiritz** · 08-07-2006, 12:05 AM

Yeah, the procedure wasn't that traumatic and I don't think healing will be too big a deal...I'm just bummed because I have to be around in town to get my stitches out next week instead of diving in the deep blue sea - who wouldn't be bummed at that? :P

**tumblezweedz** · 08-07-2006, 12:09 AM

I had all of mine out at the age of 29, under anaesthetic (I'm a wimp), and was fine after a couple of days. My father-in-law laughed at my puffy face quite a bit, but it wasn't so much painful as sore for a couple of days afterwards - nothing ibuprofen couldn't manage though. But I think it really depends on your own system - though I hate pain, my body tends to recover quickly.

But it does really stink not being able to get into the water, I'm really sorry about that! Still, won't be long before you're back on the road, in the water, up the hill or wherever you dream of being. Use this time to plan!

**LiveFreeorDie** · 08-07-2006, 06:56 AM

Well, I got all 4 of mine out last year (and I am a wee bit over 25 - I had been putting it off for years...and years..

). I have to say, I guess I lucked out. I had one impacted, the rest not. I got knocked out and all 4 pulled in about 45 minutes. I only needed to take the Tylenol codeine they gave me maybe 2 times that same day, then no more painkillers for me. The next night I was out for New Years eve, almost as good as new.

**SuDz** · 08-07-2006, 06:58 AM

I had mine taken out last year. I was suprised. afterwards i had no swelling, no pain, and barely any speach problems. I was even able to eat that night.

SuDZ

**raoulduke** · 08-07-2006, 07:10 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LiveFreeorDie @ Aug 7 2006, 11:56 PM) [snapback]133979[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

The next night I was out for New Years eve, almost as good as new.
[/b]

That was optimistic booking your appointment two days before New Years.

I'm not sure of the technical terms but mine haven't come through yet and I need to have them cut out of the gums as opposed to just being pulled out. That would explain the varying recover times at least.

I'm not looking forward to it

**freespiritz** · 08-07-2006, 07:23 AM

Well...it hasn't been horrific so far. I'm not bothering with painkillers (I'm generally a stubborn brat and never take medicine if I can help it. :P)

I had to cut through the gums for one tooth (impacted), and drill it into several pieces before it could be removed. That took about 30 minutes. The one that was growing out regularly took about 30 seconds to pull out of my head with forceps. Haha. So if you're lucky you get a straightforward, quick procedure.

Since I hear all these stories of quick recovery, hopefully I'll be able to paint the town red tomorrow...