 |
| (Source) |
Tuesday afternoon was a trip to the dentist to get a wisdom tooth removed. (I have a story about my wisdom teeth, I nearly went to war with the dental clinic at Lowry AFB in Denver back in '82-'83 time frame, I'll regale you with that tale someday. POCIR.)
In the meantime, a different tooth which I had had a root canal done on some time ago (shortly after the last woolly mammoth had perished) decided last year that a crack down in that defunct root would be just the thing. Doc said, "If that starts to bother you, it'll have to come out..."
Yes. It has started to bother me. So I figured, since the oral surgeon is going to be rooting around in there anyway...
Yeah.
Ouch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Update:
Okay, so apparently I am actually a giant wuss. I am providing this update to a yet to be published post after extraction of a single wisdom tooth. The anesthetic has yet to wear off and The Missus Herself is off to the pharmacy to get me some pharmaceuticals which are advertised as somewhat heavy duty pain killers.
I sit here typing, trying not to drool blood all over my shirt front even though I have what feels like a giant wad of gauze in my mouth. It's not that big, it just feels like it. No doubt that's the anesthetic. I feel it my duty to keep you, Our Loyal Readers, informed and up to date as to the state of my oral health. Or something.
As I sit here, I can feel the pain starting to make itself noticed. It's not quite there yet, just over the horizon so to speak. I breathlessly await the cavalry who must be, I hope, bearing pain killers.
Actually the Doc was quite good. Hardly felt a thing when he was pulling the tooth, not even pressure, just minor electrical impulses as though the nerve was saying, "Hey! Hey, brain! HEY BRAIN THERE'S SOME METAL THING HERE RIPPING A TOOTH OUT OF OUR JAW!!! Ain't you gonna scream or something?"
"Hello? Earth to brain! Hello?"
Okay, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. And it was just the one tooth, Doc said to hold off on the other one as it wasn't that bad. Truth be told, the niggling little twinge I felt when brushing my teeth pre-extraction wasn't as bad as the "Oh my God, what was that, did that hurt or what?" I felt last night.
We shall see, we shall see.
I confess, I am a total wimp when it comes to dentistry. Sad innit?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second Update:
Gauze is out and I am sans gory drool.
However, it feels like a horse kicked me in the side of my face.
I can't imagine what this would feel like without the pain killers.
Yup, complete and total dental sissy.
Sigh...
Don't dry-socket yourself!
ReplyDeleteThe fine and nearly upstanding Naval Hospital Portsmouth (VA) fang faeries snatched all four of mine in a single go back in '81-'82. It was pretty much awful.
Hope you heal quickly and without pain or complication!
Woke up this morning sore but not too bad. Sore enough though that I needed a pain killer. Twenty minutes later I realized that my ability to safely operate a motor vehicle was impaired, as was my ability to have an adult conversation.
DeleteThe meds make me loopy. Well, loopier than normal. Ask Skip about "normal."
There was a reason the movie Marathon Man had an evil nazi dentist in it. Because they are ,ALL, evil nazi torturers... I knew I'd never go back, so I got all four removed. They split my mouth a bit on both sides. I don't have a big mouth, technically. Both feet fit, but 4 little teeth were too much.
ReplyDeleteWhat really hurt was the migration of teeth over the next few weeks. They started moving around to where they were comfortable. I used to hang my head over my desk and the tears would drip on my paperwork.
I don't envy you.
I've had two of my wisdom teeth out before, so I thought I knew what to expect.
DeleteI was pleasantly surprised, my oral surgeon did a superb job. The Missus Herself brought me there and had a cleaning appointment herself. I was done before she was!
I've had worse. But no, I don't really want to do that again any time soon.
Ugg,my mouth is a mess, always has bee probably due to about a gallon or more of soda a day in my youth...I feel your pain.
ReplyDeleteI would be in that boat but according to an Air Force dentist I apparently have very hard teeth. Armored enamel I guess. If I get cavities they're pretty small.
DeleteBut smoking really did a number on my mouth, I've had numerous root canals. They are no fun at all!
Ouch!! Hope you're better soon. Been there, Done that, and I did NOT like it one bit.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cap'n, dentistry is not high on my list of "fun" things, that's for sure.
