Hi :) New here, need advice on canine exposure surgery

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#1 Post by **AnitaMarieT** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:23 am

Hi everyone. My name is Anita Marie but everyone calls me Am.

I've had braces since December 17th 2009, i'm scheduled for orthodontic surgery to expose an impacted canine tooth on November 1st, and I am TERRIFIED. I was just wondering what I can expect pain wise and how the healing will come along, and if you have had personal experience with it, how long did it take for the tooth to come down. The canine tooth is not straight up and down, but kind of slanted across my gum line. I've never been put under anesthesia before so i'm a little weary about that. My teeth were horrible when I first got my braces, i'm 18 so I was worried about getting them so late, but the change is amazing! Now only to get over this surgery and hopefully not die lol.

Thanks for any advice yall may have

#2 Post by **Broadway Bill** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 12:04 pm

I don't have experience with that specific surgery, but it sounds like it's less extreme and invasive than most of the surgeries this group has had.

I had double jaw surgery 4 days ago, and it is painful. That said, it's also totally worth it to fix a serious problem. I would imagine that your procedure is somewhere between wisdom tooth removal and jaw surgery, which would be totally manageable. So, don't worry about it: if you want or need it, do it. you'll do fine!

#3 Post by **Christina28** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 1:27 pm

Do you have to have general anesthesia or what they call conscious sedation? The latter has a much faster recovery and you don't have to be in the hospital for it. It is used for wisdom tooth removal.

#4 Post by **AnitaMarieT** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:12 pm

well they said they are going to use general anesthesia because it's an hour and a half surgery, he said I will go home that day though.. i'm just very worried about the pain.

#5 Post by **ColoradoGirl** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 10:28 pm

The nice thing about jaw pain is that you stay numb for a while (when I got my wisdom teeth removed, it was about two days; after double jaw surgery, it's been 2 1/2 weeks and counting). So, you feel out of it and a bit in pain at first, but really it's not too bad; no worse than a moderate headache. Also, I think most oral surgeons are very tuned into their patients' pain--if you have a low pain tolerance, or you are especially worried, tell your sugeons. They might be able to give you a medicine for moderate pain and a medicine for extreme pain (or give you the moderate and have you call for the extreme).

#6 Post by **AnitaMarieT** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:42 pm

Sorry it's been so long for me to reply!

The surgery went fantastic, I don't know what I was so scared of! When I woke up I was feeling great, but by the time I made it home I was in a little pain and feeling kinda queasy so I took the medicine they prescribed. The next day there was no swelling or anything.

My stitches came out the next week.

I had the surgery on a monday and on that thursday my orthodontist tied an elastic wire to the chain and then attatched that to the archwire. Now that HURT.

But it's been about two and a half weeks and I had no pain or soreness last week at all, but tonight my teeth on that side of my mouth are awfully sore and it hurts a good bit.. I don't know if this is normal or how long it will last. I really hate the idea that I will have to wait up to a year for this tooth to be exposed.. and I really hate the idea that this soreness could be a prominent part of my life because it succcks!