I thought only teenagers got their wisdom teeth removed?

Originally Posted by Ground&Pound

I thought only teenagers got their wisdom teeth removed?

Usually wisdom teeth are removed when patients are in their teens or early twenties because this is when the begin to erupt and cause problems or because this is when they are easiest to remove, so they are removed to prevent problems later on. In my case, this particular wisdom tooth had been causing no problems and was in a location that was difficult to reach, so until now, I decided to leave well enough alone and play the odds. I x-ray my three remaining wisdom teeth (had one out when I was 23) every few years to be sure that they aren't misbehaving (like forming cysts, which wouldn't cause any symptoms until they got very bad). My recent x-ray of this one (lower right) showed a very large cavity (yes, even impacted wisdom teeth can get cavities), and if left untreated, it would eventually abcess, cause much pain, and have to be extracted. So I didn't wait for the emergency and had it out yesterday. I had iv sedation and the procedure really wasn't bad at all. The post-op wasn't bad either, and I only needed a few of my Percocets to control the moderate discomfort. Today, there is a little swelling and soreness, but not too bad. The only problem is that I have a paresthesia or numbness in my chin and lower lip. This is because the nerve going to these areas was slightly damaged during the extraction. It may heal in a few weeks, a few months, or never. This is a known risk when the wisdom tooth lies close to the nerve, and I knew it might happen, but I had no choice because the abcess was inevitable if the tooth had been left in. I don't look funny (any more than usual), talk funny, or drool, but the right side of my chin and lower lip feel numb. I will get used to it, but it would be nice if the nerve heals eventually.

Glad to hear it all went OK - you'll have an extra dose of empathy for your patients for awhile.

Also, glad to hear you're not drooling. Hope you can still wink too. We'd hate to see you lose your spirit.