wisdom teeth

huskerfan1000

Freshman
Mar 28, 2010
364
59
0
Anyone have their wisdom teeth pulled when they were older, Im in my early 50s. Even though they show some decay they have never hurt. Recently a small amount came off one when brushing and that one looks the worst and prolly has some cracks also. If I pull it , Id only pull that one, since it still doesnt hurt at all Im not in a big rush to pull.

Has anyone been in a similar situation they can share their experience. Also please recommend a good oral surgeon in Lincoln or even Omaha if need be.
 

SeaOfRed75

All-Conference
Dec 5, 2010
3,218
1,143
113
Why an oral surgeon? Told you cant just do a straight pull? Thats what I did with mine a number of years ago.
 
Sep 29, 2001
1,424
442
0
i had one out about 2 months ago. I am 48 and it cracked and a small piece fell out...dentist was a pro, didnt even know he pulled it...no post pull complications either, very routine. I was very happy to have that throbbing piece of pain out of my skull.
 

SeaOfRed75

All-Conference
Dec 5, 2010
3,218
1,143
113
Please explain, Im really a novice at this, how did that work??
What chief wiggum just said. A straight tooth pull. Novacaine and pliers pretty much. Oral surgeons are only for when they are impacted i believe. So cutting of the gum is involved i think.
 

Tarheelhusker

All-Conference
Mar 28, 2003
21,599
1,110
3
I had 3 pulled still have 1, the Novocain shots stung..the doc hit a nerve on one shot...my eyeballs crossed & face contorted. He pulled 2 with no sweat, the 3rd was stubborn. Had a hygienist holding my forehead & another damn near sitting on my lap. The tooth cracked...I hated that sound, but he dug her out. Got some hydracodon & off I went...mindful of the dreaded dry sockets.

I'm a coward when it comes to the dentist, my mind always replays Marathon Man when I'm in the chair.
Get some pudding, ice cream etc. Just follow his instructions & you'll be ok. Get the pain pills & a six pack just in case. Whiskey would do nicely also.

Ps, the doc charged me around $ 125. a tooth, or surgeon will be pricey but you get the gas!
 
Jan 24, 2004
56,089
17,482
113
Got my right side top and bottom pulled in my 20s. Top slid out easy, bottom, roots were twisted so I got to listen to my tooth breaking and twisting out my mouth. For a week after my mouth felt like I went ten rounds with Mike Tyson. All he gave me was Tylenol with codeine. Went through in a day. Haven't been back since. Still have left side.
 

MikeRileyGBR

Senior
Sep 27, 2016
822
407
0
Why an oral surgeon? Told you cant just do a straight pull? Thats what I did with mine a number of years ago.

Depends. As one who's family has dentists and oral surgeons in the area, the upper is easier to pull and navigate for Dentists without going under. The lower is where it's tricky, if on the x-rays they show the bottom half to be twisted or gnarled, a dentist may op to just refer you to a surgeon because they have the proper equipment and expertise to navigate and make an incisine along the gums and cut the tooth in half if need be. Some dentists will take out the lower but it depends on your dentist and experience/ equipment/want-to.

Recently I had mega tooth pain in my lower right wisdom tooth. There's a nerve that runs through there that can cause (and did) ear aches and side head aches. My advice and the advice that I received is if it hurts, then take it out. If not (like the two I have remaining, one of them decayed but is an upper wisdom and doesn't hurt in the least) then take it out when it starts to hurt.

Really, if you take it out now, that is fine. Just a matter of the decision of "maybe it will hurt" or "it hurts now". Now I'm not a dentist or oral surgeon in the least, but consult your dentist because say it's not compacted and is an upper, he/she can pull that thing out in a jif. It depends on if it's an upper/lower and if upper is it compacted or not.

Good luck!
 

CutBroBow

Senior
Dec 20, 2007
4,686
480
83
I am a lot older than 50! And early this summer I had two wisdom teeth pulled--I was having pain on one side of my mouth and would have sworn it was the lower wisdom tooth. As it turned out, it was the upper one that was cracked, which the oral surgeon discovered when he pulled it and it was in two pieces. No need to go under--just got a local pain killer. And so little pain afterwards that I didn't take the pain pills that the oral surgeon prescribed. My dentist explained that wisdom teeth serve no useful purpose and that they are quite different from all your other teeth, which makes them difficult to deal with.
 

huskerfan1000

Freshman
Mar 28, 2010
364
59
0
Thanks for the replies, I for some reason thought this was like a life changeing event and was distraught over it. Your replies make me feel much better and give me a better understanding of my options.

