I was about 17 the first time my dentist told me I needed to think about getting my wisdom teeth pulled. I was sitting in the chair at my pediatric dentist's office, playing on my phone, and probably thinking about the latest drama among my high school friends.
My dentist told me that my X-rays weren't great — they showed my wisdom teeth growing in incorrectly. This meant that they'd probably become impacted. Unfortunately, this meant they could become infected and cause me a lot of future problems.
Since I was a teenager, though, I didn't really listen to my dentist. After all, I was busy. How could I possibly find time to get my wisdom teeth removed? I had to worry about seeing all my friends before going off to college — I couldn't waste a weekend drugged up and out of commission.
Fast-forward a few years. I was in college, and again impossibly busy. I knew it was important to get my wisdom teeth removed, but they were growing in and they weren't hurting me, so why bother? I figured I had plenty of time. (Famous last words, right?)
This brings us to last December. Out of nowhere, the left side of my jaw started hurting. My upper wisdom tooth had grown in a lot, and it didn't seem to be an issue. The bottom wisdom tooth, on the other hand, was… problematic. Within a week of when I first noticed the pain, it became painful to eat on the left side of my mouth. It wasn't excruciating, but it was annoying enough that I knew I needed to do something.
I made an appointment with my dentist, even though I knew what he would say: time for the wisdom teeth to go. Later that week, I walked back into the office for the extraction.
December 2017: Round 1
Although I wasn't looking forward to getting my wisdom teeth removed, I assumed it probably wouldn't be that bad. I've gotten teeth pulled before, so I figured it would feel similar.
I was wrong.
The Extraction
While the Novocain set in, my oral surgeon explained the procedure to me. Most of what she told me was old news, but I was legitimately shocked when she said there was a chance I could lose feeling in half my face. For good.
Known as paresthesia, this phenomenon occurs when the wisdom tooth is entrapped in the jawbone and sits close to the nerve. If the nerve is damaged during the extraction, it can lead to numbness of the chin, lip, cheek, or tongue — and although it can last for just a few days, it can also be permanent.
Needless to say, I was terrified of permanent nerve damage, but I signed off on the paperwork and hoped for the best.
The oral surgeon began with my top wisdom tooth. After wiggling it just a little, it popped out with no problem.
When she moved to my bottom tooth, the trouble began. She struggled to get a good grip on the tooth, and when she finally did, it hurt — a lot. I legitimately thought the oral surgeon might break my jaw. It took her about five minutes to get the tooth out, and I definitely yelled in pain more than once (sorry to any kids who heard me and were traumatized forever).
Finally, it was over.
Recovery
I took an Uber home from the procedure (thanks, NYC) and immediately curled up on my couch. Although my mouth was still numb from the Novocain, I could tell I was starting to get swollen.
My oral surgeon told me to start icing right away, so that's what I did.
As the numbing wore off, I started to feel the pain. The throbbing and aching finally set in before I went to bed, and it was pretty rough. Even with my prescription painkillers, I still had trouble sleeping.
The recovery process wasn't exactly easy, but I survived. During the first week, I was so concerned about the pain that I went back to the dentist. He told me everything looked fine, but that I still had a hole in my mouth where food and bacteria could get trapped. He gave me a curved syringe to shoot salt water into the wounds to help them heal.
It took about two weeks for the pain to wear off entirely.
August 2018: Round 2
Once I recovered from my left-side surgery, I knew I should get the right side scheduled soon. Unfortunately, I lost dental insurance for about four months during that time period, so I had to put my next surgery on hold.
Luckily, my teeth didn't start hurting again until a few weeks before my new coverage kicked in. As soon as I had insurance again, I made my appointment.
The second time around, I wasn't nervous, but I was definitely dreading it. I knew how painful the first time was, so I knew what I was getting myself into.
Despite not feeling nervous, I had an overwhelming sense of doom about the entire situation.
I told my oral surgeon (a different one than the time before) how the previous surgery went, and he told me he'd do what he could to make this time easier.
Extraction
Once again, my top tooth came out easily. Because I'd told the dentist my concerns about my bottom tooth, he drilled a groove into the side of my tooth to make it easier to grip.
When he first started tugging on my tooth, I felt some sharp pain. My dentist stopped what he was doing, numbed me more, and then continued. Luckily, the tooth came out without nearly as much pressure as the first time.
Recovery
Although the surgery itself was easier the second time around, the recovery felt a bit worse. I started feeling pain much faster after the surgery, and it was more severe than the first time around.
Even with a lot of ice and painkillers, I struggled.
Again, I was worried about how well I was healing, so I went back to the dentist for a checkup. Again, everything was healing properly (and I was freaking out for no reason).
It took about three weeks for me to be pain-free this time around, but I am now happily living without any wisdom teeth!
Tips and Advice
My first tip is to listen to your dentist. If you're told to get your wisdom teeth removed when you're young, do it! Chances are it'll hurt less, and recovery will be easier.
Second, make sure you know your options. Some people do this procedure with just localized numbing, which is what I did, while others get completely put under with anesthesia. Talk to your dentist about which option is better for you.
Third, bring a stress ball if you're going to be awake! I brought a LittleThings stress ball with me on a whim, and it ended up helping a lot. It's nice to have something to squeeze when you feel pain or pressure, and it's a good distraction if you're nervous.
Have you gotten your wisdom teeth extracted? Make sure to share this article with a friend!
