Do You Have Your 'Wisdom Teeth' Still?

[Donnaj4962]

I had all four of mine removed at the same time, when I was about 20, if I remember correctly. I had no pain, in fact, like others have said, it was my orthodontist who discovered them coming in and he suggested I gett hem pulled to not wreck the orthodonture work. I had them removed while in college, a couple of days before Christmas. I had NO problems, no swelling or cruising... and was able to eat regular food for the holiday!

Good luck. I am so sorry you are having such pain. I am prone to migraines, so I feel your pain!

[AmberLee]

Hmmm, a few months before I turned 25 the upper and lower wisdom teeth on my right side began coming in and were impacted. My mouth was too swollen to work on them; needed a week of antibiotics to heal enough to get the surgery. As I recall I was miserable. It turned out I had no wisdom teeth on my left side. Interesting how many here have experienced that. I'd heard it was rare!

[jennielynn1970]

I'm 37, and just got mine out this past Christmas. I have a total phobia of the dentist (I had smashed my two front teeth when I was 14, and they drilled into them w/out any novacaine or anything... I've never had cavities, so this was a shock! ).

I've avoided the dentist for the past 7 years. Horrible, I know. But in that time, I only ended up with 4 tiny cavities total, 1 in each molar. I did however had a bad case of gingivitis or whatever the gum infection is called, and for some reason my body builds up the tartar in my mouth really bad in my mouth, so it took a few sessions to get my mouth cleaned up. I had to have antibiotic packets inserted in my gums (which was not covered by my dental insurance, darn!!), and any novacaine and the gas they give you wasn't either). I did get a great prescription rinse that I can get at the pharmacy and it works really well, and I still use it daily.

Getting my wisdom teeth out... I did this over Christmas vacation so I wouldn't lose any sick days at work. What a Christmas that was. First, because I went to the dentist, not an oral surgeon, to have it done, I could only have local anesthesia and was given Valium to take before I went. He kept telling me that I wouldn't remember anything, and I shouldn't feel anything.... well... it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but I did HEAR what they were doing. I wish I would have gone to an oral surgeon and been knocked out. My wisdom teeth weren't totally impacted, so I guess I was even luckier in that respect.

What made me laugh was when the dentist was showing me the tools they use. He's all "This is the extractor" or whatever the technical term was for it. I looked at him and said "No, that's a pliers." "Now, now, Jennie... that's not what we call it. And this is the elevator that we lift the tooth out with." I'm looking at him, and looking at the instrument and said "That is a chisel." You don't need to use fancy words with me, I shop at Home Depot and Lowes, I know what these suckers look like, lol!

So, it's almost a year later, and my mouth feels much better. It feels weird having my wisdom teeth gone. My teeth haven't shifted much since then. I do have a small mouth (contrary to popular belief), so the dentist said it should help with spacing.

What I can say is that I haven't gone back for my checkup for the yearly cleaning yet... . I'm still kinda rattled from the whole entire ordeal, and I get panic attacks and throw up when I'm there (the smell gets me). They were a really nice place, and even burned candles for me when I was first there so it wouldn't smell like a dentist's office. You know that smell??? I get sick to my stomach from it.

Oh, I know that I have gotten flouride treatments ever since I was about 3 yrs old because I was given tetracycline when I was 2yrs old and really sick, and it damaged the enamel on my teeth, and so I had to deal with discoloration from that. I still am careful about the toothpastes I use, and I can't use whiteners since they are so abrasive on the tooth enamel.

Hope you have good luck at your dental appt. I'll keep you in my thoughts as I definitely know your pain in this one!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed at the same time when I was 19 years old. Two of them were just barely starting to come in and the other two weren't coming in yet. They may have been impacted.

My mom drove me there and I was very groggy when I woke up and she drove me home and I slept the rest of the day. I don't remember being in much pain but I do remember that they packed the sockets with gauze and that some of the gauze started to come out before I was supposed to have it removed. This made it very hard to eat without chewing on some of the gauze. Yuck!!!

Kelly, I hope that you'll start feeling better soon and that you'll have a successful wisdom tooth extraction. Please take care.

[NoahsMommy]

Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences with me. I've decided based on your help that I'm going to an oral surgeon and will be knocked out. I believe the front office ladies at the the dentists office told me that the dentist normally refers out her "Wisdom Tooth Removals", so that's good. OMG, my co-worker mentioned that her dental insurance doesn't pay for the anesthesia - what a MEAN insurance...obviously whomever wrote those policy limits never had to have dental work...what a mean jerk!

Anyway, my appointment is this coming Friday, but I found out that my co-worker also has an appointment that day, 30 minutes prior, for a tooth extraction - so I know she will not be coming back to work. I may need to change that appointment.

