Tooth removal

Last Friday my four wisdom teeth were removed. How long until the stitches(disolving kind) should fall out?

Thanks,
Jay

Mine came in a week and a half.

I had mine taken out years ago. I seem to remember that it only took about a week or two for the stitches to go, and it wasn't too bad. When they start ot come loose they flap around a bit and can be uncomfortable, but it hurts if you try to pull the loose ones out completely as I guess there is still some knot that is hanging on somewhere.

My advice is to milk the situation for all the sympathy you can get, and just let the stitches come out at their leisure.

BTW I didn't really have any swelling or bruising, or pain for that matter, so I hope it all goes as smoothly for you. My only hiccough was that they took me off the breathing machine too early after the anaesthetic and I could not breathe properly. I actually asked to see the nurse so that I could punch her. That wan't very nice of me and not characteristic either, but I was not a happy camper right at that time!

Thanks guys,

Everything went smoothly, the surgeon was good(I didn't feel the I.V. needle and was out right after that). It only took 15 minutes for him to finish. No major swelling and vicotin(sp?) took care of the rest.

I still have mine...and I'm a shade over 30. Which, I heard is a bit rare.

Anyways, I had them x-rayed due to another tooth issue, and the lower wisdoms are growing sideways, and the upeprs are a bit crooked. None of them ever erupted, nor have they caused any issues.

I've seen a few family members go through the removal, and I don't want any part of that. So, I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude over it.

-dan

When I went to boot camp (a bazillion years ago) the took all of my widom teeth out...all 7 (yes seven) of them. One on each side on the bottom, 3 top left and 2 top right. I believe the extras were called supernumeraries.
The dentist was standing over me and was using a hammer and chisle (no B.S.!) for the first 4. Thought the Dr was Satan. The rest came out pretty easy. Good drugs after that. I still have 28 teeth

Yes they do use hammer and chisel. Nasty little shards can come out a month or so after the op.

I forgot about that bit. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

I had one of mine removed as a teenager but still have the other three. I even paid a good amount to put a crown on one of my remaining wisdom teeth about ten years ago. Some dentists disagree with the philosophy that they should automatically be pulled, and only do so if they're crowding the other teeth. Other than that tooth I lost as a teenager I only needed to have one other tooth pulled. That was about twelve years ago. As I recall the stitches weren't the dissolving type so I had to come back a week later to have them removed. Other than the taste of blood in the mouth the first day I was pretty much OK although a little tired from the blood loss. If I recall I didn't take pain killers for that extraction, and as a general rule avoid them for anything except a root canal or a really deep cavity. Novacaine causes me more grief than the few seconds of pain so I only ask for it when I'm well past my pain threshold, which is pretty high. I hate that "cotton in the mouth" feeling and then dragging my rearend for the next week or so after the initial effects wear off.

you're one tough person, jtr1962 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wow.gif i'm lucky to not have to go through this type of surgery because i dont have any wisdom tooth /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

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jaids said:
Last Friday my four wisdom teeth were removed. How long until the stitches(disolving kind) should fall out?

Thanks,

Jay

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I hope your dentist put you on antibiotics as infection can thrive inside the mouth.

I got to keep all mine, they all came in and did cause a little bit of crowding on the bottom, but not enough that my dentist was concerned enough to make me get them pulled. My teeth are straight naturally! Which he tells me is very unusual. However, dont think i get off too easily, they are also very prone to cavities and yes, I take proper care of them. So mine get drilled more than some folks...

I did help my wife go through the whole process though. She was my girlfriend at the time and I still married her even after seeing her drugged and drooling /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif She was pretty miserable for the first few days, and even had what I think is called a "dry socket" or something where the wound isn't closing properly and is quite painful. but they did something to it and it got better. Kept an ice pack on her for several days. It's a pretty miserable process, but only for a few days.

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DimBeam said:
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jaids said:
Last Friday my four wisdom teeth were removed. How long until the stitches(disolving kind) should fall out?

Thanks,

Jay

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I hope your dentist put you on antibiotics as infection can thrive inside the mouth.

