Wisdom tooth question

[Tammy]

Wasn't sure where to post this and I know that it has been discussed before but can't find the threads. I've had some problems with pain around the last bottom molar. Oral surgeon thought that it is a problem with my wisdom tooth right next to it......Wasn't really clear why he thinks it is the wisdom tooth instead of the molar. .x-rays didn't show any sign of infection (i know it doesn't always show up on x-rays).........anyway my wisdom tooth is at a 90 degree angle to my last molar.........and because of this he said the surgery would be much more extensive and that there was a 50% chance that it would leave my lip permanently numb? while the pain hasn't been that bad I feel like there is an infection. He left it up to me and really don't know what to do. I would hate to just leave it if there is an infection going on. Has anyone had a wisdom tooth removed that was at a 90 angle to the molar later in life? (not when you were young).......Also did you have CFS when it was done. Thanks

 

[Dreambirdie]

Tammy-- This sounds REALLY fishy to me... I wouldn't trust a dentist who told me that there was a 50% chance that my lip would be permanently numb after a tooth extraction. WTF is he talking about? It makes no sense, other than to warn you that he might not know what he's doing. I would definitely get a second opinion. Ask everyone who you know who their dentist is, then call those dentists, and see what oral surgeons each of them recommends. If you are not in a critical place with a severe abscess or in severe pain, then you have time on your side. I think it would serve you well to find someone you have confidence in, and who has a really good reputation for doing difficult extractions, like yours seems to be.

I just had a molar extracted (last Friday), that had gotten ruined with decay from constant decay in the wisdom tooth next to it, which was extracted last October. My wisdom tooth was not 90 degree angled, but the roots were deep, hooked together, and close to the main nerve in the jaw. It took 3 grueling hours of yanking, cracking, drilling and pulling to get the wisdom tooth out--very exhausting, but ultimately worthwhile, as it was abscessed and needed to go.

I wish you good luck in finding an oral surgeon who is qualified to do this extraction well.

 

[Tammy]

Dreambirdie.......was your wisdom tooth impacted? I failed to mention that mine is. The oral surgeion talked about the main nerve in the jaw.....and maybe because the way in which my impacted wisdom tooth is positioned.........it made it very risky for the main nerve to be damaged.

 

[Dreambirdie]

My wisdom tooth was only half way erupted, and the pockets of cheek around it made it impossible to keep clean. That's why it got infected regularly and then eventually abscessed. I put off the extraction until I felt I was strong enough to handle it, but it was a grueling process anyway.

A good oral surgeon should be able to come up with a strategy for you, to get that tooth out safely. That's their job. Like I said before, I suggest you shop around. I know Sushi had a wisdom tooth extracted in recent years, and she lives in NM, so maybe she can give you a good recommendation, or at least a lead.

I wish you the best of luck with it.

 

[GhostGum]

Hi Tammy.

I think permanent nerve damage is rare in these types of surgeries and even if you do get numbness it normally dissipates after a few weeks or couple of months.

There is a discussion about it here,

http://ehealthforum.com/health/topic109523.html#b

Someone says there is a 1-2% chance and of those most get feeling back; there is probably some horror stories but you are probably better off not reading them

I am in a similar boat, I need five teeth removed, four wisdom and one molar which is a broken shell because one of the lower ones at 90 degrees pushed through it, fun fun. Have an infection in the molar a couple of times but I have managed it and has been al right the last 12 months. Regret not having them out already but really in the past I was in no state at all to get put under and have something like this done, plus the progress on my health is always still good and am actually looking forward to getting it done in the next month or two, since my body is really starting to feel good.

Luckily I have one of the best oral surgeons in the country here, like Dreambirdie said I would find yourself another one, get some recommendations, because that comment he made seems really moronic.

 

[SickOfSickness]

My wisdom teeth were impacted at a right angle, but they never told me about lip numbness or anything else major that could go wrong. The worst was if they didn't get all the roots and they came back, or had to do a second surgery later. Probably yours are nearer to a nerve that goes to the lip area. I had them removed after I had ME/CFS for a long time. I was over 30. I healed normally. Maybe 1 or 2 days slower.

 

[Tammy]

Dreambirdie.........thanks for the reply...........and I will definitely get a second opinion! Ghostgum..........geesh.......I'm glad you have one of the best oral surgeons........yu sound calm about the whole thing............I'd be freakin out. I'm sure it helps your frame of mind that the progress in your health is still good. You know...........I've never been afraid of dental stuff until I got CFS.........now it just makes me really nervous. I think most of it has to do with the fact that I'm in relapse mode.>

 

[Tammy]

My wisdom teeth were impacted at a right angle, but they never told me about lip numbness or anything else major that could go wrong. The worst was if they didn't get all the roots and they came back, or had to do a second surgery later. Probably yours are nearer to a nerve that goes to the lip area. I had them removed after I had ME/CFS for a long time. I was over 30. I healed normally. Maybe 1 or 2 days slower.

