Wisdom Tooth Surgery- What To Expect Before, During and After

Before I start telling you my story, let me explain some basic terms and general things about our teeth. Most adults have 32 teeth- 8 incisors, 4 canine, 8 pre-molar and 12 molar (including 4 wisdom teeth). Incisors are the cute top and bottom teeth that babies start developing when their teeth start to grow. Canines are the sharp 'dracula' teeth at each edge of the jaw. The molars and pre's are the ones at the back which are thicker. Wisdom teeth are at the most end of our mouth and develop late, sometimes even in our 20s. Mine grew at the age of 18, 19 and 20. Full of wisdom already ;) hehe

But.. no pain, no gain. Those teeth full of wisdom grew with a lot of pain for me. I got a fever everytime they grew. The left ones grew first if I am not mistaken and then the right ones. My teeth are bigger than what my mouth space can accommodate so the later wisdom teeth on the right side of my mouth had a little trouble. The top one grew at a slight angle but still upright like other normal teeth but..... the bottom one did not. It grew 90 degrees and its position is that its side is facing up. Imagine a tooth lying growing sideways instead of upwards. That is what happened and I'll show you an X-ray I took.

It grew 3 years ago before I started my degree and at that time, the dentist mentioned that it may cause problems later one and the ONLY solution is to remove it by surgery. I was absolutely frightened by the idea so no, I would do and take every other option but not surgery. I bought some tiny little brushes that could clean the space it created between the wisdom tooth and the molar tooth next to it. Food would get inside that space and every night, I would make sure I would clean it. Sometimes, gargle with salt water or listerine and went for teeth scaling every year. Kept it nice and clean for 3 years until..... last July 2016. It started to feel painful and I had some headaches. My jaw hurt and after some time the top jaw hurt as well. It forced me to take a look at that very spot and in the mirror, I saw that the space it created has started turning black. I continued cleaning the space but it continued to be painful. I went to a dentist for my yearly scaling and during that visit she gave me antibiotics and paracetemol. But she did not comment much on what I should do next. The pain continued even after my medications finished. I knew I had to go for a second opinion and searched online for a different dentist. I found a very nice dentist with excellent reviews online at Menara 328, Kuala Lumpur. During that visit, she gave me really good advice. First she washed the area with salt water and said that I need to remove the tooth and the only way to remove a tooth that is in that 'lying down' position is by surgery. She also advised that I remove the top wisdom tooth as well that grew at an angle. The position of that tooth is normal so normal extraction would be fine. She gave me 2 doses of antibiotics and a painkiller. The pain subsided and the swelling reduced but not completely. The kind dentist explained about the surgery procedure at her clinic, she even whatsapped my mum prior to the appointment to do rescheduling, etc. Very humble indeed and caring for the patients. I was a bit intimidated by the dental procedures at the clinic- a gas would be given and I would be unconscious. Everytime I went to the dentist I would mention about the case whereby the son-in-law of Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi passed away upon given a sedation for wisdom tooth surgery. They strongly emphasised that I would not be given that particular sedation even if requested. A letter was given for me to take a dental X-ray at KPJ Tawakkal. I am lucky alhamdulillah because all this happened during the summer break so I had time to sort it out. The kind dentist even told me that it is cheaper to do the surgery in the UK, even free for students and she heard this from other patients who came to her. At her clinic it was RM1500 by her and about RM2000++ if she called in a specialist. The risk of the surgery is that there is an important vein near the area and the distance between the vein and the tooth differs for different people. The further, the better because if the vein comes in contact or is injured during the surgery, there is a risk that part of the lips, tongue, cheeks and some regions near the mouth are numb. For some people, numbness occurs 3 months, 6 months or some permanently. The only way to have an indication where this vein is located is by doing an X-ray. But I had to wait till the swelling subsided, otherwise the X-ray may be less accurate.

I had been slightly negative about the surgery but a week before Raya Haji, I had extreme headache while going out for a relaxing day with my family to Bukit Jalil Park, Johan and His Cats and Midvalley Mall. I went home that day feeling exhausted, took some medications and rested immediately. In my mind, I had a feeling that this was related to my wisdom tooth ache. I decided then that I needed to do the X-ray and see what was next. A day after Raya Haji, I went to the hospital for the dental X-ray. That visit was a turning point for me. I felt more confident and comfortable speaking to the dentist and nurses at the hospital. They were very warm and provided me with a lot of information. A specialist with loads of experience would do the surgery and it cost slightly less than the previous clinics I visited. I would have the option to stay conscious during the surgery and only take anaesthetics to numb the mouth area. I prefer to be conscious to be honest because the idea of going to sleep by inhaling gas and then have all the surgical procedures done while I was asleep and not knowing how many hours till I wake up are all very very daunting for me. I was happy to do the anaesthetic option. Immediately after the X-ray was done, I met the specialist and he took a look at my X-ray and I booked an appointment for THE SURGERY right after. I know this is a minor surgery but I have not known anyone who have been in this situation who I could speak to and even tried to find stories online but maybe I did not search long enough, so the idea of surgery for the first time in general was just slightly daunting. But in a way, I felt relieved to be able to get rid of the tooth which has caused me a lot of pain over the few months and extra care over the few years. 

