I had my wisdom tooth removed today. It was starting to decay*, so I was strongly advised by my dentist to have it removed. I’d put off removing it for 15 years. And now, no longer should it wait.
The entire ordeal lasted an hour.
It started with an application of a numbing gel. Waited for 3 minutes for it to take effect. This is followed by an injection to anaesthesize the area.** 2 injections with a one inch needle. It felt like an ant bite. Followed by another 2 injections of which I am not able to feel now. Waited another 3 minutes for it to fully take action. And the process starts.
My dentist said he was just going to shake it aound a bit, to see if he could shake it off. I knew as soon as he stood up that a simple task it was not going to be. He probably needed to stand up so that he can use more force, and for better leverage. I didn’t feel anything else but pressure. Then he asks for pliers, and his assistant held my head firmly so that he could tug real hard at my tooth without yanking my head from my neck at the same time. Yank, yank, yank! Off it comes! Ok, still no pain.
There was a bit of ‘root’ that had broken off and still embedded inside.*** The little bugger just would not come out. Knock-knock, shake-shake, yank a bit. Shake about some more, and it was still stuck. My dentists reassures me it’s on it’s way out, just a little bit more, and we’ll be done. Still no pain. 20 minutes later (but what felt like 2 hours), and the entire process is finally over! Good thing too. My jaw was starting to feel over-stretched!
2 hours later, before the anesthetic wore off, I popped a painkiller.**** I wasn’t go to wait for the pain to kick in first. 3 hours after that, I was starving but did not dare eat as the new hole in my mouth was still bleeding. I was starting to feel pain. And the painkiller is supposedly meant to last 24 hours. Con job! Take a nap. By the time I woke up, I was ready to eat. Went out for a bite, but it was so frustrating to chew on one side, and so gently, I gave up after awhile. Sigh.
I’ve taken another painkiller. The area still feels a little numb, and definitely a gap where my wisdom tooth used to be. I don’t know yet if there is going to be any pain tomorrow. Sigh, again.
Still hungry, but think I will go to bed soon. That’s one wisdom tooth out, and the one on my left side has started to decay too. So I’ll have to do it all over again! 1 more to go!
Do I brush my teeth?
* See picture, the black yucky bit was the part that had started to decay.
** BLESS! the person who invented anaesthetics.
*** See also same picture, little bit of tooth covered in blood.
**** It is a very strong painkiller, but not a codeine based one, so no ‘high’!