I think as for now Im gonna wait tell I have an issue since I have never had any pain, it just looks bad and maybe cracked.

My dentist doesnt pull wisdom teeth thats maybe why she mentioned an oral surgeon, Ill have to get a recommendation from her and maybe do a consultation and or research on who she recommends.

If I can just take novacain and have 1 pulled and be in and out , I much prefer that to being gassed.
 

Morgan747

Sophomore
Oct 30, 2016
445
197
0
I had mine removed by an Army Colonel when I was 23. He got me some valium to take an hour beforehand. I told him I didn't feel it and he sent me down to the pharmacy to get some more. I was flying by the time he got started lol. He shot me up with novocain and before I knew it, the top and bottom from one side were gone. I was surprised it was so easy as I had heard of horror stories. I never felt a thing!

I went back a week later and had the top and bottom removed from the other side. No problem! Glad I got it done. There was nothing wrong with them, the doc said they should be removed to save me problems down the road.
 

Husker.Wed._rivals

All-Conference
Feb 13, 2004
17,648
3,699
98
I had a couple pulled around age 48. It is a lot like a colonoscopy. Some people talk about it like a dramatic ordeal, others just get it done and it is over with. If you just go in determined to get it over with you get numbed up, the dentist goes in with a tool and it is over with pretty fast. There were some cracking noises that gave me the creeps. I may have taken one of the 20 pain pills he prescribed, but the aftermath wasn't that bad and I am not a meds kind of guy. More irritating than the soreness around where they were pulled was the soreness of my jaw. That was the only time in my life my jaw got pressed down on fairly hard and the muscles were sore for a couple days just like any muscles you haven't stressed in a long time.

Piece of cake....
 

T...Chafes

All-Conference
Oct 9, 2004
28,414
1,262
0
I had mine pulled in my early 30's. It took two hours to pull 4 teeth. Tons of pulling, hammering, drilling, twisting, pulling, hammering, drilling, twisting, etc, etc etc. Not fun to have a guy continually beating up your mouth, practically sitting on my lap as he pulled, pushed and worked each tooth.

I was in serious pain for the next week, took ibuprofen non stop for the next month +.

I'd fully suggest getting knocked out!!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: NorthWillRiseAgain

MikeRileyGBR

Senior
Sep 27, 2016
822
407
0
What's interesting really is the recoup time. I went under... took 10 minutes (lower 32), and I was given pain killers but in reality I was out/pain free the next day. Then there's others who are out and experience complications (naturally) for several days, and are swollen and in pain, etc. It really depends.
 

huskerfan1000

Freshman
Mar 28, 2010
364
59
0
I dont know if anyone is comfortable recommending on here a dentist to see about this in the Lincoln area, if not you could send me a private message, my dentist doesnt do this and when I contacted her office she recommended an oral surgeon, I just want a shot of novacain and go and pull the 1 for now.
 

HuskerinSFSD

Sophomore
Jul 6, 2015
39
139
0
Had mine out in late 30's. One was broken/causing pain. Dentist recommended I have all 4 out if I am going under anyway, that is half the cost. He says they become problems because you can't brush them properly due to the jaw bone being in the way. Came out of it with one infected then turning into dry socket. It wasn't even the one that was causing me problems to begin with.
 

HuskerHusaria

All-Conference
Jun 4, 2017
7,409
2,207
113
Anyone have their wisdom teeth pulled when they were older, Im in my early 50s. Even though they show some decay they have never hurt. Recently a small amount came off one when brushing and that one looks the worst and prolly has some cracks also. If I pull it , Id only pull that one, since it still doesnt hurt at all Im not in a big rush to pull.

Has anyone been in a similar situation they can share their experience. Also please recommend a good oral surgeon in Lincoln or even Omaha if need be.
I had my wisdom teeth removed by Dr David Blaha; in Lincoln. I think he did a good job.
 

BorisSutherland

Redshirt
Jun 5, 2020
255
20
0
Around the world, tooth extraction is a standard procedure — though most people aren’t aware of it. During dental cleanings (of any type), the dentist makes an incision in the patient’s oral cavity and removes about one-third of the tooth - usually a root-first approach. Then, the remaining tooth(s) are either fixed or replaced with wooden frames; in some cases, a fuse is placed onto the existing tooth to ensure complete retention. I bought my cleaning floss from https://instafloss.com/. Using one is the easiest thing to do if you want to keep your teeth white and clean.
 
