Wisdom teeth. Everyone gets them out. In fact, approximately five million people in the United States every year get them removed. And lucky for me, I was one of those people. When asked by the oral surgeon how I wanted to go about my procedure, I chose to be awake without a second thought. My next idea was to write my experience for anyone wondering what it’s like. Here is what happens when you stay awake to get your wisdom teeth removed.
The night before my surgery I thought it would be a wonderful idea to stay up until two in the morning and binge-watch "Kids Baking Championship." The next day, I woke up, checked my phone and saw that I had slept in till a little after noon. My dad was already on his way to pick me up for my surgery at one. No breakfast for me.
When I entered the office I checked in and looked around the room. I saw just what I needed to. An adorable baby was looking up at me as he gripped the waiting room tables to help him walk around. I swear that baby waved at me eight times, and every time I waved back. Then his mom said, “People are coming to get their teeth pulled and yours are just coming in." It was true, I would soon be four teeth short.
I sat down, waited, then my name was called. I stood up and was led to the farthest room down the hall, probably so no one would hear me scream. Just kidding.
I sat down in the big chair, sinking down in it (I am five feet tall). A blood pressure cuff was placed around my arm and a pulse oximeter on my right pointer finger. The nurse asked me if I had any final questions, I asked without hesitating, “When can I eat?” I really regretting skipping breakfast.
The nurse and surgeon were very informative and told me every little thing they were doing. First, the nurse swabbed numbing gel all around the back of my mouth, it felt weird. Next, the laughing gas mask was placed on my nose. I waited, and I felt nothing. I asked the nurse to crank it up and boy did I feel it then, so much so that she had to turn it back down.
Now it was time for the novocaine. Honestly, this hurt the worst. It felt like never ending pinches on my gums, and I’m sure it was only six shots. Then, boom, it hit me, I couldn't feel my face, and that’s when I started mentally jamming, “Can’t Feel My Face” by The Weeknd.
When the shots were over they kept telling me how great I did. That’s when I started to cry. I told them, “I swear, I don’t know why I am crying, I am sorry!” So embarrassing. And my face felt so chubby from the novocaine.
Now time for the cutting. First up, the right bottom tooth, and let me tell you, I could not feel one thing. I even said to them, “If I didn’t have novocaine this would really hurt,” and the nurse replied, “Hahaha, thank God for novocaine!”
Then it was time for the top right tooth. I couldn’t feel what was happening but I could hear it. If you don’t like the dentist then you won’t like this. A buzzer was taken to my tooth to help remove it. I could hear the tooth being pulled straight from the root. Some of my teeth had to be split in half because they were so stubborn, guess they take after me.
The top left tooth? No biggie. But every time a tooth was removed and the surgeon was putting the stitches in I felt that thread scrape the very back of my mouth making me want to throw up. Thank God I didn’t.
When the last tooth was being pulled, my only thought was that there was not enough novocaine in that area. Let’s just say I could feel that tooth being pulled out. And that’s when I thought, what if I am The Flash and the novocaine is filtering out of my system fast! And then I started to feel bad for The Flash if he had to get his wisdom teeth removed.
Then that was it! I was all done. Gauze was put in my mouth, equipment removed from my arm and finger and then I stood up and walked out the door. Something they don’t tell you is that getting them taken out awake is the most fascinating thing ever.