h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have had lots of teeth out under local (including my top two back teeth who's roots can seriously rival wisdom teeth). I have also had two wisdom teeth out under general.

Why?

My top two wisdom teeth were above my top two back teeth so they decided to take those two out instead leaving me to use the wisdom teeth as normal teeth. That was fine, all under local, didn't hurt as much as some of the teeth I've had taken out did, but it did feel like my eye balls were being sucked out through the inside. Recovery time was quite quick, no lasting problems except that my wisdom teeeth didnt come down as far as they thought and so I now don;t have usable back teeth.

My bottom two wisdom teeth were another matter. The dentist said they couldnt be taken out under local because there wasnt enough room at the back of my jaw to do it easily, but because I too am asthmatic I had to go to hospital for a general. Problem. I am terrified of hospitals and Doctors and Nurses and anything related. Fortunately lovely mother at the time member through work of private health insurance so I got to go straight away to a clean hospital rather than waiting three years to go to a dirty one which was almost guarenteed to clash with my uni finals. Hospital was terribly clean etc. but me still terrified. I begged to be allowedt to go home that night, quite pathetic, but I was just in a constant state of panic in hospital. The inute we got anout of the car park i felt a million times better, then I went home and ate loads of fish fingers. Took forever to heal up afterwards, bruising and everything. Four years on I STILL have scars INSIDE my mouth, which normally heals very quickly. I think part of that might have been because I was so terrified. The worst thing though is that they did something to the ligaments which hold my jaw together, I think they over strained, my mouth is tiny, which is why I've had so many teeth out and I dont think they really took that into account. They are now very weak, I cant eat toffee or large boiled sweets or crunch stuff and I have to be very careful not to yawn too quickly of grind my teeth or move my jaw sideways. If I do it locks up. COmpletley. It once did it in McDonalds. COuldnt eat. There have been two occasions when I havent been able to shut my mouth for severak weeks and it feels like there is a pencil shoved through the socket. Still, it seems to be gradually improving, my dentist said it's just like spraining an ankle badly, you always have to be carefull but it will gradually get better.

I think I was quite lucky though, a lady I knew at college had complications involving some of the nerves to her tongue and can no longer taste chocolate.

I hope others have had better experiences.

FABT

Wow, it sounds like everyone had a bad experience.

I'd like to share mine. The extraction itself wasn't a problem, it was what forced me to have the extraction in the first place that was the problem.

I was having chronic sinus infections, which no one could figure out a cause for. It turned out that the gums around my wisdom teeth (left side) did not fit snuggly against the teeth, and the pockets became a breeding ground for bacteria, which was causing the infections.

I was taken to the dental surgeon, who asked if I wanted local or general anesthetic. I wanted local, and was glad that I had made that choice. (I just don't like being completely out.)

There was no pain involved, and I sure didn't feel the "eye-sucking" that others have mentioned. But halfway into the proceedure, I heard a sickening crack. My tooth had broken in two pieces.

After the surgeon had pulled both pieces out, I noticed that everyone in the office looked quite concerned. The area was bleeding, and the blood was a sickening, dark color, almost black. And the blood refused to clot. The dentist considered calling an ambulance to take me to the hospital, but the blood began to slow. After the extraction and a few days of recovery, I was back to normal (I was eating solid food within 48 hours, I think). Upon discussing the whole thing with my doctor, I was told that the complications during the proceedure were probably caused by the infection.

And, as a side note, the infections haven't returned. Despite the problems, I'm glad I had it done.

Strange, I can't follow the problems at all..

I had two wisdom teeth out in two separate Ops last year, both with local anesthetic. For one I had to sign a paper saying that I understood there could be complications (including a broken jaw!), apparently that one was quite complicated.
But, it didn't bother me at all, no pain, no problems. Was eating again by the next day. I seem to be good at healing, the dentists were amazed that it healed so fast..

I just saw it all as a nice 3 days off work...

C.

While I do sympathize with the pain involved, really I do, I had all four wisdom teeth out at once under local anasthetic and it wasn't a problem at all.

Thing is, all four teeth were completely through, so perhaps it was easier to, I dunno, get a grip or something (fact, the only reason I had them out was the fact they were starting to grow into my cheeck again, which, I have to say, did hurt). No eye sucking, just some tugging, a day or so at home being pampered with chicken soup and what have you, everything healed up fine.

Funny thing previous to this I had the same problem as you FABT with my jaw locking up (read dislocation IMO) if I opened it funny. All the tugging, however must have realigned it somehow cos I've never had it since. So wisdom teeth removed and chronic jaw problem solved all in one go. I love my dentist even if he does insist on filling my teeth without anasthetic.

On the other hand, all the people I know who had it done under a general anasthetic have had huge problems. No restraints on those dentists at all!!! One friend got her ligaments (or whatever) trapped and went around with a swollen, painful and creaking jaw for three years before the doctor put her out of her missery and prescribed some anti swelling drugs which indeed reduced the swelling to the point where everything went back into place. Good thing too, apparently the next step was major sergery with no guarentee of sucess.

So my vote: local good, general bad...

Thanks for all the stories, I may need another one out, so its great to hear how other people coped. Apparently, that one is also growing at a right angle into my other teeth!

The locking jaw thing sounds awful, hope that keeps getting better.