I hope this piece can help you if you need to get your wisdom teeth removed or are considering the procedure.  Of course, this is only MY EXPERIENCE so please consult your dentist or an oral surgeon for an understanding of your individual situation.

Prior to me getting my wisdom teeth removed, I heard horror stories about people having outrageous pain, being swollen for days or weeks, and having to take up to a month to recover!  I know everyone is different in terms of age, teeth placement, oral health, and pain tolerance—and these all play a factor in how soon you can recover from wisdom teeth surgery.  Though, I feel like the internet is too saturated with these horror stories so I wanted to share the positive experience I had with my wisdom teeth removal. 

In June 2018, I got ALL FOUR of my wisdom teeth removed at once 🙂

For the past year, each time I’d have my dentistry check-ups, I was told my wisdom teeth would soon be ready to be taken out.  In December 2017, I was told I had some time but they needed to come out in 2018.  Again at my check-up in June, it was mentioned that my teeth were “boning” (breaking the surface) and needed to be removed.  So, I bit the bullet and made an appointment for the end of June to get all four removed.

There are pros and cons to getting all four removed but here is why I decided this was the right choice for me:

One-time pain – I would only need to deal with the mouth pain and recovery one time versus taking two out and then two the next time.  Also, I would get occasional wisdom teeth-related pains/headaches so removal would alleviate this, too.  The less time spent in pain, the better!

Convenience – Like I said for pain, it saves me the trouble of having to repeat the experience.  I would only need to take time off of work for this and deal with the prep and post operative discomfort (headaches, lethargy, restricted eating, etc.) one time.

Get it over with – As I said, I’d known I was going to need to get them out and, rather than prolong the experience, I wanted to get it over with.  I like checking off pending items from my to-do list! 😉

Age – My dentist and the dentistry team informed me that early 20s are the best time to get wisdom teeth removed.  Of course, it varies by individual but wisdom teeth are more difficult to extract later on in life. (plus, you’ll potentially be dealing with them pushing on other teeth and causing pain)

The day of my wisdom teeth removal, I walked in to my appointment feeling slightly nervous but ready to go.  My plan was to stick with local anesthetic rather than get laughing gas or be put to sleep.  I had four molars removed a few years back when I got braces so I had an idea of what to expect.  The surprise came when I had to sign a waiver.

The waiver listed possible problems that could occur due to my teeth extractions such as a dry socket, limited jaw mobility, and more.  I asked my dentist about that and he said these were not likely but the real reason I needed to sign the waiver was due to another cause for concern.  My bottom wisdom teeth had grown to the point where they were grazing the top of an important nerve that runs through the bottom of my jaw.  If the nerve gets damaged, it could result in lip area numbness for a few weeks, months, or permanently. 

Basically, that’s when I lost my sh*t. 

The chances of that happening are slim with an expert’s hand but my dentist admitted this wasn’t common among wisdom teeth patients.  I knew I needed to get them out either way.  So, I gave my consent to proceed.

My dentist began to numb my mouth, injecting anesthetics into my gums.  Spoiler alert: this is the most painful part.  I felt stinging pain shoot through my gums and up the sinus canals in my cheeks.  He started out with just a few injections to gauge how much I would need.  He then left me alone in the room to ponder my situation.

I felt the numbing agents start to spread and, as I lost feeling in my mouth, I started to panic.  I remember lifting my hand and seeing it tremble.  My heart was racing and anxiety escalated rapidly.  That day, prior to the procedure, the dental assistant took my blood pressure and my numbers were a good 30 points HIGHER than my usual BP numbers.  Admittedly, I have a low BP on the regular but that just shows how freaked I was.

My dentist came back after a while.  I told him where I was numb and where I still had feeling in my mouth.  He gave me additional anesthetics which did the trick.  If I had to guess, the anesthetic took nearly 20 minutes to kick in but then we were good to go.

The procedure itself went by really quick. 

I could not feel any cutting or tugging that most certainly occurred in my mouth.  Every once in a while I could taste metal (from blood) but the dental assistant kept a sucking device at the ready so that blood/saliva wouldn’t pool up.  At the end, I got stitches before being rewarded with the sight of my removed teeth (what a treat!).