I'm not as scared this time, the appt on Wednesday made me realize I'm in good, GENTLE hands...everyone there is so kind and like, soft. I know that sounds odd, but you just feel so welcome and like they DO care that you're terrified to be there, that they WANT to make you feel better. Shocking (refreshing??), I know! I guess I'll have my consult with Dr. Valde and discuss my wisdom teeth as well as the bonding work that needs to be redone on my front teeth.

I really want this all overwith...my pain doc told me how to take my current pain medicine to help with the teeth and told me to go get Oragel - that stuff is amazing!!! My migraines aren't as bad...all they did was clean and x-ray my teeth, but maybe that helped do something to them?? I don't know...but I'll take less pain/fewer migraines for WHATEVER reason! ha ha

I thought this sort of pain would be hard, but that I'd handle it how I handle my crohn's pain...but wow!! Tooth/ear/head pain is NOT fun!! This dentist (as per my co-worker) does not prescribe pain medication for her patients!! I don't need anything extra, but I feel for her other patients...I mean, OUCH!!! I scheduled this appointment around my work schedule - don't need to be out for ANY REASON - so this was the soonest I could get in...I think I may call and see if they'll call me with any cancellations, because Friday's appt is not the "end", it's the beginning because she'll need to refer me out.

Anyway, sorry to go on and on like this. I'm talkative today I think. Thank you all again for sharing your experiences with me...it helps to know what I'm in for. My mouth is kinda small too...my teeth are very close together, I have to get a certain type of floss so it works for me...so I think having these out will free up some room and maybe my teeth will be able to spread out a tiny bit. That would be nice.

Hugs, Kelly

[prechrswife]

I had mine out in my late 20's. I had 3 done at once at my regular dentist's office. The other one was impacted, so it had to be done by an oral surgeon. That one by itself was worse than the other 3 combined, but I think part of that was the way my body reacted to the pain meds they prescribed.

[mina'smomma]

Mine had to be surgically removed because instead of busting through the gum line they grew and calcified (sp) into my jaw. They literally had to chip away jawbone to get to part of the teeth.

[shais_mom]

wow - sorry this is happening Kel.
how are you going to be able to get time off work for this procedure?

I had mine out when I was 17 the summer b/n my Jr and Sr years. Mine were impacted. IT SUCKED! My cousin was eating pizza hut pizza that nite. I couldn't eat real food for a week and when I did I had to smash it up and shove it in b/n my mouth b/c my jaw wouldn't open. My sister and brother in law had it done the summer before a couple weeks apart and my bro in law spit out a bunch of bloody gauze and MY SISTER passed out!
My mom fed me ice cream and I would totally NOT reccommend that - the milk products hitting the blood in my stomach caused me to throw up like no other! She said afterward as I'm sitting there with my head in the dishpan - "oh yea - your sister threw up after I gave her ice cream also" gggaaah!

The first day after surgery my jawline swelled up - the 2nd day my upper cheeks swelled up and the 3rd day my whole face swelled up! I remember taking an old syringe in putting them in the holes and cleaning them out for awhile but not too long, I think what bothered me the most was the stitches before they dissolved. I was playing with them with my tongue all the time.
Good luck to you my friend and keep us posted!

[ilovemypup]

I will not vote because I am not an older-teen
Respecting your poll!

I haven't gotten them yet..but I am getting my molers(I thought they were the same..).. and they hurt soo badly!!!
UGH!
PAIN!

Just thought I'd share

-alI

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Don't have them...never did, never will.

Just like me!! I thought I was the only one, really; my family keeps teasing me with that

[Suki Wingy]

Mine are all at the placement that you'd expect for them to be once they've come in but most of them are all still covered with gums. My dentist said I need them taken out, they could be the source of my frequent yet mysterious jaw locking and pain.

[ramanth]

Voted Other.

I have all four of mine in and they do cause pain because they came in crooked.

My orthodontist had my 12 year molars pulled convincing my parents that the wisdom teeth would come up in their place. Well they came in crooked and sometimes ache, but my dentist won't pull them, claiming that I have to have SOMETHING back there.

[kallisto4529]

Oh that sucks big time!!!!!!!!!! I actually got lucky I never experienced any pain of any kind before mine were taken out, just went in for a regular checkup and the x-rays found that mine were growing into my jaw bone and I needed to have them out immediately! I was 17, my spring break was spent recouping from having all four surgically removed at once. It was not too awful, great pain meds. lol Good luck with yours.

[Argranade]

I don't remember ever having back teeth pulled out so I must have them,

I've had x rays taken and the dentist never see's any problems.

[Logan]

Mine are gone. I only had the lower ones and they were impacted. They xrayed up to my eye sockets and there were none on top. Good for me! I had the surgery when I was 19 (I think). That was a LONG time ago!

My daughter, Helen, had hers out at 15. She only had 3, but the orthodontist wanted them out right away because they were headed the wrong way (impacted).

I think they are doing the surgery earlier and earlier these days to avoid problems that pop up later.

Good luck Kelly.
Logan