The day finally came, 19 September. A day and few days before I managed to make sure I ate most of my favourite food because I knew my diet would be restricted. Menara KL lunch buffet, a wedding reception, laksa, beef steak, tomyam and all the spicy food I enjoy and hot drinks until the night of surgery. I had been feeling really relaxed on the days before surgery but on that night, I begin going online and reading articles on what to do, what not to do before and after surgery to prepare myself on what was going to come. I did not know what to expect but I knew any surgical procedure would be painful and there would be dietary restrictions post-surgery. 

That morning, I did feel butterflies in my stomach and wished that time would pass slightly slower. Both my parents came along that Monday morning and I wore comfy clothes and remembered to make prayers. I felt a neutral feeling, slightly overwhelmed but calm. I reached there 35 minutes early. It was scheduled to start at 9 am. I had hard boiled eggs and tea for breakfast. The kind nurse asked if I had my breakfast already because I was informed that I could eat normally before the surgery since I was using anaesthetics and not the gas method. Whatever we wait for will certainly come and before I knew it, I was sitting in the dental chair with the dentist examining all my teeth. That morning, I felt like my teeth knew they were going to be removed because they felt slightly odd. The dentist placed this thing in my mouth to keep it open. At first it felt uncomfortable but he said it was best to use it so my mouth would be constantly side throughout the procedure. He asked if I felt ok that morning because I have a runny nose sometimes in the morning and was using a tissue. I told him I was fine and able to proceed. I just really wanted to get it done soon. He gave me the injection at my bottom gums and in a few seconds, I could not feel any sensation on my right cheeks. I touched them but it felt like touching somebody elses' cheeks, no feeling at all even if I pinched it. He gave a few more injections to add the anaesthetics and then he said to the nurse and me... 
Let's start...

I took a deep breath and watched them turn the dental drill on with its loud noise and get all the sharp equipment out. I made my prayers and closed my eyes when I felt I could not watch it being done. It felt like when I watched those movies and the little kid would have bad dreams of going to a dentist with all the scary equipment. I was saying to myself  'this is what those kids are scared of' because normal dental check-ups are not like this. I was never scared to go to the dentist as a kid because in America, my mum took me and my sister to a dentist that was very children friendly, we would get all kinds of treats and wash our mouth with different flavoured toothpaste and mouth wash and the place was decorated like a play area. The room had toys and I had good memories of going to a dentist as a kid. I relaxed at the thought of this. 

There was a suction tube that sucked blood in my mouth and my parents were allowed to stay in the room during the surgical procedures and she said, there was a lot of blood going through the tube. It lasted about 1 hour and a half. I don't remember when but at some point I raised my hand to ask for a break. I was not allowed to move my head but I could lift a hand if I needed to say anything. I lifted twice because I was choking on the blood. The suction was probably not sucking out all the blood and I was beginning to swallow it. I was thankful I was conscious because then I could tell them. otherwise I would only rely on breathing through my nose. When I rinsed my mouth it was all bloody. I saw my dad waving his had at me sometimes and they looked at me pitifully. I must have looked horrible with a bloody mouth and teeth but I did not feel or see the pain much. During the break that I requested to use the washroom, the doctor asked if I was feeling giddy and reminded me not to faint in the toilet. I was went quickly and when I looked in the mirror, I saw a lot of blood all around my teeth but quickly rushed back to the room. It continued for a few more minutes. They cut my wisdom tooth into pieces for easier removal so sometimes it felt like he was using a plier and trying to shake and pull my tooth out.. oh dear I had to close my eyes at this point. Towards the end of surgery, it was time to remove the roots. He mentioned that if the roots cannot come out, they will leave it in its natural position in the gums and it will be fine. I was hoping they could remove it if possible to prevent further complications. Alhamdulillah it came out and that moment when they announced 'Ok finally we removed the root', I felt so so relieved and my jaw felt this removal of pain that I had not felt in a considerably long time. Even on anaesthetics I felt some pain taken away as the root of my tooth was removed. Since it grew 90 degrees, the root was curved slightly (not straight like normal ones) and looked a bit creepy. The doctor said that this was causing the most pain in the gums and caused swelling. They asked me every one in awhile if I was ok, did I need to stop to relax but I was fine. Finally, came the time to stitch my gums. I opened my eyes and saw the black thread and it was fast, I did not even realise that it was done. It was done. They let me relax for 5-10 minutes before asking me if I wanted to remove my top right wisdom tooth too on the same day. It was growing normally so this would be normal extraction, not surgery. I said yes, I might as well have both pain one-shot instead of multiple times. He said 'Wow, she is game-on!' 

