Painful subject
This Friday, after years of procrastination, I am getting my wisdom teeth taken out. I’ve put this off for years in large part because every time you say you’re having your wisdom teeth out, the most bizarre thing happens: everyone tells you how wretched it is.
It’s really a baffling part of human nature, I think. Why would I want to hear how bad it will be? Don’t you think most people would prefer hearing that it’s not so bad? Are there any other things in our culture where people pile it on like that? Is that a fundamental part of being human – a need to make people feel worse?
Is this how women feel when they’re about to give birth for the first time and everyone feels the need to tell you how long their labor was?
Anyway, I’m going to get it done on Friday, like I said. When I called to make the appointment, I was actually a little bit surprised by the lack of pomp and circumstance. I thought I’d have to come in several times and be looked over and made to feel worse, but in fact I just have to show up, and they’ll do the deed just like that.
I have the whole day blocked off. I’m going to do nothing but sit in front of the television and watch movies.
I’m just hoping I won’t have chipmunk cheeks. I am not looking forward to this.
Be sure to tell me your horror stories in the comments.
Comments
14 Responses to “Painful subject”
Leave a Reply
Be sure you ask about dry sockets. I got them. It was awful.
I got them out when I was in college. Slept all afternoon and went to class the next day. Take the painkillers the first 24 hours and you’ll be fine after that. Just plan on liquid meals for a day or two.
I had all of mine out in my early twenties and really, it wasn’t too bad, Jon. I heard all the horror stories about dry sockets and all that stuff, but I didn’t really have any problems. It hurt some, sure, but the pain meds pretty much did what they were supposed to. Jaws were sore for a week or so but not that bad. I don’t think I was even all that swollen, maybe a little bit.
I was pretty whacked out from the IV drugs for about an hour after I woke up, much to my then-live-in’s amusement – and the doc’s office was on the second floor of a building with no elevator, trying to get me down those stairs was apparently a real event, I was told. He got me home and situated and went to work; I was hungry since I’d had to be NPO the night before, so I fixed some chicken a la king and toast, which was a mistake – my mouth wasn’t working right yet and I think I got more of the chicken a la king on me than in my mouth, I needed a bib.
But that all dissipated after another hour or two, I slept off the anesthesia for a while, and really I was fine when I woke up, just sore jaws really. But my mouth is (believe it or not) fairly small and I’m always sore a couple of days after any minor dental work or cleaning even, so the soreness this time wasn’t a surprise.
So yeah, maybe I just got lucky but it really was pretty uneventful for me. That said, I would rather get my wisdom teeth out a million times over than ever get my tonsils out again (thank goodness they don’t grow back). I was 23 when I had my tonsils out and that WAS a horror story and took me about three full weeks to even feel the slightest bit better. Comparatively, the wisdom teeth were nothing.
Good luck, hope it goes as smoothly or close for you!
That is quite a strange phenomenon, isn’t it? As commenter #1 proves! I had mine out in my early 20′s. It was totally no big deal. No swelling. No pain meds stronger than motrin needed. Ate a regular dinner and went for a walk to the park the same afternoon. Good luck!
It’s gonna be fine~ I had mine out in high school, had some swelling and slight bruising but no nightmare pain. I’m not sure why people feel the need to tell you how bad it is, same with women and labor. I guess we feel the need to prove our worth by our battle wounds. Go buy some ice cream, hot tea, and rent some movies…..you’ll be fine!
Got all 4 of mine out at the age of 24 while living in Knoxville. Was scared TO DEATH because of my mom’s experience with one dry socket.
It was seriously nothing. Took one preemptive pain pill after I came home from the thing and was fine from there on. Went furniture shopping with my dad the next day. Had a tiny bit of swelling but not enough for the regular guy on the street to notice.
I had it built way up in my head. It was nothing. Really. You’ll be fine.
Still haven’t had mine out!
Tell us how your’s goes! Hope it all went well!
My experience was a Grade A 100% would-rather-do-anything-than-that horror. Insurance didn’t cover general anesthesia, so I was awake. Psycho drug-addicted dentist watered down my novacaine. Tooth roots were all curled (hook-like shapes) into my jaw, so would not come out without first being crushed into small pieces. Unimaginable pain, similar to having my head squeezed in a vise. Undiagnosed bleeding disorder (von Willebrand’s disease) causing ridiculous amounts of splatter effect. Can you say post -traumatic stress?
Oh my goodness, Suzanne! That sounds horrible!!
Mine was not as bad as Suzanne. I had more trouble with penicillin- I found out the hard way I’m allergic ….. low grade symptoms at first but by the end of the week I had a swollen tongue & trouble breathing.
See, it wasn’t that bad, was it? And now you get to regale your horror stories next time you hear somebody talk about how bad it was.
I’m fond of looking down, shaking my head, and saying ‘good luck’.
It really wasn’t that bad. The initial part would’ve been the least pleasant had it not been for prescription drugs, but as it was it just meant collapsing in front of the tv all day, which I had no problem with.
My only real complaint was a headache that lasted 3 or 4 days.
Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys
Fantastic Read! Looking forward to more!