I just got back from the oral surgeon. There is bloody gauze in my mouth as I type this.
I only had one tooth pulled, the problem tooth. My dentist said it was the only one that there was a problem with a needed to be pulled. They took a panoramic x-ray of my entire jaw. The cavity on that one wisdom tooth was pretty bad.
The guy was a wizard. He swabbed my gum with some kind of numbing agent and let me sit for a while. He offered me gas, but I refused it. After a few minutes he came back and gave me several injections. The injections didn't even bother me. When he stuck me with the first injection, he wiggled my cheek vigorously. After three or so injections into various spots, he let me sit for a few minutes. Finally he came back, checked to see if I was sufficiently numb. It was show time.
The pulling was lots of pressure and jerking about. He was using various types of gripping tools that I couldn't break out. I heard crunching, and I know that the tooth shatered during the pulling. It took about a minute to get it out. He slowly dug the thing out of my mouth. It seemed like slightly more work than the last teeth I had pulled, but no big deal overall. I'm glad that it is over.
The gave me some pain medicine on the way out. I have presciptions for pain medicine and antibiotics to prevent infection in the wound.
I could probably go back to work tomorrow if I wanted. I think I'll just relax instead.
Pinky said at 2:49 PM 04-01-2004: My dentist is worse than the one in the marathon man. I had 6 teeth pulled before 6th grade so they could hurry up and put braces on and gouge my parents out of 100 dollars a month for 3 years. Now I'm so paranoid I refuse to have my wisdom teeth pulled.
myriam said at 5:40 PM 04-01-2004: I think pulling wisdom teeth is a big scam. No one in my family has ever gotten them pulled and we are perfectly fine with beautiful smiles. Nevertheless, each of my last three dentists has urged that I get mine removed. When I ask them why, they have each given the same answer, word for word: "It's just a good idea. It's recommended. When they grow in they will misalign your teeth." When I point out that all four have been completely grown in for the past 3 years, and the rest of my teeth haven't budged or suffered adverse consequences since, they repeat: "It's just a good idea. You should get them taken out." What gives?!
milky [email] said at 5:47 PM 04-01-2004: Yeah, but it's OK only if they're coming in upward. Mine were sideways and pushing at the root of the bottom teeth.
Mane said at 5:48 PM 04-01-2004: It is a secret international conspiracy to obtain the collected wisdom of all mankind (should I say humankind these days?) via sadism and dentistry
Emmaleigh said at 1:25 AM 04-02-2004: I used to try to get my dentist to pull mine. I was going off insurance soon and asked repeatedly. He always respond with since I use them and they are coming in with no problem, they should stay. I still have them all and have no probs. I guess you just need the right dentist.
craig [email] said at 7:43 PM 04-01-2004: The tooth was crushed in the pulling. I heard it crush. There was a piece of it still in my mouth which I noticed after I got home and removed the gauze for the first time.
