Wisdom Tooth :-(

[MaryMacK]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anybody had any problems with wisdom tooth or experiences getting it pulled.

I have the lower two wisdom teeth and my left one started to hurt a lot last weekend. It hurts to play and seems like it's getting worse. My jaw is starting to hurt now (feels like I got punched in the jaw or something) and the very back of my cheek is soar from that wisdom tooth. I'm thinking about getting it pulled but I have a lot of important gigs coming up in and can't afford to take time off from playing. I'm thinking that I'll either have to do it NOW before it get worse, or wait till June and hope that it'll heal itself somewhat before it gets worse.

I've heard that some people can go back to playing the next day but I've also heard people being forced to take 2 weeks off. What are your experiences with wisdom tooth?

[Chuck(G)]

It's just a part of growing into an adult body. Later on in life, you'll be shocked to discover that instead of having too many teeth in your head, you have too few.

If you don't do anything, you'll likely look like a chipmunk within a short time. Then you won't be able to play until the infection can be brought under control and teeth extracted.

Don't put it off. Get it done. Depending on how much work is done, you could be back playing within a week.

[lgb&dtuba]

I had both my lower ones surgically removed. I couldn't play for several weeks. You have to watch out for something called "dry socket". Playing and blowing out the clot can cause that. It's a bad thing.

That said, if you're in pain now you'd better not wait to have the work done. If your teeth have abcessed, and from what you're describing they may have, you need to get that taken care of asap. If you don't you could be in for much worse problems and out of work even longer. Complications you don't need.

Be smart. Get the teeth looked at now, tell your dentist your concerns and follow his advice. He may want to put you on antibiotics and clear up any infections before pulling the teeth anyway. If so you may be able to schedule the dental work around your playing.

Good luck.

[GC]

Have an oral surgeon do it, and do it under anesthesia, if you can. Don't try to be macho and do it awake if there's any sign of problems or complications.

The dry socket thing is a bother, but it passes. Like any surgery, there's a reasonable recovery time. If you don't take care of yourself during recovery, it takes longer.

[iiipopes]

Oh, (fill in your choice of numerous colorful expletives) yes!

Not only were all four of my wisdom teeth impacted, but two of my 12th year molars as well, and everything was so screwed up that eventually another molar had to come out as well from mis alignment and cracking when chewing.

The oral surgeon wouldn't do it all at once. He would only do one side at a time, and even then the roots curved around my main jaw nerve, so they had to be crunched and taken out one piece at a time to stay away from the nerve, which took twice as long as it should have, and I was at the limit as to how far I could stay under with IV valium. I actually woke up in the middle, fortunately with the jaw full of novocane or such as well, and held the X-rays as he would check periodically on the condition of my jaw bone. The sound of crunching those teeth in such proximity to my ear sounded like concrete being broken up with a sledge hammer.

And then the dry sockets and (more colorful multiple expletives in description) pain for a long, long time.

The last chip finally worked itself out of my gums a couple of years later.

The good news: marginal increase of the capacity of my oral cavity, making the low register on my tuba better. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. (yeah, right...)

Oh, yeah -- I hope you have a better experience than I did!

[Chuck(G)]

Have an oral surgeon do it, and do it under anesthesia, if you can. Don't try to be macho and do it awake if there's any sign of problems or complications.

Great advice--assuming you mean "general" anesthesia. I went the local route and got to hear the dentist (another mistake) cursing quietly as he tried to pry my impacted teeth free from my jaw. Imagine my joy when he said "See you next week so we can get the other side."

[Rick Denney]

I was wondering if anybody had any problems with wisdom tooth or experiences getting it pulled.

Everyone will have their own stories, and they vary from relatively quick office-visit surgery to a hospital stay. it depends on how they come in. Mine came in sideways under my other teeth, and removing them required a three-day hospital stay, 128 stitches in my mouth, and a month-long recovery. Most do better. But only your dentist can tell you how bad it is. Deal with it; for sure it will only get worse.

A couple of months after having it done, the only residual effect was an entertaining story I could tell about needing to pee after waking up from surgery. The sooner you start the sooner it's done.

Rick "who hasn't had as much painkiller in total in the 29 years since then" Denney

[iiipopes]

Not everyone ends up with a terrible horror story about getting wisdom teeth taken out. But make sure you have a specialist remove them so you get someone with experience in this area.

Indeed. I had the best oral surgeon in this area whose name is synonymous with providing the absolute best care humanly possible. With my complications, which were of my own teeth, I would hate to think what my situation may have turned out like otherwise with any lesser skilled surgeon.

BTW: now twenty years later, no complaints, no worries, no jaw tingling, nothing else of a negative nature.

[tbn.al]

I've had 3 out 4 out and could play after 2 days on 2. The third one was a bear. That took about 2 weeks. It just depends. Later I messed around and let a molar get abcessed because I though I was too busy to go in. DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN! You will be sorry, very, very sorry.

[dtemp]

Not everyone ends up with a terrible horror story about getting wisdom teeth taken out. But make sure you have a specialist remove them so you get someone with experience in this area.

True. I was the biggest baby about getting mine out. I put it off far too long. Everything went fine, and I was back playing after a week. I could've started earlier, but did not have any gigs upcoming.

[Tubaguy56]

I had all 4 of mine pulled and was playing two days later. The oral surgeon told me to wait a week or two, and she was completely correct, that was the most painful concert of my life!

Ultimately I was fine, but don't chance it, leave time....

[LoyalTubist]

I have a wisdom tooth horror story:

I was 19 years old when I went to the dentist's office to get all four wisdom teeth pulled in one sitting. I had it done about two days before Christmas.