The injection for my top gums and palate (lelangit in Malay) was a bit painful.. they had to add anaesthetic injections for this. But it happened so quickly when they removed the top tooth, less than a minute and I did not feel anything. They said it was looking like it is starting to develop cavity so good to remove. All done, alhamdulillah. Still numb I could not feel my cheeks but that was certainly better at that time. 30 minutes later after waiting, I returned to the room for post-surgery check. I was given antibiotics to avoid infection and strong painkillers- he mentioned repeatedly that I can only eat it every 8 hours and not less because it is addictive in the US. In between if it felt painful then I had ponstan. For the first day I was not restricted to every 8 hours but 3 hour intervals were fine. I slept as soon as I reached home until 1 pm. I woke up to a very painful sensation. The anaesthetics were wearing off! I was starting to feel the actual pain. Immediately I took the strong painkiller and waited for the pain to subside after 5 minutes and continued my sleep. That was incredibly painful.....

That Monday was one of my favourite days because I did not think of anything except for my tooth and just relaxed and rested. No commitments and I was receiving princess-treatment from my family. Everyone was extra nice to me and my mum took care of my food and brought anything I needed to me. I had a cold pack, we need to put this on our cheeks to prevent swelling. In the evening, my <3 dropped my and brought a beautiful white basket of light purple and deep pink flowers with a colourful balloon that said 'GET WELL SOON'. He also brought Baskin Robbin icecream for me- double scoop chocolate and vanilla. I could not eat ice cream with solid bits so all my food was mushy and soft and cold. My mum got jelly for me and my grandma made chicken porridge for my lunch and dinner. My mum loaded our freezer with different ice cream, it seems to speed recovery based on the nurse and dentist. It was still bleeding so I could not gargle or brush my teeth on the first day. I pray till today sitting down on a chair because I cannot tilt my head too much forward or backward or else, the pain will be enormous. I sleep with two pillows so my head it held up and not flat. I could not move my mouth or speak that day. I wrote down anything I needed to say using the S Note and pen. I could not laugh and tried not to cough or sneeze. My brother and sister were making jokes because I could not joke back and had to be nice and calm and do everything slow motion.

The second day, I started brushing my teeth and gargling gently but I woke up with hamster cheeks! Hehe It seems like I did not use the cold pack enough on the first day to prevent swelling so my right cheeks swelled up. The two cold packs my mum bought, blue and orange became my bestfriends for that week. I even took it when I went out for emergencies. The doctor was really kind and he called my mum 9 am in the morning to see how I was feeling. I have not waken up..oops. I had breakfast and called back. He had a patient and called back an hour after. I explained how I felt and his first question was if I felt my cheeks, tongue and lips. He was curious to see if the important nerve had been affected. Alhamdulillah I could feel all and just slight numbness on my tongue. 

On the third day, my painkillers were about to finish. I scheduled for an appointment after my brother's Sports Day. Swelling reduced so cheeks were like a baby hamster! My mum complimented that I was very brave and strong and my <3 agreed. I was strong and did not show any fear throughout surgery and then after surgery did what I needed to do and could not just sit and rest. I wanted to do things and get things done. Doctor said all was fine and I could eat like normal. I tried to eat tomyam and rice gently but seems like not a good idea. The pain came back, third day and fourth day were painful. 5th and 6th day pain subsided but I still ate painkillers. 7th day I did not eat painkillers and probably only had one before I slept the day before. I could eat semi-solid food already.

8th day was the day to remove stitches. 11am. It was removed in a blink of an eye but felt painful afterwards. I started eating soft mushy food again.

Good news on 9th day, it felt so so much better. No painkillers and it felt like the cut was healing more and more. I still cut my food into tiny pieces and ate soft food but I realised that the pain subsided on a different level today.

Today, the 10th day I feel so much better. I had nasi lemak and hot teh tarik for the first time since surgery, had no spicy food at all since then. It felt so much better. 

Still healing but the after care that my mum and I followed really helped. Even if the doctor says you can eat anything, ask yourself first if you can because different people have different pain-resistant levels and on the day that the stitches were removed, he mentioned that the area was quite red for me and he realised that I actually had lower pain-resistance. Thankfully I realised this early and watched my diet and followed after-care procedures carefully.

It is a painful experience but there are more painful things than this so if you need to get it done, be positive and just do it. It is worth the pain but make sure you are clear about the procedures and after-care and if you have someone to help you out, would be much better. All the best and that was my unique first time doing surgery experience. 

Now I will share with you the Do's and Don'ts After Surgery:

DO'S: 

Cold drinks, ice, cold food, ice packs, gargle with saltwater, enough painkillers, soft, mushy food (my mum was seriously considering buying baby food), relax, keep your head upright and straight, take naps, lots of ice cream and keep loads ice, soupy food, jelly, smoothies, mashed potatoes, minimise eating and speaking

DON'TS:

Spicy or hot food/drinks, hard food like chips or chicken with bones, fully solid food, jogging, running, talking too much or too fast, exercise or gym, carrying heavy items, putting pressure in yourself, drinking with a straw