Wisdom Tooth Pain and Extraction

Updated on November 19, 2012
N.B. asks from Albany, CA
13 answers

I guess my wisdom tooth is impacted, my lower left side is paining, swollen face ( left side), and inside the mouth i can see half of the tooth, actually it had come already but didn't cause any trouble, but now from past two days i m having this throat pain, discomfort in chewing and swallowing, and i can't open my mouth more than a inch, red and tender gum ,really hard to brush properly... i can see the rest of the teeth erupting, but it is kind coming sideways, toward the cheeks....i took a appointment with the dentist tomo, and i know its for sure that he'll say we should extract it....but m worried...worried about the whole procedure, will it pain, what all care should i take....and upon that i have a doubt that i could be pregnant....and i have heard that no extraction in the first trimester...( didn't check yet cos its too soon)

So can you help me to ease my worries, how do they extract wisdom tooth, and if i could be pregnant, will i be under medication till my 2 nd trimester to extract it.?....could it be possible that its paining now, and may be after some days will go...

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Thanks all for your response , went to the dentist, and as expected told to get rid of it cos there is hardly any space for the remaining tooth to come, for the time being he gave me antibiotic and pain killer,,,and yes, i told him about the possible pregnancy, so gave the medication accordingly....now will get a home pregnancy test done, confirm and then take the rest decision.

regards

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

My bottom ones were impacted and sideways. I opted not to get put under and just had novacaine and laughing gas and the procedure took about 45 minutes. I had headphones in but I could still hear the drilling and scraping. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. That was two years ago.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I would ask the doc about the possible pregnancy, he may suggest you go to the health department and get a free pregnancy test to know for sure.

I also suggest you get the teeth out as soon as possible. They are pretty serious when they start this cycle, until they come out it can be pretty painful. If they get infected in any way the infection can go to your heart and cause damage or go to the brain and even cause death.

So it's better to take care of your teeth if at all possible.

2 moms found this helpful

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

I advise that you have a pregnancy test first.

Abscesses usually occur when food gets lodged in the gum, and then bacteria grows there. It's so hard to clean way back there.

I had an abscessed wisdom tooth in August while I was at Combat Medic school. It was AWFUL and I couldn't miss any class or I'd have to start all over again.

I took Tylenol and Motrin for the pain.

Also, pick up a bottle of Listerine while you're at the pharmacy. Water it down a little so it's not so ridiculously strong and then swish your mouth out with it 5 times a day and after you brush. Also, buy some Orajel and some Q-tips. Soak the Q-tip with Orajel and then put it on your gum. Leave it there for about 20-30 seconds. That will help a lot.

When I did this, after about 4 days of swishing and Orajel, the abscess finally healed and hasn't been a problem since. I still need to get the blasted tooth out.

Best,

C. Lee

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

If it's impacted they may put you out because they basically break the tooth to extract it piecemeal. If it's not impacted, they can just give you local anesthesia.

When I had a tooth ache on my wisdom tooth, mine were not impacted yet so I just got that shot they put in your gums and I had the doctor pull out all four so I never have to worry about the other three getting infected. I just rinsed with salt water afterwards an in about 2 hours the pain subsided and I had no more numbness. I never took the prescribed meds for it. Honestly don't remember if I was pregnant at the time. I was pregnant alot back then (or so it seems) so I might've been. Oh well, all my kids are beautiful and with a happy toothed mom too.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.T.

answers from New York on

This is not owrht getting upset about. It does sound like an impacted wisdom tooth. They give you a light sedative for this and you won't even know it happened. You will fall into a twilight sleep and within minutes you'll wake up, it will be over and you'll have gauze in your mouth.

You'll get pain medication - take it before the novocaine wears off. With two days you'll be back to normal - maybe a little swelling of your cheek. You had a baby right? In comparison this is nothing.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.Q.

answers from Bellingham on

I had all of my wisdoms out at once in the dentist's chair. I can honestly say that it was less uncomfortable (no pain at all) than having a clean and scale. Maybe I was lucky, and maybe I had a great dentist, but each tooth took about 15 seconds to extract, except for the final one which took 45 seconds.

I was worried about the injections in my mouth. They also did not hurt at all. In fact the whole thing was pretty pleasurable because they gave me some sort of gas to calm my nerves. If I had known how painless and easy it was I wouldn't have needed it!