Thanks for the reply...........what type of anesthetic did you use?

 

[SickOfSickness]

Oh, I don't know. Probably their standard type. I know they gave me demerol for a pain killer. If you have had any other surgeries, they should look at that information to see what worked or didn't.

 

[Tammy]

I feel better after these replies.........thank you. He just had me freaked out..........he also mentioned alot of other scarey things ............. I guess they are required to tell you all of the risks but geesh.........I wanted to run out of the office after he finished listing everything that could go wrong.

 

[Tammy]

Oh, I don't know. Probably their standard type. I know they gave me demerol for a pain killer. If you have had any other surgeries, they should look at that information to see what worked or didn't.

I mean..........did you get laughing gas or IV anesthetic?

 

[August59]

2nd opinion from an oral surgeon, not a dentist!

 

[Enid]

Just to add to the discussion - I've had to have 5 teeth extracted during the course of ME - infection or just crumbling away. It was a relief and a course of Amoxcillan afterwards seemed to ease sinus problems too. The upper wisdom tooth took rather more "yanking" (only strategically placed injections used each time) - and no permanent numbing was left. It was done by a specialist Orthodontist (not my regular Dentist who passed me on). Probably a little longer to heal and ache afterwards than usual only. I hope whatever you chose to do is as reasonably simple.

 

[taniaaust1]

I too say definately go and see another dentist for a second opinion if you are being told that (it could mean the one you are seeing is a very bad dentist).

I had a lot of issues with on and off pain when my wisdom teeth were growing over many years. Mine looked like they were growing sideways (so they were actually growing towards and into the soft cheek part of my inner mouth) and I was told that there was no way they'd fit in my mouth (so I assume they were impacted too). I put up with the pain and just left them, turned out they did fit there okay (well I thought they were okay by the end of it all) but a dentist still ended up wanting to take them out as they were crowding my mouth and hence I let one by that point (by that time they were full grown).

At this point they were actually easy to get out in the end (soo glad I did that rather then got them cut out like dentists originally wanted to do when they were still mostly in my gums and growing out sideways). I got all 4 removed at the same time in the dentist chair.

Now the thing I had the BIG ISSUE with what the anesthetic of the local injections I had. I didnt know at that point there are certain ones in which those with ME should avoid and hence I ended up having that one and had a major reaction. Those who have ME should avoid adrenaline containing anesthetics.. eg Lidocaine is one which they often add adrenaline to it but one can ask for that component to be left out of it (I had it without the adrenaline in it.. on another occassion and was then fine).

The adrenaline component in this dentist injection caused my whole body to go into bad jerking and tremors.. I was jerking so much that I was left unable to walk and was stuck at the dentist for over another hour cause I couldnt walk at all (some dentists probably would of rung an ambulance at this point but to stop them from doing so, II told them I was fine and used to symptoms like this and had to just wait it off..but it was sooo bad and scary as I didnt know IF it was going to stop for me to be able to get home)..

That was issue one with that anesthestic.. issue two I got such a reaction to the anesthestic that it hurt far more later where they'd done the injection into the roof of my mouth then the 4 big gaping holes in my mouth from my wisdom teeth.. they were NOTHING compared to the pain I later got from the injection site. The next day I was still reacting so badly to where that anesthetic had gone in, that it felt like someone was actually drilling up into the roof of my mouth without painkillers. That area hurt for days.

anyway.. long story short.. make sure you do not have any adrenaline in the dentist injection. There is also a page online somewhere .. written for ones with ME on what things to avoid as far as anethestics go.

I think laughing gas was another which isnt good for ME people .. (forgotten now why)

 

[Snow Leopard]

One of mine was sideways and had to be broken into bits during extraction (left a crater for a while though). I was under general anaesthetic so I can't tell you what it was like, but I had no major problems, I was off the pain killers the next day (not a fan of codeine).

 

[Marlène]

My son got them extracted yesterday. Poor kid, he looked horrible after surgery. The anesthetics obviously were no candies. Palpitations, dark circles under his eyes, sweating, tremors, white skin, he looked like a zombie. Luckily he's looking better today. He cannot open his mouth much yet but doctor said it was normal reaction. No loss of feeling luckily.

I had them extracted 25 y ago because of bad angle too. No bad side effects on long term either. Just very nasty in the beginning. Ice packs, painkillers and lots of soup for 10 days.