This weekend, a dull pressure I’d noticed since Thursday became more prounounced. One of my bottom wisdom teeth, long known to be impacted, started to pinch something painful. The glands under my chin swelled up. I clearly needed to take action.
Rather than spend my time in France trying to chew around a swollen gum, I’ve made an appointment to get both of my lower wisdom teeth removed. The uppers were taken care of a few years ago. Dental surgery is frightening, but at least I have conversations like this to take my mind off it:
arielmeadow: So, teeth coming out Friday.
Steve: Just losing your wisdom, right?
arielmeadow: Well, I *do* live in LA, after all…
Steve: And not a moment too soon, I’d wager.
arielmeadow: …I’ve been meaning to get that unsightly wisdom removed for months!
Steve: Well, clearly your wisdom was already on furlough when you moved to LA in the first place.
arielmeadow: Excitement: I have absesses on my gum and everything!
Hey there. I'm Ariel Meadow Stallings, a native Seattleite who's written my way up and down the Left Coast. Electrolicious is where I post daily randomata, but I also write for a living. My first book, Offbeat Bride, was published last year.
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dave
May 1st, 2003 at 7:21 am
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth surgically removed at the same time, when I was a senior in high school. We had our spring dance that night, and over the protests of my dear mother, I decided to go, highly medicated and with my face swollen to about 3 times its normal size. Luckily there are no pictures.
The worst part of it all was when the stitches in my gums started to come loose. Nothing like a bunch of thread on the back of your tongue creeping into your throat.
tlc
May 1st, 2003 at 7:56 am
Curious: why go through the pain twice when you could get them all out at the same time? I think only childbirth would be worse than my “dry socket” wisdom teeth experience. Pulling the rags out of the holes, stuffing clean ones back in. Squirting them with that water pick. That was nasty business.
Ariel
May 1st, 2003 at 8:19 am
The removal of the TOP wisdom teeth is way easier than the BOTTOM. Since it was one of my top ones that gave me grief back in 1998, my dentist was able to just take them out himself. You have to go to a dental surgeon to get the bottom ones removed. So, if it had been a bottom wisdom tooth giving me grief four years ago, I would have probably gotten them all taken out, because I would have gone to a surgeon and he would have done them all.
Bottom wizzies are the ones that usually give you the most grief (dry sockets, etc). Getting my top ones taken out was totally a breeze. I’m a little scared about the bottom ones, but I clearly have to take action, cuz the nasty swollen painful gums and glands are a no-go for hanging out in France.
Sincy
May 1st, 2003 at 10:33 am
demeral - be sure to ask for demral or percacete!
That’s what I remember. A demeral and a beer will put your party on fast forward (not recommened - just mentioned).
Ryan
May 1st, 2003 at 11:02 am
My wisdom teeth were taken out in an unconventional manner - left two, then right two. The left ones were easy, the right were more work, but no dental surgeon for me!
A friend had a way worse experience, though. Afterwards. She was just healing up, when her mom went to give her a hug and instead gave her a glancing blow to the chin. Start the pain train again! She was not a happy person after that. Moral: No hugs after teeth pulling unless arms are spread WIDE!
Michael
May 1st, 2003 at 11:26 am
October of last year all 4 scraped and pulled from my jaw.
I had the doc put me out, and was told that I would be groggy and incoherant for at least 3 hours after. But once he was done I got right up, thanked him and just went on my way.
Except for the dry sockets and the pain and the pain everything was OK.
The pain wasn’t that bad.
andy
May 1st, 2003 at 11:43 am
I didn’t find it all that painful: I had all four out at once, under a general anaesthetic. I was in and out in a day. You’re right though, I wouldn’t have even known they’d done my top ones, while the bottom ones were kind of achey for a while, but not too bad. The swilling out with salt-water twice a day was kind of a pain in the ass, but other than that, it was no big deal.
And yes, I deliberately took pictures of myself with the chipmunk face. Fuck knows why.
helenjane
May 1st, 2003 at 2:02 pm
no nacho chips.
i got one caught in my healing wound and o’ pain.
(btw make sure you look inside your bag of drugs, hilary was excited to get a bag of drugs after her wisdomordeal and found her bag to contain 4 extra strength tylenol.)
Tumbleweed
May 1st, 2003 at 6:02 pm
I’m reminded of the old animated Crest commercials with the bad guys chanting, “We make holes in teeth! We make holes in teeth!”
Steve Hecht
May 2nd, 2003 at 4:21 pm
Ariel, only you could dub impacted wisdom teeth “wizzies”. And I’m hurt that you didn’t transcribe “my” pun about absess making the heart grow fonder.
Sakai17
September 6th, 2003 at 3:49 pm
This Morning Sept 6 i just had my wisdom taken out. I had like 10 injections of anthestiea. I could still feel the alot of pressure. The worst was my top wisdom. Even though both my bottoms were infected and impacted. SO much pain been spitting blood for the past 5 hours. Pain is annoying but i took some ibuprofem or what ever that pain killer is called Its ok. Im so hungry i havent ate all day. I forgot to get breakfast Lol so i m so hungryyyyy! Thank god im still numb its been like 5 hours so the Injections if any has some advice for me i would appreciate!
Cheryl
June 25th, 2005 at 4:10 pm
I hear if you’re desperate and have dry socket to use shortening or clove oil on gauze and stuff it in there…just a thought I’m thinking of trying if I need it. I just had a tooth pulled and the hole is so huge. I already have the stuff in case I get dry socket. I’m scared cuz I hear it’s so terrible!!!
tiff
November 15th, 2005 at 2:13 am
umm yes the clove oil does releave pain. but it tastes soooooooooo gross! and it like burns. the dr. said the taste should go away 5 to 10 mins after being put in.. but i can still taste it in any and everything i try to consume! its sick sick sick makes me wanna vomit