Last edited:
Oct 31, 2017
2,831
689
0
Anyone have their wisdom teeth pulled when they were older, Im in my early 50s. Even though they show some decay they have never hurt. Recently a small amount came off one when brushing and that one looks the worst and prolly has some cracks also. If I pull it , Id only pull that one, since it still doesnt hurt at all Im not in a big rush to pull.

Has anyone been in a similar situation they can share their experience. Also please recommend a good oral surgeon in Lincoln or even Omaha if need be.
I actually had my wisdom teeth put back in. I needed them because I’m a dumbass
 

salsa red

Senior
Dec 25, 2019
2,436
665
113
Give me $50 and a bottle of tequilla. I have some rusty pliers in the garage that should get the job done.
 

Wasker77

Senior
Dec 23, 2014
2,943
620
0
Why an oral surgeon? Told you cant just do a straight pull? Thats what I did with mine a number of yea

My experience using an old surgeon to pull wisdom teeth was only positive. I had mine pulled in my late twenties. I had it done the Friday before Labor Day because I was told there could be a few days for recovery needed. Two of them were impacted. I also asked to only have a local anesthesia given during the procedure. The doc had the first one out before I barely got comfortable in the chair. The whole thing was a pretty simple procedure. I had very little pain. Played golf the next day around noon with my dad. Went for a hike on the lower flanks of Mt Rainier with one of my friends and two girls on Sunday. I think I was lucky, but also think the oral surgeon had some great skills.
 

otismotis08

All-Conference
Jan 5, 2012
12,608
2,736
113
Not a wisdom tooth, but had a molar yanked last week in the dentist office. Gave me gas for starters, followed by novacaine injections. All-in-all it was not too bad. Strange thing was the gas was nothing like I remembered from decades ago. Back then, it had a sweet/minty odor and actually made me quite loopy. Laughing gas for sure. The stuff last week seemed barely noticeable. Maybe what they use these days is not as potent?
 

mgbreeze

All-Conference
Dec 16, 2004
10,093
3,522
113
If you just wedge the blade of an ice skate against the tooth and whack it with a rock it'll pop right out.
 

JabroniBlvd

Redshirt
Nov 5, 2005
1,390
4
0
If they are not buried they you will be just fine....if they are, then it could suck major IF you get dry socket. I've had stitches, broken bones, surgery etc and nothing came close to that 5 day nightmare.
 

husker751

Redshirt
Aug 4, 2005
1
0
1
I am 64 and just had upper right wisdom tooth removed. It was broken and decayed badly. My dentist gave me the option to do it herself or refer me to an oral surgeon, and I opted for her to remove it. It took about an hour and came out in pieces, lots of cutting and chipping away. First day I took the pain meds but did not need to take any after that. I am on my third day after it was removed and so far so good. I say if it aint broke don't fix it so my other three wisdom teeth are staying until they become a problem.
 

Crazyhole

All-American
Jun 4, 2004
27,841
9,769
0
I lucked out and only had one. Dentist pulled it when I was in my early 30s and it was no big deal. He didn't even charge me.

Of course, later I found out that he knocked up my wife and I'd been raising his kid, but free dental care is pretty cool.
 

TruHusker

All-Conference
Sep 21, 2001
12,111
2,387
98
By now you have heard the good, bad and ugly of wisdom teeth. I am, well, over 60 and just had my checkup. Dr. remarked on the x-rays that I still have three of four. A dentist pulled the one several years ago. He deadened it, no problem, got me all situated like he was pulling a motor out of a car and it just popped right out with hardly any pressure.

Back to my current checkup, the dentist said to leave them alone if they aren't causing problems which they are not. Seems like at some time a dentist told me that infection way back there is a problem they look for as well. Surprised if they are not hurting, your dentist wanted to do anything.
 

redwine65

All-Conference
Jun 23, 2010
10,838
2,157
113
I had them all pulled at 48....
because it was free and they said my teeth might get crooked if I didn't.
the place was just west of village point on dodge an they knocked me out good, I didn't feel anything
 
Last edited:
Jun 9, 2010
2,262
430
0
I got mine out when I was thirty-something. The knockout gas didn't quite knock me out... I was feeling no pain but I remember the whole thing, including my whole head jerking around as the doc yanked on the tooth. I think this is one of those procedures you don't want to see