This is the first appointment as I begin my Invisalign journey. In order to start the Invisalign process, you need to have any and all dental work complete. This includes extractions, cleanings, cavities, etc. I am excited because I will be adjusting my teeth with Invisalign over the next year. If you don’t know, Invisalign is a brand popular for their clear tray, removable braces. You must wear them for 22 hours a day but you can remove them to eat or drink anything other than water.
Since growing up I have had three or four dentists. Most people stick to one dentist for awhile, but my sister worked in dental and I kind of just followed her from office to office. We had our family dentist growing up, then the dentist my sister completed her placement at and then the dentist who hired my sister for her first dental job and now my current dentist; where my sister worked at most recently.
My dental office is beautiful – super new, clean, doesn’t smell funky and has iPads in the waiting area and a beautiful chandelier above the reception desk. The best part is they have a team of staff that I am comfortable with. I used to cry when my mom made dentist appointments. I was bad, I always had a cavity or two growing up.
I was told that I wouldn’t need my wisdom teeth out for the longest time but over the last few years we have been keeping an eye on the one that had not come. During my most recent oral hygiene appointment, which included x-rays of my mouth, the dentist said that I should have the one wisdom tooth removed. It has started to bug the healthy tooth beside it. The next week I had my wisdom tooth pulled, while awake.
The procedure itself wasn’t bad. I have a weak jaw. I can never open it too wide and it starts to ache even during my regular cleanings. That was the worst part of the actual procedure. I didn’t mind being awake for it, I didn’t feel any pain besides the little prick of the needle they they use to numb the area. Going into it I was worried and uneducated. I did a lot of Google searching (not always the best idea) so I thought I would share some tips for anyone who might be in my “shoes” one day.
What to expect after
Well, I wasn’t in much pain because I was still frozen. I had a prescription for an antibiotic and for pain relief. My advice is that you should get the pain reliever into you as soon as you get the prescription filled. My biggest concern was that I couldn’t get a blood clot to form for a couple hours. I think this is because I received a phone call driving home from a potential new client and then I stopped into my grandparents to pick up my dog. Of course I chatted with them when I likely shouldn’t have for that long. I got home and the bleeding continued until I ran out of gauze. I switched it out every thirty minutes. So I left and picked up some more from the pharmacy, tried that once more and then said screw it. My dentist mentioned that if the bleeding wasn’t stopping to try a moist tea bag compress. The tea bag worked! The night was not fun but I wasn’t in pain. I just wasn’t comfortable and tossed and turned a lot through out the night. I went to work the next day. I think if I had more than one removed that I wouldn’t have. My job is also not physically demanding and I don’t have to speak too much.
What to eat
Within the first 24 hours, I ate apple sauce and pudding. I had been sipping water since I got home and the morning after, I had an iced coffee instead of a hot coffee or tea (not sure if I should be drinking coffee but YOLO at least it’s not a hot drink) I ate some homemade soup my dad prepared for me for lunch the day after and had been snacking on pudding and apple sauce through out the day. I also ate some mashed potatoes on day, and some mash sweet potatoes the next. Honestly, I just wanted to tear into a t-bone steak for dinner but hey, I didn’t want to complicate anything. (I made slow cooker ribs about six days later…) To be honest, ice cream was my saviour. I dove into a tub of chocolate ice cream and polished off my favourite ice cream: Häagen-Dazs Coffee Flavoured.
It’s key to follow the directions provided by your dentist as everyone is different. My situation could be very different than yours. Maybe you didn’t need an antibiotic… maybe you need all four teeth removed. Whatever the case may be, don’t be worried about this procedure. It’s one of the most popular procedures besides a filling.
