When getting wisdom teeth pulled, would it be better to be knocked out or drugged up?

Question

I'd rather ask people who've had their teeth pulled, because my dentist mom feels the need to freak me out with things I don't need to know.

All I want to know is...

Which way is less painful/emotionally draining? How long does it take for it to heal? Do I HAVE to take pain pills? Can I sleep until it heals?

This should really be worth like 40 points...but I don't feel like asking separate questions...so I guess you're stuck with 10 + my eternal gratitude. :)

Answer 1

Okay - I just had my wisdom teeth pulled last year (yeah - they came in nice and straight, but it was near impossible to keep them clean enough so they didn't get cavities) and I was 29.

I chose to be knocked out.  My reasoning was that they are PULLING teeth out of your head.  I had teeth pulled as a child, but those were baby teeth - no roots like wisdom teeth - so it wasn't that difficult for them to come out.  Also, sometimes when they are pulling the wisdom teeth, they can break in mid-tug.  Uh, no - I don't wanna be awake while they're trying to get the pieces out (that did happen while mine were being pulled and I am SO glad I was asleep).  

I bled for about two hours after I had my teeth pulled and kept gauze in my mouth and made sure I kept biting down on it like the oral surgeon directed me to.  But I was fine by that night and was able to return to work the next day with no problems.

YES - you will be HAPPY to be on the pain pills.  Remember, they're literally ripping something from your body and it will hurt.  You should also get antibiotics as well.  Anytime you have any oral surgery (which that is what this is) you should get pain meds.  

LOL...you can try sleeping, but you'll be sleeping for about a week.  My sockets (where my teeth'd been) could be a little sore at times for about a week afterward, but by the time I did my follow up (make sure you do the salt-water rinse like they tell you too, as well) at the end of that week I was fine.  

Eh, don't let your mom freak you out.  Sometimes doctors and dentists don't know when to shut up...LOL.  Just make sure that you have a very good oral surgeon removing them (mine was an MD and a DMD).  

Good luck, sweetie!!  You'll be fine, I promise.    

Answer 2

I got mine taken out last summer and I was knocked all the way out and I kind of liked it. I mean it was fun falling asleep so easily since I have never been knocked out before. The first day I got them out I was really tired and just slept all day and then the next day they didn't even hurt, like i was eating normal meals, but then the third day my jaw was really sore, like I didn't like openng my mouth. It never hurt where the stiches were but for some reason my jaw hurt really bad. I was feeling pretty good by the fourth day and I felt perfectly fine after 6 days. I did take pain pills the whole time,  but thats just because they told me to. I wouldn't worry about it, I didn't think it was that bad. I would get knocked out though because my friend just got numbed and she could hear the doctor breaking her molars because they were so big the only way they could get them out was by breaking them in half.

Answer 3

Had all 4 wisdom teeth out this May.  I was knocked out by IV sedation.  It was a much better experience because they woke me up about 5 minutes before they were completely finished.  I got to experience the dentist cracking the last wisdom tooth in half and yanking it out with pliers.  It didn't hurt at all because my mouth and face was so numb I couldn't even feel fingers on my face.  It was emotionally traumatic though and had I not been sedated I wouldn't have done it again.  That's why the dentist wanted all 4 done at once.

The numbness is what bothered me the most afterwards.  You go through a lot of tingling as your face and mouth wakes up.  You will feel like sleeping, but you won't be able to sleep "until it heals."  They will have someone wake you up almost every 4 hours (waking up after midnight) to make sure you take your pain pill, your anti-inflammatory pill and then the anti-biotic they prescribe as well.  Healing will take longer than a day.  Bleeding stopped within about 4 hours.   I got dry socket in one of them and that took about 2 months to heal.

Don't think there is a liquid form of Vicodin/Hydrocodone that they usually give out.  You'll just need to practice--fortunately all of the pills I had were either small or could be chopped in half to aid in swallowing them. It is tricky to swallow when you can't even feel the cup on your lips, but again, that is just an issue the first day.  

Answer 4

It varies from person to person, but most people agree that general anesthesia is less traumatic.

You cannot sleep until it's healed... that takes a few days. You are woken up right after the procedure. The pain, however, shoul dbe gone the next day.