Always check first with your doctor about having procedures when you're pregnant.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.W.

answers from Syracuse on

Your case sounds more serious, the oral surgeon I'm sure will advise removing the wisdom teeth now vs. waiting. There are antibiotics that are safe to take when pregnant, I'm sure your doctor will take extra care that's needed if you're pregnant. Waiting for surgery would cause way more harm and pain to you, it sounds like.

As far as discomfort and recovery, everyone is different. Some people are in discomfort for a few weeks while others can eat a steak dinner the following day. All four of mine were impacted, I was sedated and didn't feel a thing until later that night when the novacane (sp?) wore off. My mouth was sore and swollen for about 3 weeks, but my mouth is very sensitive to dental work for some reason. You may be fine in a few days. Hope you can get some relief soon!

And don't worry too much about this, you'll be fine!

1 mom found this helpful

J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

Can't imagine the pain of extraction being any more than what you described. I had the top two partially come in so they were pulled the bottom two were cut out. No pain at all the next day. The sockets were kind of creepy for a while but no pain.

It sounds like they are infected and having an infection in your body is a hell of a lot more dangerous to a baby than anything they will do to remove the teeth. I had full knee surgery when I was two months pregnant with my older daughter, of my four she is the most normal.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.W.

answers from Portland on

I agree with previous posters-- I also had a sideways impacted tooth coming in. The pain before the extraction was far greater than afterward.

If you are pregnant, ensure that you can use whichever pain relievers the orthodontist suggests.

You may be asked to have a ride to come pick you up. This is pretty common, as they usually give Novocaine, (I never had anything stronger-- had all four removed at three different times). I wore my walkman at the time (early 90s) and other than the initial sting of the Novocaine and the pressure of the work being done, it didn't hurt, per se.

Also, when recovering, they will likely give you and irrigation device, like a little syringe which you can use to rinse that empty space out. Do this often. Ask, too, about using some clove oil and gauze for direct pain relief to the area. Make sure to keep it very, very clean.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D..

answers from Charlotte on

You sound like you have an infection and you're going to need antibiotics. Do you have an OB? I'd call the OB's office and talk to his or her nurse about it and ask for the names of antibiotics that you can take in case you are pregnant. That will buy you some time to find out if you are pregnant or not. Hopefully, you can go in for a blood test when you are done with the antibiotics so that you know. I would not have sex right now while you are waiting to find out and while you are on the antibiotics.

An oral surgeon (this is who you SHOULD have your tooth removed by) will not do surgery until the infection is treated. That buys you time.

If you are pregnant, get the oral surgeon and the OB to talk together about what is safest for you.

Good luck, and I'm so sorry about your tooth.

Dawn

1 mom found this helpful

M.W.

answers from Chicago on

First things first!!! Go get the First Response pregnancy test because it works early.

Now, you don't have to worry about the wisdom tooth extraction. However, prepare yourself for oral surgery being a possibility because you have 4 wisdom teeth. Although you only have pain from one, it takes a dentist to look inside and see what's going on with the other 3. Again nothing to worry about!!! I had this done when I was 17 years old. My pain pre procedure was so bad that my entire left side of my body was in pain!!! I don't know what it is about toothaches that affect other parts of the body but that pain took away all fear of the upcoming procedure. So, don't let concerns stop you from getting what needs to be done. And of course, if you are pregnant, make sure you find out everything you need to know before proceeding with the procedure.

You'll be fine!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

If it is impacted, it can also becone infected, so I wouldn't advise trying to wait it out until after the baby comes. The pain will only get worse.
My oral surgeon (not a dentist) completely sedated me and took out all four at once. The pain after is intense, but only for a few days, then it starts feeling better. I was on antibiotics and painkillers for about a week after having mine out.
After care was basically soft foods, nothing extremely hot or cold, ice packs on the jaws, and meds.
The surgeon CAN use local anesthetic. It's not the prefernce of most surgeons (or most patients), but it is an option. And there has to be some sort of painkiller thay can give you for after that won't hurt the baby.

V.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

You should call your doctors office and just tell them the situation (It doesn't cost anything to call). Just tell them that you might be pregnant but it's too early to tell, and you are wondering if you should wait on the extraction or go in.

My doctor told me that the risk of infection from the tooth is greater than the risk of side effects for the baby.

I had to have a wisdom tooth extracted while I was 6 or 7 months pregnant. Even though my doctor and my dentist assured me that the Novocaine (Or whatever they use to numb the area) wouldn't hurt the baby I decided to stay on the safe side and use the least amount possible (Aka - The amount it took for me not to scream from pain). BIG MISTAKE. I still have a panic attack just sitting in the dentist chair.

My advice? Let them give you the drugs you need!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions