Speaking of "foursomes".

Post by **Delphine** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:38 pm

Hey guys, what's better than having one wisdom tooth removed?

Having all four of them removed at once! No, really, it's fun, you should give it a try.

By the time I was seventeen, all four of my wisdom teeth had grown in. I have a ridiculous overbite, so I barely noticed the top two. My bottom row, however, was already packed in pretty tight, so the sons of bitches hurt growing in. Unfortunately, I made (and still make) very little money at my part time job and we didn't (and still don't) have insurance. (I have emergency insurance as provided by my college, but that only covers, you know, emergencies.) And my parents weren't much help; they're subscribe to the "if you ignore it, it'll go away eventually" variety of medicine. I also managed to break my ankle my senior year, and they convinced me it was just a sprain. I was still stupid enough to trust my parents, so I believed them. Until it grew back funny.

But as I was saying, wisdom teeth. About Monday or so (the day after I turned 21, happy fucking birthday), the bottom right one started to hurt. Like nothing I can possibly describe. Maybe electrocution is worse, or childbirth, but this was fucking crazy. I took six tylenol at a time just to dull it enough so I could sleep. On Tuesday it started to swell up, and I said fuck it all and told my parents they <i>were</i> going to help me pay, and made an apointment with the local dentist. Dentist schedules me for a next day consultation in Londonderry (about half an hour from me). There was not going to be an extraction that day.

Until the surgeon took a look at my swollen, infected cheek, my partially impacted molar (which was poking a nerve, which caused most of the pain) and basically said (in her sweet, Indian accented voice) "oh HELL no." (She didn't actually say that, but she meant it.) At that point I couldn't open my jaw enough to actually eat anything, so I'd been drinking water and orange juice. She said the OJ was too acidic, but they ended up putting me under anyway. (and for those who haven't experienced it, laughing gas is called that for a reason. The last thing I remember before waking up again is giggling like crazy.)

I woke up maybe five to ten minutes before they were done. I think. It was hard to tell; it felt like forever. M'not gonna lie: I cried. A great deal. Yeah, y'know, it hard to be brave with drills in your mouth. Once they were done and my dad came in, my BP went back to normal pretty quickly, and they let me leave.

So that's my tl;dr story. The surgery was yesterday, so I'm still really, really swollen, and the infection is still there, but both seem to be going down. The bleeding has mostly stopped, and as long as I don't sleep on my right side it doesn't start up again. I still can't open my mouth all the way, so it's been water and yougurt smoothies for me. I think tomorrow I'll try making a milkshake.

Ritz · Post by **Ritz** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:46 pm

Same thing happened to me last year, it's a bitch. Anyway, get well soon.

Post by **Esrever** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:40 pm

I had to have all four of my wisdom teeth removed at once, too. But for some reason, I never had any discomfort, and the swelling was pretty much gone within three days. I've never met anyone with their wisdome teeth out who got off as easily as I did.

Good luck with the healing process! Do your best not to get dry socket, because it will make you its bitch.

DarkPrime · Post by **DarkPrime** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 9:57 pm

I still have all of my wisdom teeth. And I hope I never have to have them pulled. I've heard they hurt like a mofo getting them out.

The worse oral problem I ever had was when an adult tooth grew in before the baby tooth fell out. It didn't hurt, it just felt funny, so I never said anything about it. Until one day the baby tooth just cracked in half and fell out while I was eating some pizza. My friends freaked out when I just reached into my mouth, pulled out two halves of my tooth, and kept on like it happens all the time. No blood, no pain.

I think I still have that tooth somewhere...

EspioKaos · Post by **EspioKaos** » Fri Sep 23, 2005 10:19 pm

DarkPrime wrote:The worse oral problem I ever had was when an adult tooth grew in before the baby tooth fell out. It didn't hurt, it just felt funny, so I never said anything about it.

Ooh, I had the same thing happen to me with my two top canines. Except, I got impatient and pulled the two teeth that refused to come out on their own. My adult canines were actually starting to push out of my gums, so I decided it might be best to just get the tooth that obstructed each out of the way. Over the past ten or so years since then, my canines have straightened out pretty well on their own. Though, they are a bit more pronounced than the rest of my teeth, giving me -- as some of my friends have said -- some "awesome fangs."

Anyway, I wish you a speedy recovery, Del. I haven't had my wisdom teeth pulled yet, but I remember everything my sister went through when she had hers removed. Atually, my dentist insists to me that I need to have mine removed soon, as they're growing out a little strange. Apparently because of the underbite I've got, part of my jaw bone has been obstructing the bottom teeth from growing properly. Because of that, he tells me he's really surprised I haven't been in excruciating pain over the past few years.

Double-S- · Post by **Double-S-** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:39 am

I had all my wisdom teeth out at once last year. It wasn't fun, but at least I didn't wake up before they were done. Ouch.

