I lost a little bit of wisdom today – well actually, a great chunk of wisdom was extracted from my jaw!
I have had an achy right side of my jaw/face off and on for weeks and I was expecting the worst. I thought I was going to the dentist to be told I needed fillings at best, another root canal at worst, but instead I came home minus one wisdom tooth! You may think that sounds horrible but I was in fact really pleased! It was quick, easy and painless and my new dentist is lovely. My ear is still a bit numb, so I imagine I will be a bit sore when the anaesthetic wears off completely but in my books this was much better than a filling!
I don’t mind the pain part of the dentist. I have the world’s most rotten teeth so I have had a lot of work done and I have never been hurt or traumatised by the dentist in regards to pain, but I still don’t like going. The problem is, I can’t breath through my nose. Not only do I have to work really hard to concentrate and make myself breath through my nose, but I don’t feel like I get enough oxygen through my nose, I feel like I am drowning. So to have my mouth full of instruments and have all manner of gunk running down the back of my throat while I try to breathe… well lets just say it is not fun. To be able to have the offending tooth extracted, quickly and easily was just awesome!
It wasn’t needed anyway as it had no matching partner up the top to bite against, since that one was taken out a few years ago as well. Not having a ‘bite partner’ had allowed the pesky rascal to ‘over erupt’ (are you digging all my dentisting terms?) and go wonky (ok so that is not a very technical term) and cause a bit of ‘referred pain’ plus it had the beginnings of decay. So out it came. Combined with a full head x-ray, total consultation and extraction in less than 30 minutes. Have I already said I love my new dentist?
So I am a little less wise but a lot more fun!
ah yucko-I had mine out a few years ago-it’s such a relief once they’re gone and the pain stops tho!And i found the thing about breathing through your nose interesting-i also hate the dentist for another reason beside the discomfort of dental proceedures- I cant open my mouth wide without it absolutely killing-dentist always complain but I just cant!! hate it hate it!
coudn’t agree with you more – I love my dentist too.
My mother never took us as children, the first time I stepped into a dentist EVER I was 27. August 2005, while we were on holidays, I had an absyss in one of my wisdom tooth. I’d been refusing to get it looked at because of this inane fear of the dentist I’d developed, largely due to having never been taken as a child. The absyss turned into Trismus (lock jaw) that we tried for a month to clear up with various antibiotics, just so they could get in there to remove the tooth. No antibiotic worked, in the end we just had to get in there as best we could.
I lived on soup, toast and macca’s french fries as it was all I could fit between my teeth while my jaw wouldn’t open. One of the most painful things ever – a few times a day it would “spasm” and try to open, but as it couldn’t, the pain was intense and most times it did that I wound up in tears.
Anyway, since then, I have had 4 wisdom teeth and 2 molars (that had rotted as well because the wisdom teeth had been left there so long) removed (1 when I was pregnant with Brodie), all in surgery, 3 fillings and one root canal (still waiting the cap). I would marry my dentist if I could – despite the fact that he and his assistant always start the most interesting conversation, right when I can’t talk and participate! You go in with pain, and come out fixed (or as good as)
I’d also add that people cringe when you say you have had wisdom teeth out in surgery, but I have seen many people get them out in hospital, and the pain is worse, longer, recovery time is longer, and except for the one that was ultra infected they have all been relatively pain free in the surgery.
De-lurking here to challenge you on the worst teeth in the world. I believe that particular gold medal is mine. I’ve inherited a tendency to abcesses from my mum along with thin enamel. So far I’ve had 12 root canals all because of abcess, 7 teeth removed and the rest are each about 95% filling except five in front in the bottom jaw, they seem to have escaped the curse.I can’t afford caps so I’m getting around with badly shaped and discoloured teeth. Doesn’t stop me from laughing at your stories though.
yuk .. i hope you are feeling better .. I had 5 teeth out in quick succession (4 wisdom teeth under a general and another molar rotted from impaction against the wisdom tooth about a month afterwards) Must admit all my throat infections have dissappeared since then!
I still think you are wise beyond your years ;)