Comments on: Dental Update: Updated!

By: kate217

kate217 — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:33:26 +0000

I’m going so far in my support of you, that even though I was lucky enough to be born without wisdom teeth, I’m having a tooth extracted (and a bone graft to prepare for an implant) on October 17.

I ran face first into a steel door jamb when I was in college and shattered a molar. I’ve since had two root canals in it (apparently I have twisted roots, which I think would be a great name for a band.) ANYWAY, to make a long story longer, it’s been abcessed for ages, and the root is cracked vertically, resulting in bone loss. In order to protect the surrounding teeth, that sucker has to go.

By: Karin

Karin — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:20:00 +0000

Kate, the MAJOR PAIN thing sounds like your tooth was dying. That usually happens when you have a cavity of some sort and the hole goes done to the root. The root slowly disintegrates and that causes about three days of major pain. After the root is dead the tooth isn’t heat or cold sensitive, but the root has to be removed nonetheless (not as painful as the dying process). I’ve had to have this done four times, because my parents “blessed” me with crappy teeth. :-/
But this diagnosis is just a guess – maybe it isn’t that dramatic.

Regarding the wisdom tooth extraction: I had two wisdom teeth that were semi-erupted (lower jaw), but it took about two minutes to remove each one (but I didn’t have them extracted in one session) and there was no pain at all.
The removal of my wisdom teeth in the upper jaw was a total different story: My one wisdom tooth hadn’t broken through my gums, so it had to be surgically removed. I don’t know why, but that was really painful and complicated, so until today I refuse to have the last remaining wisdom tooth removed. The problem is that it’s semi-erupted and crooked. Well, I’ll have to see what my dentist says. *shudder*

Whatever has to be done, I wish you good luck and a fast recovery!

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:09:28 +0000

Kate,

I just wanted to add one more comment because 31 is an odd number. Now that you’re at 32, this comment list feels complete.

Get those fuckers out, anyway.

xxxooo

By: brooke

brooke — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 18:07:14 +0000

I’m with Artemis–I also have a good wisdom teeth story. When I went in for my consultation, I also had no dental insurance. They examined me and said “oh, we’ve been waiting for someone who meets our criteria–no impacted teeth, early 20s, good health–to be our demo patient.” So, they pulled all four of my wisdom teeth for half price, the only caveat being that they trooped in all the members of some dental board to watch. : ) They put me under for the first time ever and it was fine. I basically closed my eyes and when I opened them again, all four teeth were out. Recovery was fine too–no swelling to speak of, minimal pain. Really the worst part was waiting for the numbness to go away.

Also, WRT finances, the office let me do a payment plan. I paid them $100 for 5 months, which was, as I said, half off the regular no-insurance price. Explore thy options!

By: sweetmachine

sweetmachine — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:29:51 +0000

It really was one of the best times I had! I wished that I could have them taken out every week (OK, perhaps I was high).

Artemis, this is hilarious but I think I know where you’re coming from. Last year I had the best annual gyn exam of my life — friendly and amazingly skilled practitioner, absolutely zero discomfort — and I was so happy about it that I wanted to call everyone I knew.

By: kateharding

kateharding — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 17:09:31 +0000

J, yeah, I’m sure. For one thing, I’ve flossed a couple times since it started. Weirdly, brushing my teeth and flossing actually felt sort of therapeutic — though achy — instead of horrid. Secondly, this wasn’t just major pain. This was MAJOR PAIN. (For real, I wouldn’t have even considered calling a dentist if I wasn’t in utter agony. I am way too scared of having them out.) I considered the possibility that I’d cracked a tooth or lost a filling next to the wisdom tooth (there are three in a row that were all hurting), but there was no sensitivity to hot and cold; just massive, massive pressure. Day one felt like I just had my braces tightened. Day two felt like I’d just gotten braces on. Day three felt like I had a steel spike rammed into my gum.

And Day 4… poof. Tenderness, but no more real pain.

Which, as a cycle, is reminiscent of previous wisdom tooth action, as I’ve said. So I’m pretty sure about the self-diagnosis. We’ll see what the oral surgeon has to say.

And seriously, you still have all 4? Damn.

Artemis, thanks!

By: Artemis

Artemis — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:55:14 +0000

Go for the KO! Otherwise you’ll be hearing and feeling horrible grinding (or so I’ve been told). This is another happy wisdom tooth story, in case you needed to stock up. I had all four out in one go a few years back, and I had a fantastic time! They were all impacted, two of them half out, two of them never out. I was knocked out for half an hour with a simple valium IV. It makes most people kind of groggy but it make me really chatty.

I had no pain, no bleeding, the stiches faded away the way they were supposed to, and I could have gone completely drug-free, except that I really enjoyed the prescribed drugs so took them anyway. It really was one of the best times I had! I wished that I could have them taken out every week (OK, perhaps I was high).

Moneywise, if you have any kind of flexible spending account (FSA) and can wait until January, you could put the money aside tax free and save a good chunk. (Or use a health spending account? I don’t know how those work.)

As for Colleen, I think that having no wisdom teeth makes you the next step in human evolution!

Oh, and long-time reader, first-time poster. I absolutely love your blog, thank you for being such a positive force in people’s lives.

By: YourSisterJ

YourSisterJ — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:24:48 +0000

Are you sure it wasn’t just a popcorn husk wedged down into the gum between the last molar and the wisdom tooth? I’ve had that cause major pain, only to be instantly relieved once it works itself out.

FYI, have all four of my wisdom teeth at age 46.

By: kateharding

kateharding — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:19:29 +0000

Naw, Fillyjonk, this was definitely the tooth itself. Like I said, it’s happened before, just never so excruciatingly. Every couple years, one of them moves around, then calms down. Sometimes the non-erupted ones even break the gums a little, but then it heals over. This time, the random shifting apparently involved the tooth driving itself directly into a nerve for three days. That’s the only thing I can figure.

By: Fillyjonk

Fillyjonk — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:16:03 +0000

Sinus infection? I always get toothaches when I have a sinus infection.