Extraction and putting wire in?

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#1 Post by **jackie100** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 12:48 am

I had 4 bicuspids (not wisdom teeth, just regular teeth) pulled on the 23rd of July and I have an appointment on the first of August to put the wire in. The dentist told me that was ample time for recovery in order for them to put the wire in but I'm still afraid that they might somehow dislodge my blood clot when they put the wire in, should I postpone it for another week? I somehow don't feel like that's enough time for recovery (that's only 8 days). I already have the brackets, I just need the wire. I feel like postponing it at least 2 weeks to be sure. I'm really afraid of having something sharp put in my mouth so soon after the surgery, and also having to open my mouth wide so soon after surgery. I want my mouth to have the most time possible in order to recuperate from the surgery.

Also, when they put the wire in, do they put that apparatus in your mouth that holds your tongue back? If they do, I don't think that's really healthy for my mouth so soon after the surgery...

I've been really afraid of somehow accidentally dislodging the blood clot and getting dry socket so I am still eating soft foods on the fourth day, i don't swish (just move my face side to side to gargle) and I never spit, just drool water out of my mouth. I also know not to spit, cough, sneeze and I even try to keep my voice low for fear that speaking loudly will cause too much vibration inside my mouth and mess up the clot somehow. I read that dry socket is as painful as giving birth and that is something I definitely do not need to experience.

I plan on eating soft foods for as long as I can hold out because I'm afraid of hurting the clot in any way.

I was also wondering how long did you guys personally all wait before doing workouts such as sit-ups and going on the ellliptical machine after getting teeth pulled??? I read on-line that it's ideal to wait around 5 days to do strenuous activity...Even if they says to wait 1 week before light exercising I still feel like perhaps I should wait longer, like 2 1/2 weeks or so for ample recovery.... I am just really phobic about having the blood clot dislodged. I'm not talking about super strenuous exercise but stuff like sit ups etc

I'm on the fourth day and still taking it easy and sleeping in a lot so I can recover fully.

Do you guys know how many days for the "danger zone" to pass for developing a dry socket? How many days after the surgery will "I be safe"?

My extraction was pretty scary btw. I opted to be sedated (conscious sedation) btw because there was no way I was going to stay awake for gruesome bloody traumatic surgery and hear my teeth cracking and watch the dentist pull my own teeth out of my own flesh and gums with roots and everythibng; I would be traumatized for life. It was scary because for some reason they raised my chair up really high for surgery; I'm not sure if that was so the oral surgeon could have extra leverage or what, but it was pretty disconcerting.

It was also scary when they put the IV in my arm. I am afraid of needles and that part freaked me out the most, I could feel a pinch when they put it in and there was even a drop of blood in the band-aid they put on my hand afterwards (I looked when I got home).

Hope I never have to endure surgery again...

When you think about it, oral surgery is pretty traumatic and gruesome. I can't believe they actually remove real teeth attached to living gums with some metal plier and just yank it out like it's a piece of grass; it's very scary just thinking about it. It's amazing that we can even recover from something so traumatic and gruesome... lol

#2 Post by **LaaLaa** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:20 am

Hi there, just wanted to post my experience with the 4 first-bicuspids extraction. I do have to agree with you about the whole procedure, not a fun experience. More so for me, since I was awake during the entire procedure.

Anyway, back to topic, if it makes you feel any better I had my extractions done on April 23 and got brackets glued on and wired on April 30 and everything went perfectly. By the 30th, I was pretty much healed and even had forgotten that I had extractions done not one week before. I was eating normally I think by the second or third night and didn't have any problems whatsoever. No dry sockets!! So, you probably shouldn't be worried as much and with the addition of warm salt water rinses that everyone on this board swears by, it should speed up the healing process even more. Keep in mind you have to wait at least a day or two after the extraction before starting them. Good luck!!

#3 Post by **GinaLime** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:27 am

Hi, Jackie! I've had eight teeth pulled, so I fancy myself something of an expert.

I think you're out of the woods when it comes to dry socket - I believe it only strikes in the first few days.

I was really paranoid about dry socket too, but I was eating solid food by the second day and exercising the day after as well. I also brushed very very very gently, and avoided the clots. Mostly people get it when they smoke, suck through a straw or something like that. I don't know what sites you've been to, but the following site is reliable and has good information.

Mayo Clinic Dry Socket Pages
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dry-so ... DSECTION=3

Personally, I would keep the appointment. I had my braces put on about six days after extractions. They won't touch your extraction sites at all. I would call my ortho and ask his or her advice. Good luck!

