Wisdom teeth removal

[chouaibaz]

Hey everyone, I got my two bottom wisdom teeth out this morning and I was wondering how long I should wait until I go back to playing

[chouaibaz]

One more question, how did your playing change after the removal or was it just similar to taking a few days off

[dxdent]

If u received sutures, I would not resume playing until they are either removed or dissolve.....about 6-7 days. Primary closure should be achieved within that 6-7 day time frame. Primary concern is not to disturb the blood clot within the socket. Playing too soon could possibly do that resulting in a painful ‘dry socket’.

[Worth]

As a retired DMD who has taken out loads of wisdom teeth, even if you didn't receive sutures I would still follow dxdent's advice for the exact same reasons he stated. As these teeth are so far back there I would not expect your playing to change whatsoever once healing is complete. Stay on the Ibuprofen a few days, it will be your friend to combat inflammation

[oedipoes]

Had all 4 removed at the same time. (Man that hurt when I woke up...)
After 2 weeks I was fine for playing tuba again, no differences in playing noticeable.

[tbonesullivan]

Some good and even professional advice here. Definitely take it easy. Definitely do EVERYTHING you can to avoid a dry socket.

[MaryAnn]

I had all mine out before I was a brass player, one at a time and drilling on the jaw bone for an hour for one that was impacted. With novocaine; I don't like nitrous oxide and did not want to be knocked out. I don't recommend you do it that way if you are unhappy in the dentist's chair.
Worst problem I had was removal of a lot of tooth for a crown when I was a horn player, 1st molar.....and the after-pain made playing impossible for about three weeks. Tooth lived but I was not sure I was going to.

[Radar]

The Navy did all 4 of mine at once, one impacted so they decided they all had to go. This was almost 40 years ago. I remember the corpsman giving me a prescription for Tylenol with codeine, and telling me that a few shots of JD would work better. They did caution me abou dry socket, and If I remember right it was a week or more before I could play because of the dry socket concerns.

[GC]

My dentist booked a half hour to get all of mine out. Two and a half hours later he said, "we'll stop with one." He was long-experienced oral surgeon, not some noob, but the tooth was turned sideways in the socket and jammed into the next tooth. He had to take the tooth out in pieces. Later he told me I had the hardest tooth material and bone he had ever encountered, and it was the hardest extraction he had ever done. I was so high on laughing gas that I kept laughing at him the whole time. He later had to clip a remaining spike, and of course I had a dry socket.

The other three came out a couple of months later in fifteen minutes. No complications or problems whatsoever.

[Rick Denney]

Mine were sideways and impacted. Removing all four (in about 1980) was a two-day hospital stay and a full anaesthetic. It was a week before I could stop taking the painkiller (an opioid that they probably don't provide any more--Percodan, as I recall). Two weeks minimum before anything like a tuba mouthpiece. But I think I'm out on the tail of that distribution.

Rick "140 stitches" Denney

[Worth]

an opioid that they probably don't provide any more--Percodan, as I recall

Exactly. My daughter had hers done recently and was rx Ibuprofen only by a good friend of mine. Regarding today's opiod crisis, I enjoy (and brew) beer and like a good buzz, but could never understand the attraction of something that causes severe constipation and makes you fall asleep (i.e. opioids)

[Rick Denney]

an opioid that they probably don't provide any more--Percodan, as I recall

Exactly. My daughter had hers done recently and was rx Ibuprofen only by a good friend of mine. Regarding today's opiod crisis, I enjoy (and brew) beer and like a good buzz, but could never understand the attraction of something that causes severe constipation and makes you fall asleep (i.e. opioids)

In the week following that surgery, I sure as heck understood the attraction.

I've taken opioids three times in my life, and that was one. The most recent one was the one (1) pill I took after my cancer surgery in 2018. I wasn't worried about constipation then--the surgeon told me nothing would work for a day for each hour I was under, and that surgery took five hours. Sure enough, five days later--relief. But it wasn't the opioid.

Rick "I know..." Denney

[GC]

There are meds now that relieve opioid constipation specifically, and they're pretty effective. Percodan was oxycodone and aspirin, but there are oxycodone and acetaminophen or oxy and ibuprofen meds out there. But then, they're TOO available in some cases . . .

[MaryAnn]

I'm a fan of kratom, discovered when I had severe sciatic problems. I don't know if it killed the pain very much but it made me care less. Fortunately I solved that mechanical problem myself, eventually. Now.....I will ingest it every once in a while for the mood effects. It is WAY less strong than an opioid, meaning I don't see how it could be addictive, and of course there is a movement afoot to make it illegal just so the pharma companies can patent the alkaloid and get rich off a much stronger and considerably less safe expensive Rx.