However, I did have 3 other teeth removed many years back, and I didn't get put to sleep for that. There was some anesthetic, but it kind of sucked and I felt all the little metal tools poking and scraping around my gums and severing my teeth from their nerves. Bleh.

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 10:52 am

I remember when I was five and I had to go to the dentist to get two of my teeth removed. I don't remember which ones, but it lasted for hours and with like 5 people crowding around me, it was like a friggin' ER, kinda scary too, considering I was five.

Hope the pain goes away soon, Del. Get well soon.
~Neo

Owen Axel · Post by **Owen Axel** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 11:19 am

Quite a story. I've only had one wisdom tooth removed. It was growing sideways instead of up, so they had to slice upon the gums...gum...meat and rip the thing out. I think I can relate to your pain during that brief period when the anasthetic failed. Beyond that, you got me beat by a mile in dental strife.

Post by **G.Silver** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:46 pm

How much did it end up costing?

Brazillian Cara · Post by **Brazillian Cara** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 3:45 pm

It sucks taking a wisdom tooth out. But four at once? Jeez!
You'll get better in no time.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:39 pm

I'll probably need to get my wisdom teethies out next summer. I eagerly anticipate it.

Post by **Delphine** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:09 pm

G.Silver wrote:How much did it end up costing?

A little over a grand. I could just about afford it, but I need to have my car inspected and my car is a piece of shit, so I'm holding onto the money until after the car's taken care of. Then I'll begin the long, sad process of paying my parents back.

Baba O'Reily · Post by **Baba O'Reily** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:11 pm

Paying your parents back sucks.

It's like a bank that you have an emotional attatchment to.

Post by **Delphine** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:15 pm

It's like a bank with no interest, so it works pretty well for me.

Baba O'Reily · Post by **Baba O'Reily** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:31 pm

Delphine wrote:It's like a bank with no interest, so it works pretty well for me.

You'd think so, but you'd be wrong. Your interest comes in when they become old, as you must...
A) Visit them in their retirement homes
B) Put them up in your house

Post by **Segaholic2** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:47 pm

Well, considering how much more your parents have (probably) invested in you financially and otherwise, I think the "interest" isn't that big of a deal, and rather something that should be expected of you as their kid.

Ritz · Post by **Ritz** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 5:50 pm

Well, it's quite a big deal when they start eating your quarters and shitting on the carpet.

Post by **Delphine** » Sat Sep 24, 2005 6:21 pm

Segaholic2 wrote:Well, considering how much more your parents have (probably) invested in you financially and otherwise, I think the "interest" isn't that big of a deal, and rather something that should be expected of you as their kid.

Man, forget all the money involved, these folks changed your <i>diapers</i>. You owe them BIG time.

j-man · Post by **j-man** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:47 am

I just found out I have the gum disease known as gingivitiiiiiis. Apparently I wasn't flossing in the pockets. Silly me.

Also, my dentist informed me that my wisdom tooth is obstructing my second molar, which could cause a cyst that would destroy my jaw irreplaceably. The only solution, apparently, is deadly surgery. I'm a bit worried about the whole general anaesthetic thing...in fact, I'm shitting my pants over it. I've never even been to a hospital before. :(

Post by **Delphine** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:33 am

Oh, the anesthesia is the easy part. They just knock you out with gas or some sort of liquid via injection or IV drip. Maybe they'll give you something to take beforehand to help put you out. As long as you don't wake up before they're finished, (and having spoken to several people on the matter, it seems that has only ever happened to me. Of course.) you'll be fine.

As for the other problem, well, that's why America invented Listerine, you tool. Stop brushing your teeth with salt, old worlder.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:13 am

Actually, from what I understand, you really shouldn't use Listerine if you have gingivitis as it only hurts the problem.

I just got over some gingy a couple of days ago after a trip to the ol' dentist helped to solve the problem. According to Dr Dentist, over the counter mouthwashes generally don't do anything to help treat gingivitis (despite the advertisement) because of the alcohol content, I guess.

Just be easy on the gums when you brush, and of course floss, too.

j-man · Post by **j-man** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:25 am

I do floss, but only in extreme cases, like when you always get that fucking annoying sliver of apple stuck between your two front teeth. Apparently you've got to go right under the gums and hack away like a nutter. I also got some uber-mouthwash from the dentist for treating it and it seems to be helping. The hygienist said it could clear up in under a week.

Still worried about the operation, though. :(

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:49 am

j-man wrote:I also got some uber-mouthwash from the dentist for treating it and it seems to be helping.

Me too. But be careful, that shit can stain your teeth!

j-man · Post by **j-man** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:56 am

Yeah, so she said. Arr, dental hygiene be a double-sided coin.

Omni Hunter · Post by **Omni Hunter** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:47 am

You know, reading this thread just made me brush my teeth again.