Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Denver Mods 7/26/84) 6/24/83; site drutx.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!mtuxo!drutx!slb
From: slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Wisdom teeth
Message-ID: <692@drutx.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Nov-85 12:37:31 EST
Article-I.D.: drutx.692
Posted: Fri Nov 22 12:37:31 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 24-Nov-85 05:06:48 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 50


I had 2 wisdom teeth extracted.  They were both impacted and had to
be chipped out.  My ex-husband had the same thing--but got all 4 out
at once.  (I was lucky--I do not have any upper wisdom teeth.  Let's
hear it for evolution!)

The actual removal really wasn't that bad.  I didn't have a general 
anesthetic.  So it was just Novocaine.  It didn't hurt at all.  It
*was* rather disconcerting to hear the teeth crack as he used his little
chisel on them.  By the way--I am quite scared of dentists, and have a
fairly low pain threshold.  So when I say it wasn't that bad, you can
bet it really wasn't!  He also gave me a slight tranquilizer (Vallium?)
before hand--that helped.

The aftermath was not so good, but I had some special factors there.
It turned out that I was allergic to the Codeine the oral surgeon
prescribed.  It made me sick to my stomach, and I felt like little ants
were crawling all over my body.  I had to switch back to Tylenol, which 
didn't quite do the job.  In addition, the doctor was 4 hours away by car 
(we lived in the country at the time.)  A long car ride is something to 
avoid after this!  But I was OK in 3 days or so (and MUCH better after 
I stopped the Codeine.)

My advice:  1)  If the teeth are impacted, go to an oral surgeon,
not your run-of-the-mill dentist.  This is from my experience, and lots
of other people I've talked to.  An oral surgeon is an expert at that
sort of thing.  2)  Get the pain medicine that s/he prescribes right away, 
and take some before the Novocaine wears off.  3) Get someone else to
drive you home (stopping off at the drug store for the pain-killer on
the way.)  You will probably feel like driving, especially if you've just
had Novocaine, but it's nice not to have to.  4)  Follow her/his orders.  
My ex took about 4 times the amount of pain-killer prescribed because he 
didn't want to hurt.  Some friends found him on their front lawn, laughing.  
5)  Have Novocaine, not a general anesthetic.  The risks are less, and it 
really isn't that bad if you are properly numbed.  6)  Watch for possible 
reactions to the pain medicine.  7)  Have all the work done at once.  You
don't want to think about going through it again when you are hurting.
7) Plan to do nothing for about 2 days.  Look on it as a well-deserved 
vacation.  (The gods gave you those teeth, they must want you to have 
some time off :-)
-- 

                                     Sue Brezden
                                     ihnp4!drutx!slb

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      To search for perfection is all very well,
      But to look for heaven is to live here in hell.   
                                       --Sting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~