You do NOT have to take the pain pills - but you might want them. Fill the prescription, but don't take any unless you really need them. DO take the antibiotic that the dentist prescribes, for the entire week or ten days.

Good luck.

Answer 5

I got knocked out, I think that's less stressfull because you don't remember anything.  Plus you're so messed up you get to sleep for lik 2 days afterwords.  It's awesome, well except the terrible pain once you wake up.

Answer 6

smoke a few bowls before you go to get them pulled, then get all the drugs you can from the dentist

the weed will make it either fun or crazy, either way you wont be scared

the drugs will take the pain away and you wont have to wake up in agony

Answer 7

A shot of novocain is usually all that is needed.  

Answer 8

I have just come back home from having two of my wisdom teeth on the right side of my face pulled out. They numbed it but let me tell you-next time I am getting knocked out. It was a traumatic experience for me. You can feel ALOT of pressure and a small amount of pain but what really freaks you out is the sound of them breaking the tooth. The crunching noise made me start to bawl. I felt retarded but my Dentist assured me that alot of people do cry during the  procedure. All in all, I say get knocked out. I am going back in 3 weeks to have the other two pulled an am planning to be asleep for it. No freakin way am I going to go through that again!

I have been informed that in about 1 hour my face will start to really hurt. So Ive already taken my Tylenol 3 and penicillin.  

Alot of people find it difficult to swallow pills. I find it really helps to make the pill go down when I turn my head to the left and kind of stick your chin out. It makes it go down a little smoother and quicker. Other than that throw a pill into something lubricated soft food like jello or yougart, something that you dont chew but just swallow. That should help.

Good Luck, and remember get knocked out!!  

Answer 9

It will hurt a bit during 3 to 7 days. You don't need anything, the dentist will give you painkillers.

Answer 10

When I had my wisdom teeth pulled they knocked me out with sodium penathol and laughing gas.  I was only out for about 15 minutes but I've had a friend who was out for 2 hrs.  You DON'T have to take pain pills, but it defiently helps.  They usually give you enough to last about 3 - 7 days.  

In my opinion, getting knocked out is the best way to go (with the addition of pain pills for the days after).  

Answer 11

Get knocked out.  I did, it was great.  

It takes a few weeks to heal, so no you can't sleep through all of it.  You don't have to take pain killers but you'll probably want to because you'll be sore.  

Answer 12

Knocked out!!

Answer 13

Getting knocked out is definitely recommended! I got knocked out and it was great, I felt nothing, woke up and thought they did not even finish!! The operation takes roughly an hour and the healing process can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months, I know that is a long range but everyone heals differently... For me it was a 3-4 month healing process because I got dry sockets & infections! It was pretty terrible, but I am all better now!

Taking Pain Pills = ESSENTIAL! If you don't take them you will be sorry! Coming from me that is saying something for I do not even take drugs for headaches or anything like that because I really hate those pills but when I got my teeth taken out I took 2 Vicodin every 4 hours!  

Answer 14

I HATE the feeling of being drugged and I HATE feeling out of control, so I just had Novocaine when I had all my wisdom teeth out.  I basically slept all day after the surgery, and I started feeling much better the 2nd day.  Took me about a week to recover.  The surgeon said I was one of the fastest healing patients he'd had, but I believe it was because I followed all his instructions exactly.

Take the pain pills.  You won't have a high enough dose or take them long enough to become addicted, and your body will be able to heal itself faster if you're not stressed out due to pain.

Answer 15

Nitrous is the only way to go.Totally painless and usually you don't remember anything that was done.

Answer 16

My wisdom teeth were supposed to be removed two at a time.  I was given laughing gas and awake through the procedure.  It hurt so little that when he was done, they were all four gone without me realizing it.  He had pulled two and cut two out.  The healing varied greatly for individuals.  I was sent home with pain medicine and in an hour, I certainly was in pain.  One percoset knocked me out for about 5 hours.  However, upon waking, I was so dizzy that I could barely walk.  After that, the pain wasn't near as bad as the medicine.  I actually worked for about 3 hours the very next morning.

However, I had a friend who had one wisdom tooth removed.  I laughed when he called in sick from work for a week.  However, when he came by on the fourth day after the procedure, I was shocked.  His entire jaw was swollen and showed bad bruising on the outside.

Look at the good side, you will never have to do this again!!