Getting Wisdom Teeth Pulled

"Some tortures are physical and some are mental. But the one that is both is dental." This is just a line from Odgen Nash' hilarious poem, 'This is going to hurt just a little bit'. I think, he summed up everything that goes on while sitting in the dentist's chair for teeth extraction in this poem. Nothing can extinguish an ache as throbbing as toothache.

Those who have yet to experience such an ordeal or who have gone through this pain long time ago, may think I am exaggerating. But then let them think so. Those brethren who have been to hell due to pangs of pain in their mouth, may read on.

Getting wisdom teeth pulled is not a matter of joke, to say the least. Everyone knows how important wisdom teeth are to us. One gets wisdom teeth only after reaching the age of 17 or more and you are supposed to obtain wisdom on reaching adulthood, hence the name.

These teeth are late bloomers and they sometimes try to crop up even when there isn't enough room for them in the jaw. As a result, there is a good chance that these could become impacted. By impacted, I mean that they can deviate from their normal positions or become slanted, causing hindrance in their functions of grinding food.

In such scenarios, your dentist may suggest you to opt for a wisdom teeth removal procedure. Apart from impacted wisdom teeth, one of the most whined over complain is of an infected tooth or tooth decay.

Well, years of torture on the teeth and gums in the form of hot and cold beverages along with other confectioneries with which we fill up our mouth, are enough to send the tooth under the drill of the dentist.

So the infected tooth or chipped tooth can become unbearably painful if it is not taken care of at the right moment. As most of us procrastinate getting treated on time, it often leads to getting the wisdom tooth pulled out of its socket in order to rescue us from the sharp wincing pain.

For wisdom teeth removal, first you must do the most obvious but dreaded task, that is, going to the dentist. After looking at your teeth, the dentist would determine whether you would require wisdom tooth extraction or not.

If not, he would definitely recommend alternative options. Or if you are doomed and definitely getting your tooth pulled, then here's what is going to happen to you.

In case, there is a serious case of impacted wisdom teeth, you will be put to sleep, I mean, through anesthesia. For minor dental surgeries, they use local anesthesia (I guess, they want the victims to suffer and watch the drilling, boring, digging, cutting and carving in their teeth).

Once the affected part is numb, the dentist would begin his activities which you have to bear in silence and of course, with your mouth wide open. After extracting the infected or impacted teeth, he would sew the open wound up with biodegradable stitches and place a cotton swab to prevent bleeding.

It would approximately take him around 40 mins to be done with you. Then, when you think you can take a deep breath, he would smile and say, "see, did it hurt?" And all you can respond with would be a painful smile and mouth a thank you to him.

The answer is, of course it hurts, you just don't feel it due to the effects of anesthetics. But once it starts to wear off, all hell breaks loose on you and you are alone in this wretched pain. All those who say otherwise, are lying through their teeth or are advertising for a dental clinic. There are some dos and don'ts which one is supposed to follow and will help ease up the pain.

• If bleeding or swelling appears after getting wisdom teeth removed, you can apply an ice pack for swelling and a cotton gauze for stopping the bleeding.
• If pain persists, take the painkillers recommended by your doctor.

• Be careful about what you eat as you do not want a revisit to the dentist due to tearing of the stitches. Take light meals, stick to liquid diets for some days and gradually increase your solid food intake.
• Avoid smoking at all costs.

Well, here is a list of food which are advocated by dentists which will not aggravate your wisdom tooth pain.

• Ice cream
• Frozen yogurt
• Cold apple sauce
• Mashed potatoes

• Cold tomato soup
• Non-frozen yogurt
• Cold pudding
• Jell-O
• Puddings
• Scrambled eggs
• Tofu

• Wisdom teeth removal is not an extensive surgery. However, the chances of dry socket formation is still high. A dry socket happens when the blood clot (which is essential for healing) doesn't develop in the socket or if the blood clot in socket disappears.

• Dry socket can lead to a lot of pain in the tooth and even foul odor in the mouth. It mainly occurs in the cases of impacted teeth.

• Another risk is numbness which can happen to anyone due to nerve damage especially if something goes wrong with the procedure. This condition is called paresthesia in which parts of mouth or even chin go numb as a result of nerve damage.

That's why wisdom tooth removal is advised at a young age as it is relatively easier to extract the tooth in young people compared to people who are above 25 or so.

• There can also be some damage to the dental devices or work which are already present in the patient's mouth like crown or the roots of other teeth.

• Another rare complication which can arise from such an extraction is a condition called trismus, where the patient finds it difficult to open his mouth. This leads to problems while eating, talking and brushing teeth as the jaw seems quite stiff.
• Wisdom tooth extraction also causes bleeding which continues for at least a day.

Besides pain associated with the wisdom teeth removal, there is another pain which you have to bear, that is, the pain of shelling out your hard-earned money. It can cost anything between $300 to $1000, depending the severity of the surgical procedure.

After getting your tooth extracted and paying the dentist's bill, you would be relieved as the painful botheration is gone from your life. Like every other guy who had his teeth extracted, you would vow to ensure dental care from now on.

But as time passes by, this vow would be long forgotten until the pangs of pain strikes back at your teeth. Then again, you would drag your feet for going to the dentist. And thus, the vicious circle is what you would get.