DeleteI still have two wisdom teeth remaining. I had all of them until not very long ago. The second wisdom tooth was pulled by a youngish female. This kinda limited my screaming and whimpering options. I did not say that I did not whimper, I just said I whimpered less.
ReplyDeleteI joined the Navy in '73 and about a year before joining my civilian dentist said he should pull all of my wisdom teeth because they were going to be a problem. So, his timing was off by more than forty years, and he was wrong about two of the wisdom teeth.
And I agree with STXAR. You would have thought that as many times that I have had foot in mouth disease, there would be lots of room in my mouth.
My earliest memories of the dentist were of a room that smelled weird, and the drill was a nightmare inducing mess of pulleys and string. Oh, and since this would have been the late fifties, the smell of cigarette smoke. I still do not like going to the dentist.
I read juvat's post that mentioned visiting the Museum of the Air Force. My wife and I will be there on July 3rd and 4th. We think it will be great.
I'm down to a single wisdom tooth. It sits there in the back of my month refusing to quit without a fight.
DeleteHave a great time at the AF Museum, I had wanted to make it out there this year but other things came up.
Next year!
Had mine removed while in Pilot Training, during the "down" time between 37s and 38s. Spent the night in the hospital and was given codeine and released the following morning. Went home, took the codeine and went to sleep. Sometime later that afternoon, my roommate came in to check on me. I woke up, everything in the room was crystal clear, and my roommate was a dragon. Screamed and launched myself at him. Finally, snapped out of it. Last time I've taken codeine. Not a real fan of opiods in general. Had to with the back episode a couple of weeks ago, but stopped after two.
ReplyDeleteSo, hang in there, hope you feel better and watch out. "There be dragons!"
I have a story about cough syrup with codeine, which I can't take anymore for various reasons. Like brief loss of consciousness and an uncontrolled walk into terrain.
DeleteOpioids have an odd effect on me. When I had them in the hospital last year, I distinctly remember having a talk with my father. Who had been gone for over five years!
Yeah, I like avoiding those.
I am directing good thoughts towards you. I hope that your mouth feels better soon.
ReplyDeletePaul L. Quandt
Thanks Paul, sore as Hell but the drugs help. Just feel a bit woozy.
DeleteI have been fortunate where dental pain is concerned.
ReplyDeleteNot so much on retaining the original equipment.
Having an undersized mouth didn't help.
Two of the kids have that problem. As I used to say, they have Korean-size jaws and European-size teeth.
DeleteSquare peg, round hole kind of thing.
Since you are Badger Approved, you must be Badger Tough! You will be over this soon, but you have my sympathy until then, as having teeth ripped out of your head is not a normal state of affairs. Take it easy for a few days, and you will be back in battery.
ReplyDeleteThanks Scott!
DeleteSarge - if they ever want to torture me just show me a dental chair - I'll give it all up.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling better.
My dental drug story is last year for a root canal and 2 crowns they put me out with some amusing drug. When I left, my son driving me, they told me to stay home the rest of the day.
So they gave me drugs which affect judgment and memory and expected me to remember to use good judgment. So - about 3 hours later I was hungry - so I grabbed my son and we went out. I had three margaritas, droves us there and back - and to this day have zero recollection of that entire afternoon. ...
Hahaha!
DeleteSounds like a good time. Scary though when you think about it!
Feel better soon and I hope it heals with no complications.
ReplyDeleteDentistry is one of the reasons my wife looks with disdain and contempt on those who proffer communism or socialism as a system for our country to adopt. Growing up in the Soviet Union, dentistry on her was done without local or general anesthetics, including root canals. Basically, they had a large dental assistant sit on you and they drilled away. There simply was no anesthetics available for the average person there.
There are a myriad of reasons why socialism and communism are not good forms of government. Your wife's point of view may be the most understandable to the average low info voter. Encourage her to "go tell it on the mountain!"
DeleteThanks Aaron. Soviet dentistry, just another horrid example of why socialism/communism doesn't work.
DeleteThe thought of dentistry without anesthetics is horrifying.
Juvat, as always, has an excellent idea.
DeleteBut I have no doubt the idiocracy would decry her truth-telling as propaganda.
Ouch!
ReplyDeleteOh yes.
Delete