So I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed...

[AdminAssistant]

They knocked me out completely - and I say it's the way to go. Although, they gave me laughing gas before they put in the IV (I guess cuz some people have needle issues?). But I have difficult veins, and I was so stoned I couldn't properly make a fist to help them find one. It was hilarious.

I woke up sitting upright in the chair, and the nurse was able to walk me out, but they had to keep pulling my head up. They got me in the back seat of the car, I slept the whole way home (my dentist sent me to a guy in Memphis, he said he didn't trust any of the local people, and that office didn't have the facilities). Then Mom kept me on the couch so that she could keep an eye on me, rotate my ice packs, wake me up for my medicine (doc put me on a pain pill/tylenol/motrin regimen), and such.

[tropicsgoddess]

Some pudding, jello, soup for starters, at first it's hard to open your mouth wide, but once you can get on to eating more normal foods, something like pasta or noodles. Oh and definitely do your salt water rinses, dry socket or infections are a serious bitch to deal with.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I had mine out when I was 18...on New Year's Eve.

I didn't have too many problems, except the pain meds made me sick. I was in the basement watching movies but I almost threw up, and after that I moved to my parents' room and watched TV from my mom's adjustable bed so I could be closer to the bathroom (I didn't actually throw up...I came pretty close, though). I tried the meds one more time later (I don't remember what they gave me), when I had a little more in my stomach, and while I didn't get as nauseated, it still made me feel queasy. Luckily the pain was mild enough that I was able to stick with Tylenol after that.

As far as food...jello (cherry!), ice cream, mac and cheese, pudding.... Soup is good but make sure it's not too hot. The surgeon sent me home with a can of Ensure, which my mom made into a milkshake. I don't think I'd have wanted to drink the Ensure by itself, but mixed with ice cream it wasn't too bad. Ice cream makes everything better.

Yeah, I was asleep long before midnight that year.

[Mr. Rager!]

For me the actual surgery was painless. They knocked me out.

Healing on the other hand. Listen to what the Dr has to say about the taking care of your wounds. LISTEN! I didn't listen and one of my gums swelled up so bad that I couldn't close my mouth so I had to go to the doctor. Then he jammed a needle into my gums (without numbing me up) and drained them. It was one of the most painful experiences of my life.

Oh, and I liked ice cream. Any flavor. My mistake was getting the rocky road though... (nuts).

[BookstoreEscapee]

Oh, and I liked ice cream. Any flavor. My mistake was getting the rocky road though... (nuts).

Yeah, one ice cream caveat there...no stuff mixed in. (Which is fine with me cuz I like my ice cream smooth and unadulterated )

[Reyneth]

I had an amazing Oral Surgeon and I was eating mac & cheese that night. No issues with anything - except DO NOT eat rice!!!! You don't want it stuck down in the holes!

I had 3 regular, 1 regular that had cracked in half and another extra baby one aken out that day (although he missed the other "extra" baby one and I had to have it out a few years ago!) and was lucky in that I had no issues other than my top teeth shifted because of them coming in, ruining some of the good braces did for me.

[JLRodgers]

that reply about the needles in the gums reminded me of the one disgusting side effeft: my cheeks/mouth swelled up -- and the puss crap oozed out into my mouth so I was constantly tasting it. Pushing my cheeks slightly caused it to squirt into my mouth.

Water is your friend.

[Mr Slugger]

When I had mine pulled they weren't too bad. I actually had 6 teeth pulled. 5 wisdom teeth (Yes 5 I'm a freak) and a broken tooth. After I got down from the knock out high I had mac and cheese. Next day I stuck to eggs, soup, pasta, and ice cream. By the 3rd day I had meatloaf. Stayed away from steak for a week.

The only thing that sucked was the stitches. They itched like all hell.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I once worked with a girl who had hers out and her entire jaw was swelled up and bruised. Which wasn't pretty when it got to that yellow stage...

I've had a number of teeth out and I've never had any major problems. I had several baby teeth out as a kid (at least 6, over two or three different occasions), and before I got my braces on when I was 11, I had to get all four of the first premolars out, because my jaw is too small for all my teeth. Then I had braces for 3 years and retainers for 4 years, and my orthodontist said that I could get rid of the retainers once I got my bottom wisdom teeth out. The oral surgeon looked at my xrays and said I should get them all done because if I didn't I'd be back there in 6 months to get the top ones out. So, yeah, I have only 24 teeth.

Aside from the meds for my wisdom teeth making me sick, the only other problem I had was when I was 11. I was resting for a while after I woke up, and starting to get antsy, and complaining that I wanted to go home. Finally the doc said I could go, and I was standing next to my mom at the counter while she wrote a check. I passed out, grabbed my mom's arm, and took her down with me. Which only bought me another half hour of resting in the recovery room. When I got my wisdom teeth out my mom made my dad come with us...

[Aramika]

Thanks for all the advice people! I'm going in today and have a freezer overflowing with ice cream waiting for me when I come back so I think I'll do ok.

[Shangri-laschild]

Eating is going to suck.....don't forget you have to though if you want to take the vicoden. That's what I did and I ended up feeling even more like crap. Warm broth that's not a strong flavor is also a good one. Take care!