The oral surgeon used sodium pentothal and I was out in no time. But he didn't use enough. About 45 minutes into the surgery, I awakened. When I jumped my unhinged jaw broke and, after I was put back to sleep, the teeth were extracted, and my mouth had to be wired shut for about three weeks. In four weeks after that, I had a scholarship audition at school.

[MaryMacK]

Hahahaha, I love LoyalTubist's horror story, that is halarious!!!

But all jokes aside, seems like there is no simple solution to my wisdom tooth problem. Lucky for me or unlucky, depending on how you look at it, I've been blessed with gigs lately and I don't want turn down or show up to those good quality gigs sounding like sh*t. Who knows, it might take me a day to recover but I can't afford to take a risk like getting my wisdom tooth pulled and being out for 2 weeks.

I'll go see a dentist this weekend and see if he can help me without messing with my wisdom tooth. I'm hoping that there is some kind of pill that will fix it right up

[Mitch]

I am not a dentist, but my wife is.

What you describe does sound like a developing abcess. Maybe not, but sounds like it. As was mentioned, if an abcess is present you'll receive nothing but an antibiotic, which should help resolve the discomfort if no other factors are present. But don't wait. A few years back the US Surgeon General released a report on oral health and its relationship to overall health. Some researchers believe that some forms of cardiac disease may have their origins in bacteria that find their way into the body through the mouth, i.e., poor or neglected oral hygiene.

I had all four wisdom teeth taken out at the same time. Uppers came out because the lowers were coming out. Lowers were so impacted they actually had taken a downward position. I had virtually no swelling afterward, and felt absolutely fine the next day (and no bruising at all).

If yours have to come out, do your homework and find an oral surgeon with a stellar reputation. It's worth the effort.

[LoyalTubist]

Hahahaha, I love LoyalTubist's horror story, that is halarious!!!

Joke???? I still have bone pain after twenty years! It was a minor break but it was still a break and it healed very quickly, in time for me to practice for my audition. Yes, I did get a scholarship...

[Leland]

The sound of crunching those teeth in such proximity to my ear sounded like concrete being broken up with a sledge hammer.

I remember hearing that during my own procedure! I was knocked the heck out, but started to come around a bit partway through, just in time to feel some tugging and hear a "BANG". I was still very loopy, so I only thought, "Wow, that must have been my tooth exploding... cooool...", and I went back to sleep.

Rick "who hasn't had as much painkiller in total in the 29 years since then" Denney

Same here, but I learned how people could get addicted to the stuff.

My own story went as well as anyone could reasonably expect. My top two teeth were crowded but straight, but my bottom two were impacted, pointed straight forwards (imagine a gunslinger with two pistols -- they were just like that) and damaging the neighboring molars. My dentist referred me to an oral surgeon who had also taken out his son's wisdom teeth and had done a great job. I sat down, the assistant hooked me up to a bag of whatever and said that I'd soon feel drowsy, after which I spoke maybe one or two coherent sentences before I was gone ("out like a light" is accurate).

I woke up some hours later, my mom drove me home, and I spent the weekend eating soft food, brownies, and a lot more pain medication.

I did everything that the surgeon told me to do. I stayed off the horn completely for the following week, and only started trying to play with ZERO influence from pain medicine. Pain medicine does not prevent injury, it only masks what you can feel -- and if my sockets were to begin splitting open again, I wanted to feel every little bit of discomfort. My first tentative notes were in a concert nine days after the surgery, and I felt comfortable about playing after another week or two.

My advice: DON'T RUSH ANYTHING. When it comes to stuff like this, a couple weeks off the horn is nothing when compared to the possible self-inflicted complications that can last for years. Schedule the surgery for when you can afford to take the time off.

[brianggilbert]

I'm scheduled to get my top left out on Monday morning. There's a little discomfort and swelling now, but it's not too bad. The tooth apparently is not impacted, and the surgeon said that a general isn't necessary - just lots of novocane will do it nicely.

My two bottoms could be problematic if and when they have to come out. The roots reach close to the lower jaw nerve and the jawbone, so it's about 50/50 that something bad might happen if he has to go and get them later on.

Luckily - no gigs for the next two weeks anyway:-)

[Mojo workin']

The oral surgeon wouldn't do it all at once. He would only do one side at a time, and even then the roots curved around my main jaw nerve, so they had to be crunched and taken out one piece at a time to stay away from the nerve, which took twice as long as it should have, The sound of crunching those teeth in such proximity to my ear sounded like concrete being broken up with a sledge hammer.

Almost my exact same experience. My orthodontist was not subtle in crushing the teeth, by leaning on the crushing tool with a lot of his body weight until the tooth cracked.

But the worst part-the pain of your breath rushing over the open, unhealed sockets just after the novacaine wears off. Ask for perkasette or stronger.

[theanalogkid]

I had five of my wisdom teeth pulled. Yes, five! I've got the sixth one up in there still, but at the time it wasn't close enough to mess with. Side fact, some people can have up to 8 wisdom teeth!

Anyway, I had the 5 pulled, and waited a couple weeks to play as per the doctors orders. Playing was fine after though. Something to make note of to your oral surgeon during the consultation. Make sure you tell him you're a brass/tuba player. There's a nerve that runs to the lips right near where the wisdom teeth can root, and if he's not careful, he can nick that nerve and that's that. For any average joe, it wouldn't be a be big deal, just some numbness in the lips, that's why they don't really mention it. But obviously it's a BIG deal for us.

I don't want to startle you or anyone else having wisdom teeth removal surgery, but this is a real concern. I can remember coming out of the anesthesia and the first thing I asked was if the nerve was ok. When he said yes, the craziness that anesthesia causes set in and I started crying my eyes out - haha!