Anyone had their wisdom teeth pulled?

[Echos]

I just got all four of mine extracted on Wednesday and they still really hurt and make it impossible to chew. How long does the pain and swelling usually last and when can you start eating real food again?

[Harroway]

I had five wisdom teeth when I had mine removed, but mine hadn't come through the gum line yet. I had no pain or swelling whatsoever, so I can't exactly tell you about my experience and have it be relevant. However, several of my friends from high school had theirs removed around the same time I did, and one friend said her swelling went down after a couple of days, but chewing solid food it difficult for the first week or so. I would recommend squishy foods like cream of wheat, pudding, soups and anything that can easily melt.

*hugs Echos*

[Sushidragon]

I had all four of mine taken out a couple of years ago, and they'd be hurting so much before I got them out that the pain afterwards was actually a relief XD Strapping ice packs to my face for however long the dentist told me to helped with the pain and swelling and I was eating normal foods again within a few days. If the pain is getting worse instead of better, or not really changing at all, you might want to go back to the dentist to make sure you don't have dry socket or something like that. I hope you get feeling better soon, it's miserable not being able to eat what you want ;_;

[Raenia]

I got all four out last year, and while the pain went away in a few days, it took a good week or so for all the swelling to go down. I kind of worked my way up to less squishy foods as I went along. Lots of pudding and soup for the first few days

[Echos]

If the pain is getting worse instead of better, or not really changing at all, you might want to go back to the dentist to make sure you don't have dry socket or something like that.

Thanks, they didn't really give me much information when I left, just bunch of gauze and prescriptions. The pain on one side is still really bad but the other side has settled down to a dull ache when I'm off the meds. If the pain doesn't start to lessen in the next three or four days I'll head back and get them to see if some thing's wrong.

Also is it normal to have a funky, sort of sour taste in your mouth while it heals?

[Harroway]

Also is it normal to have a funky, sort of sour taste in your mouth while it heals?

I remember having a strange taste in my mouth, but I was told to swish with warm salt water and that made the taste go away if that helps at all?

[Echos]

I'll try that thanks. Salts also supposed to be good for cleaning wounds to that might help to keep them from getting infected.

[Sushidragon]

I remember having a weird taste too, I had it when I had regular molars pulled too. I second the salt water washes too, and definitely go back to the dentist if the pain isn't getting any better on the one side. One of my old coworkers had dry socket when she had her wisdom teeth pulled and the only sign was that she continued to have lots of pain, and she didn't find out what was wrong until she returned to the dentist.

[Echos]

Well it's been 5 days and the pain has not gotten any better on one side. I'm headed back to the dentist to see what's wrong and hopefully get treatment.

[Jaes]

Well it's been 5 days and the pain has not gotten any better on one side. I'm headed back to the dentist to see what's wrong and hopefully get treatment.

Yeah, I think that's a good idea too. Even if it turns out to be normal, well, it's better to be safe than sorry. Hope you feel better soon!

I have a sorta funny story about when I got my wisdom teeth out a few years ago. During a break from school, I had the top two pulled. The extraction went really well and I was up and wandering around my house in a drug-induced bliss. My dentist had given me the teeth and I had decided that they needed to be brushed. For some reason. After scrubbing them with my toothbrush, I thought they looked awesome and decided that the rest of my family needed to admire the too, so I started tottering down the stairs. Now, my sister was doing a school project and had some kids from her class over, and on the stairs I bumped into one of them. He smiled and introduced himself and held out his hand. I smiled a bloody, swollen-cheek smile back and lisped something like, "Ah can't shake yahr hand cuz Ah've got teef in mine!" and then opened up my palms to display the wet and bloody teeth.

He thought I was insane and my sister was mortified. Good times!

[Echos]

After another twenty minutes of them poking and prodding my already painful gum with a mirror, giant popsicle stick and various fingers, then rinsing it out with saline water (which stung like the bejesus!) they finally decided I am developing dry socket in one the extraction sites. Yeah!

So now I have a piece of foul tasting gauze jammed in my gum but IT STOPPED HURTING! I am so freaking happy about this right now. I have NO pain, none, nada, zip and I'm not even on the drugs right now This is the first time I've been pain free since the surgery.

@Jaes - I vaguely remember them showing me my teeth afterwards. They might have asked me if I wanted them but as I didn't take them home I'm assuming I said no. I honestly can't remember anything that went on during that hour despite being conscious the whole time. Yeah for IV sedation. Serious they shouldn't ask people to make rational decisions under the influence of heavy anesthesia.

If I had taken them I know I would have spent at least one day terrorizing my brother with them but oh well. No point crying over missed opportunities.

[Britain]

Yeah, wish I'd seen this earlier, Echoes. I had one extracted a couple of months ago and was on Vicodin for six weeks- dry socket. It's the most horrible pain anyone can ever imagine. I actually took so much advil before I got the Vicodin that it tore up my stomach and now I have to be careful taking it.


They packed it, then? My dentist said that would take the pain away but make it take longer to heal...of course, this was four weeks after my extraction. XD YAY for pain going away! For the love of god, if they told you to rinse with salt water at regular intervals...DO IT.