Honestly, there isn’t much to say about the actual procedure because I couldn’t feel anything.  When it was over, I felt a bit lightheaded and an assistant helped walk me out.  I’m sure I could’ve driven myself home but, luckily, my mom was there to help me out.  I was sent home with a few strips of gauze to place on my bloody sockets and instructions for post-op care.  You know, how to clean my mouth and what to look out for in case I’m not healing correctly.  My dentist also kindly included his personal cell phone number in case I needed assistance over the weekend.  This was super nice since my procedure was done on a Friday. 

Post-procedure life wasn’t half bad, either.

The Friday of my procedure, I chilled with Nashville episodes and gauze on both sides of my mouth.  The paper instructions said I only needed the gauze for 30 minutes to 1 hour to stop the bleeding.  I found myself needing it for about three hours.  Even then, blood still keep trickling into my mouth.  I avoided spitting out the blood (which can loosen the blood clots in the sockets).  Instead, I carried around tissues for me to drool into for the first two days. 

Numbing was all gone by the second day. (meaning: the previously mentioned nerve damage concern was not an issue!! :)).  Saturday, my gums were bleeding much less but I still had to be careful when eating, rinsing my mouth, or attempting to brush my teeth because any jostling made my gums bleed.  By day three, this was less of a problem.

I slept upright for the first two nights so I would: a) allow for blood flow away from my face and b) not choke on my own blood and saliva.  On the weekend, I skipped my usual morning exercises though, by day 3, I felt like I could handle some movement.  I definitely felt a little weak so some light standing aerobics and walking was enough.  The most frustrating part was just being unable to lean over for a solid week.  Forget downward dog—simply leaning over made my head/face feel hot and heavy.  I know it was related to the inflammation but it was a very uncomfortable feeling!

MEDSSS

My dentist prescribed me three medications: one antibiotic to safeguard against infection, a high dose ibuprofen for pain, and a steroid to bring down the swelling faster (than without).  I HATED the idea of taking an antibiotic.  Still, I figured the last thing I’d want to deal with is a potential infection in my mouth!  So I obliged and took the medications as instructed. 

The ibuprofen was helpful for the first 2-3 days but I really didn’t need it after that.  Surprisingly, my jaw or sockets where my wisdom teeth once were did not hurt.   The antibiotic caused the usual side effects and wreaked some havoc on my microbiome. (more on that for another post).  However, the steroid was awful because it affected my blood sugar.  It made it impossible for me to feel calm within the hour after taking it.  My face did still get swollen but I suppose it could have been worse without the steroid….

But, Melanie, what did you look like?!

I’ve been getting asked for pictures left and right.  Sorry but, silly me, I didn’t want to take pictures of myself when I was puffed up like a chipmunk.  Believe me when I say my lower jaw area felt swollen and looked swollen!  By day 4, fortunately, it was less noticeable and practically back to normal.  Also, a slight yellow bruising developed day 4; though I was able to easily cover it up with a little makeup.

What did I eat?

Friday evening I drank some broth and that was quite fine.  The next day I tried to stick to thin-textured soups and liquids.  I made a cold smoothie of coconut water and chocolate protein powder for breakfast, a red lentil and butternut squash pureed soup for lunch AND dinner.  The following day I tried cooking pasta and veggies until super tender and that seemed to work for me.  Mashed beans, overcooked rice, and mashed avocado (no lemon!) also became my go-to meal.

After the weekend, I could pretty much eat anything I wanted.  I feared opening my mouth too wide would tear the stitches so I stuck with easy-to-chew foods.  Obviously, no raw vegetables (crunchy salad greens were unappealing) but I could manage to eat more foods than I expected.

That’s a wrap! 

I got my stitches removed a total of ten days after my wisdom teeth removal and that went well.  My dentist just reminded me to be careful about cleaning the sockets…there was a small piece of food in one.  At this point, the holes are still there and probably will be for a while.  When I brush my teeth now, I will brush but also swoosh to get to the corners of my mouth.  Plus, lately I’ve been swooshing coconut oil around (oil pulling) and I think that is a good addition to my oral health at this time. 

I’m looking forward to the day when I don’t have to poke pieces of food out of the back crevices of my gums.  LOL.  Though, for now, I’m doing alright!  Everyone will have a different experience but I hope I put you at ease if you have some concerns about how the procedure and recovery go.  Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer based off my experience.

Also, let’s share stories!  Have any of you had your wisdom teeth removed?  What was that like? 

Xoxo.