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Absolutely I am on antibiotics.

Had all 4 wisdom teeth pulled out. It was really a smooth procedure, not much swelling or bleeding. I didn't even take any Vicadent(sp?). It didn't hurt that the Doctor and her assistants could have passed for super models /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have 3 out of 4 - had ONE pulled last fall, when I CRACKED it! I'm 42

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Darkcobra said:
It didn't hurt that the Doctor and her assistants could have passed for super models /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

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Was that before or after the drugs?

If you met me you'd never guess it, but I have an unusually small mouth! Several years ago I had 4 non-widom teeth taken out to make room to straighten the rest of my crooked ones, and before much longer here I'll need to get the 4 wisdom teeth out.

My teeth are very soft and so despite my almost religious brushing and flossing I still have fillings in nearly all my back teeth and currently have 2 teeth awaiting crowns.

At this rate I'll be in dentures by 25!

I have really shallow roots, so each time the wisdom teeth shift or move it pushes all my other teeth around and I usually get a toothache somewhere from a lower tooth hitting it's upper tooth hard as I chew.

So yeah, while maybe they shouldn't be pulled automatically, for some people it really is a good idea to get them out.

My wife and I had ours removed the same day years ago.
Dont make the same mistake I did though. I gave into temptation and ate a hamburger too soon afterwards and one of my stiches came loose and I got a nasty infection. My wife told me not to do it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Edit: We still have ours in little plastic bags in a drawer. Most of mine are in several pieces and all of hers are whole. Guess mine were harder to get out. I have no idea why we have kept them for? Maybe I need to put them under my pillow and see if the tooth fairy will come by. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Just a comment about the antibiotics:

I was given antibiotics as a routine precaution after having a route-canal. I have used antibiotics many, many times in my life without a problem, but this time was different. A few days later, I started having diarrhea. I went to my regular physician, and he immediately sent me to the hospital to get me re-hydrated. (I.V. drips)

The hospital did some tests and proclaimed that I had a "c-diff" infection. The poor other guy in the room with me was suddenly rushed out of my room to a different room. My room was put in a quarantine state. Everyone entering and leaving had to wash their hands. It was like I was a leper or something. I was in the hospital for 3 days.

They tell me that this is not all that uncommon; that it could happen any time you take antibiotics. They explained that the antibiotics sometimes kill the "good bugs" in your gut, which lets the "bad bugs" (c-diff) take over.

Anyway, ever since then, I am scared of taking antibiotics.

Chuck

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Anyway, ever since then, I am scared of taking antibiotics

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Antibiotics can almost always give you diarrhea. Normally thats not such a big deal, you'll want to finish taking them anyway or you'll make your situation potentially worse. But if it's so bad that you're getting dehydrated like our buddy LightChucker, then yes you need to get into the ER or see a doc or something. Thats serious.

but they tell me that a minor case of the scoots is not uncommon when taking a full 10 day course and you should not stop taking them or you will leave the slightly resistant bugs, which will be the only ones left to multiply and the next time you need it they will be very resistant.

Luckily having wisdom teeth pulled or root canal work done is not something that you'll have to do very often! Or lets hope so anyway... So the risk from the antibiotics is small /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ryan: I've always blamed my teeth being prone to cavities from growing up drinking well water with no fluoridation. It was wonderful clean and no chlorine otherwise though. Did you grow up on well water or city water? Oh, and watch out for those fillings you're getting now. Did you know that they aren't really expected to last forever? Once you hit 30 or so they will start falling out and you'll end up with that many more re-drillings and root canals!!! Make sure that they put that UV cured sealant on your teeth too, that has really helped mine.

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LightChucker said:
They explained that the antibiotics sometimes kill the "good bugs" in your gut, which lets the "bad bugs" (c-diff) take over.

Anyway, ever since then, I am scared of taking antibiotics.

Chuck

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Eating yogurt will help with this. Apparently the active yougurt cultures (L. acidophilus) help to keep the "good guys" doing their job.

Peter