PS: I had four wisdoms removed years ago with IV sedation, and four teeth extracted under local anesthetic recently. It's not gruesome at all! Really. I had two appointments for two teeth each, and each time it took about 5 minutes to yank two teeth. The only part that hurt was when they're delivering the local anesthetic (ow). You feel pressure, but no pain. My teeth just popped right out!

#4 Post by **jackie100** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 1:27 am

Thanks for the advice Lalaa, yea, I also have been doing the salt rinses. I waited until after the first 24 hrs, probably until night time on the second day before I attempted those. I'm on the fourth day and still afraid to gargle hard, basically I just put the salt water in mouth and shake my head side to side and "baby rinse" my teeth SUPER DUPER gently in order to avoid disturbing the clots...

Hopefully I'll be ok to have then put the wire in on the first of August, it just seems like 8 days is such a short time in order to recover enough from the teeth yanking in order to have the wire put in. I know the dentists consider it "an ample amount of time" but I still find it scary somehow.

Also, about the wire, wont that somehow touch be close to the extraction site though? Won't the wire go parallel against the extraction site above the gum line and be close in the vicinity of the blood clot?

#5 Post by **Miss Smiley** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 2:29 am

The wire shouldn't be hitting your gums/extraction site. When I had my extractions, they told me to wait 1 week before coming back. The clots didn't come out even when I had moulds taken just 5 days after the extractions. It was uncomfortable and a tad bit sore, but nothing unbearable. If you don't smoke, don't drink alcohol and just follow the general instructions, you should be fine. There are some people who can follow the instructions down to the T and still get dry socket just because.

#6 Post by **dufficat** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:05 am

I understand your concern. I had the same extractions on July 13th and on the 18th I had to have two fillings because of decay discovered next to the extracted teeth. I worried about the trauma to my jaws and then the fillings which I dislike on a good day, but everything was okay.

I then had four spacers put in and powerchains and four molar bands put in on the 25th. The powerchains are not touching the holes as they are above it.

My oral surgeon said that dry sockets are very rare for pre-molar extractions and the orthodontist said one week is all that is needed for healing before I came back to see him so you should be just fine. I thought I would need longer too, but it all worked out.

I had more pain than I expected with my extractions but the spacers were all that bothered me after about the 5th day from extractions. I really stressed about the procedure too because it just seemed crazy to remove four good teeth, but all my consults recommended it so I knew it was in the long-run the best thing.

Good luck and try not to worry about the wires near your extraction sites as they will be fine!

#7 Post by **jackie100** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:23 am

dufficat wrote:I understand your concern. I had the same extractions on July 13th and on the 18th I had to have two fillings because of decay discovered next to the extracted teeth. I worried about the trauma to my jaws and then the fillings which I dislike on a good day, but everything was okay.

I then had four spacers put in and powerchains and four molar bands put in on the 25th. The powerchains are not touching the holes as they are above it.

My oral surgeon said that dry sockets are very rare for pre-molar extractions and the orthodontist said one week is all that is needed for healing before I came back to see him so you should be just fine. I thought I would need longer too, but it all worked out.

I had more pain than I expected with my extractions but the spacers were all that bothered me after about the 5th day from extractions. I really stressed about the procedure too because it just seemed crazy to remove four good teeth, but all my consults recommended it so I knew it was in the long-run the best thing.

Good luck and try not to worry about the wires near your extraction sites as they will be fine!

Thanks a lot for your input

I also forgot to mention that one of my brackets on the teeth that is next to one that got pulled fell off during the procedure so the orthodontist is probably going to want to put that one back on before he puts in the wire. I haven't even told him yet, I have to call him on Monday because he's closed.

I remember the surgeon saying something about a bracket coming off during the surgery but I was coming out of sedation and still out of it so I didn't think much of it. I was too afraid to open my mouth wide before, but I just did right now and he was right, the bracket fell off

I never even saw that earlier.

Luckily I had no pain at all after the procedure, not even slight aches or anything. I was prescribed Darvocet and I still have the bottle. I think the "pain" factor for me is just thinking about the procedure and visualizing the teeth coming out and all.... Plus I got really grossed out looking at the bandage/gauze in my mouth after the procedure. I probably didn't bleed gallons, it just "looked" really nasty and "looked" like a lot of blood because it was mixed with saliva and it was just making me feel more ill.