Oral Care
EXTRACTING WISDOM TEETH
After suffering from considerable toothache and possibly finding yourself on the brink of gum disease, you have decided to have your wisdom teeth extracted. Here are some of the things to expect.
- A dose of anesthetic
To help you go through the ordeal of having to have your wisdom teeth pulled out, the dentist will give you a good dose of a local anesthetic (or, if you are having multiple teeth pulled out, you might be given a general anesthetic). That is why it is important to check if you have allergies to certain anesthetics so that you can warn your dentist beforehand. The last thing you want is a medical complication on top of your mouth problem. Ask the dentist before visiting about the kind of anesthetics he is using, and have yourself checked accordingly.
- Some amount of hunger
You may be asked to fast the night before the procedure to make sure that the anesthetic works at its optimum level. This is important because the last thing you want is to feel the pain of having your gums opened up to pull out the offending teeth.
- Sleep
If you are lucky enough to be given a general anesthetic, you will likely be asleep for the procedure. This saves you from experiencing the pain of the procedure in its entirety. You will probably feel pain after the teeth have been extracted, but that’s peanuts compared to when you are fully conscious as they are being pulled out. In short: count your blessings.