Extractions and staws

Message

#1 Post by **dena** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:13 pm

Woah! I just had a crazy experience. This is something I was wondering about and so I thought it might be useful to share.

So, I had my extractions a week ago. Everything is healing nicely. Today, I had lunch and decided to try a milkshake. Still leery of dry sockets, I sucked really lightly on the straw. Well, I must have had a little piece of food lodged in one of the sockets (again--grr) because it FLEW out and into my mouth. It was like a vaccuum. It really freaked me out because I had really been very very gentle with the sip. I sat around for a minute and when no excrutiating pain began, I decided it was food and not the clot. So, I waited for the shake to melt down totally and then drank it slooooowly.

So, just FYI--if anyone was wondering exactly how much pressure is too much for the extractions. Don't take the no smoking/no straws etc. rule lightly because apparently it doesn't take much to move stuff around in there!

#2 Post by **Flora2006** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 4:34 pm

it's funny because when i had 3 extractions done a little over a month ago, i would drink with a straw because i was too scared of infecting the extraction area...i had no idea that you aren't suppose to use a straw for the first few days...thankfully nothing bad happenned and everything was healed within a week

#3 Post by **dena** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 5:53 pm

I think that totally makes sense. I was swishing the first day to make sure the extraction sites were clean--also a big no-no. I sorta think some may just be naturally prone to the situation and others aren't...but the scare of the dry socket keeps me paranoid!

#4 Post by **Flora2006** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 7:32 pm

lol i think i would be a little paranoid if it happenned to me as well

i've been reading some of the posts about brackets coming off or ligs coming out and now i'm scared lol

#5 Post by **lesdents** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 8:51 pm

I would try to wait at least 2 weeks until using a straw. I think that the clot becomes healed gums after 7-10 days, at least for me, so at that point I stopped worrying about it. I had my last extraction on Jan.3rd, and I'm still being extra careful for another few days at least.

I was SO scared of getting dry socket! I hear it's terrible!

#6 Post by **dena** » Wed Jan 11, 2006 9:57 pm

lesdents--I did some more poking around online and I think you are right...I've seen 7-10 for general healing and 2 weeks before they say resuming smoking is okay for the extraction site. I was chancey today with my straw, but I agree on being cautious for a few more days.

#7 Post by **spogal22** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 5:08 am

I was using a straw the day I had 4 premolars and 2 wisdom teeth removed. I was too busy concentrating on the not smoking part they told me that I totaly forgot about the straws. Boy was I lucky!

Thu Jan 12, 2006 6:40 pm

I was 19 when I had all 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed (and that was a LONG LONG time ago). Anyway, they broke my jaw when they took out my wisdom teeth so I HAD to drink out of a straw. And yes, I got a dry socket.....I've had several major surgeries and the wisdom teeth removal was the worst... Second runner up....the canine exposure. Maybe I'm just a mouth wimp.

Good thing the wisdom teeth were done when I was young enough to have Mom take care of me. I was only 95 pounds before I did it and lost weight fast. She mashed up everything she could think of to try to get me to eat. I must say, I don't have that problem now! When I couldn't eat after the canine exposure everyone just said, "that's good"

#9 Post by **Flora2006** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:27 pm

they broke your jaw??!! how did they do that? thats is aweful!

Fri Jan 13, 2006 12:39 am

I don't know how they did it. Remember this was 1972. One thing I will never forget, right before I went to sleep the oral surgeon climbed up on the chair I was in I guess to get leverage. The arms of the chair were made wide so they could put their knees on it. I kept mumbling through all the stuff in my mouth "WAIT, I'm not asleep yet"....then I woke up in another room. And the IV tubing came directly out of the wall...I have always pictured this giant room sized tank full of phenobarbatol. (I think that is what they used then....) And of course, back then they didn't like to tell you what they were doing.....it was all a big mystery.

#11 Post by **Megera_S** » Fri Jan 13, 2006 11:46 am

Flora2006 wrote:they broke your jaw??!! how did they do that? thats is aweful!

Depending on how your wisdom teeth are situated (impacted/etc) when they take them out your jaw is technically broken/fractured (because essentially a large chunk of bone is missing). On the pamphlet I got from my oral surgeon it said that I had to wait two months before I was allowed to eat cruchy food again incase I did further damage to my jaw.