Before I had my wisdom teeth done, I wasn't worried at all. I thought, "I've had a cavity filled before and that was a breeze! I can totally do this!". Boy was I wrong. I had an inflated sense of security simply because I didn't actually know anything about wisdom tooth surgery and what it entails. The only knowledge I had was from asking friends who had the surgery done in the past and of course they sugar coated it because the time that had passed caused them to forget the bad parts. It isn't just ice cream and funny anesthesia videos. Here are 5 brutally honest facts I wish I knew about wisdom tooth surgery.
1. Pineapple juice gets old... real quick
The one piece of advice I heard from everyone I talked to is "drink pineapple juice". I heard it really helps with swelling so I stocked my fridge with as much pineapple juice I could get my hands on. What people didn't tell me is that after a while the juice of one of my favorite fruits would taste like literal acid. My piece of advice is drink with caution.
2. Have someone record you while you come out of anesthesia
The one piece of joy you may have after wisdom tooth surgery when you're sad and in pain is a hilarious video of you making a fool of yourself. I, personally, wouldn't stop dancing until suddenly I realized I was in a doctor's office and started crying because I thought the doctor replaced my face with Donald Trump's face.
3. Eating Ice cream 24/7 isn't all it's cracked up to be
As a self proclaimed Ben & Jerry's enthusiast, I was actually eager to get my wisdom teeth removed so I had an excuse to eat ice cream for a week straight. But, to my own surprise, I couldn't enjoy my ice cream when all I could taste was blood. The deliciousness of "Tonight Dough" and "Milk and Cookies" couldn't save me from the reality of my pain.
4. You will not look like yourself for a couple of days
For 2-3 days after the surgery, my family couldn't even look at me without bursting into laughter. I looked like a mix between The Godfather and Raven from That's So Raven when she had the tragic allergic reaction during the cooking competition (you're lying if you say you don't remember that episode).
5. Get your wisdom teeth done in the winter
Everyone schedules their wisdom teeth surgeries around the 2 big school breaks: summer and winter. My suggestion to you is to avoid getting them done in the summer. In the summer, everyone is outside, at the beach, having a great time. But in the winter, everyone is already hibernating in the warmth of their houses, so you won't miss out! There's definitely less fomo in the winter.
