Keep your smile bright

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We’re all adults here. Be truthful and think about when was the last time you’ve been to the dentist. Up until about 1 year ago, I haven’t step foot inside a dentist office since I had my braces removed about 15 years ago. The fear of sitting in that chair is really something I never wanted to experience again. However, in late 2022, I made a commitment to focus on scheduling routine doctor visits, dental visits, eye visits, etc. because I have procrastinated long enough and I need to take advantage of my health insurance benefits. So if you haven’t gone to make any appointments, do not be ashamed just go ahead and get it scheduled.

My X-Ray

Now that I’ve been back to a regular dentist and have gone through deep cleanings and maintenance it’s clear that I needed to get my wisdom teeth removed before I experienced teeth crowding or cavities. Here is an x-ray of my teeth and you can see that one wisdom tooth is literally growing sideways. In theory, I could have asked to just take one out but if I eventually needed to get the others removed then I might as well do it in one shot.

The entire surgery from the numbing to getting all 4 wisdom teeth out probably took between 45 mins to 1 hour. My oral surgeon was definitely having a hard time taking out my bottom teeth which were impacted but luckily it’s done and over with. Throughout the procedure I used my beats headphones to tune out a little bit of the sound, but trust me the pressure from them scraping and puling your teeth will have you moving all in your seat. My dental assistant handed me a stress ball so I could squeeze it and I squeezed the heck out of that thing lol. Oh if you didn’t guess it already, I was awake throughout the whole thing with just local numbing and anesthesia.

Right after surgery, I went home with gauze pads in my mouth to soak up the blood. My dental office gave me a bunch of instructions to follow, some ice packs and gauze pads, and prescribed me pain medication and antibiotics that I needed to pick up at the pharmacy.

Do not underestimate how you’re going to be feeling after this surgery because everything seems fine but after 1 hour I was feeling nauseous from the amount of blood that was coming out of my mouth. I was changing my gauze pads every 20-30 mins all the way until the next morning. The only thing I was able to eat on Day 1 was an Oikos greek yogurt and Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup. I barely could open my mouth but I couldn’t take the medication without food. I also have only been drinking water so I can stay hydrated.

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As I write this post I am currently on Day 3 and the left side of my tongue is still numb but the blood has stopped and I can open up my mouth a little bit wider to at least speak. I am thankful that at least my cheeks didn’t swell up like most people. I still have 3-4 days worth of medication to go through so I’m just hoping the numbness can go away and this nauseous feeling can subside so I can have at least one good day of rest. It’s MLK on Monday so I’m looking forward to a 3-day weekend of relaxation.

I’ll check back in with you guys in a couple of days to let you know how my recovery process has been going. Wish me luck!

I will end this post with some quick DOs and DON’Ts if you plan on getting wisdom teeth surgery:

DOs

  • Schedule a couple days off from work

  • Buy reusable ice packs to control swelling

  • Purchase extra gauze pads to control bleeding on Day 1 and 2

  • Use a soft bristle brush starting on Day 2

  • Pick up your medication/antibiotics right after your surgery and use as instructed

  • Stock up on quick soft foods (Mac & cheese,mashed potatoes, yogurt, ice cream, soup, etc.)

DON’Ts

  • Avoid using straws

  • No drinking or smoking

  • Avoid the gym for a week

  • No rinsing your mouth on Day 1

  • Avoid eating hot or spicy food