I do not fully comprehend the IQ of my so-called ‘wisdom’
teeth. They do not seem very smart to me. It turns out that my lower ‘wisdom’
teeth are impacted. Well, it doesn’t ‘turn out’ that they are - I knew they
were when they first attempted to break through and failed. I have known this
for many years. I am also not that smart because the dentists told me they
should come out years ago but I failed to heed their advice and now I am paying
the price. The uppers had been
impacted but sometime during the last 2 years they popped out of the gums all
of the way.
On Super Bowl Sunday my jaw really started hurting. I
figured it was just a massive sinus infection because I have had the ones where
it makes you feel like your teeth are shifting in your head and you want to
scream. I, not so wisely, assumed it would go away. I was already scheduled for
a teef cleaning on Tuesday morning so I just suffered through it, taking two
twelve-hour Aleve every two hours, assuming the dentist would see the massive
infection in my sinuses and I could head straight to Urgent Care to get the
antibiotics I so desperately needed.
Alas, that was not the case. It turns out that my
not-so-smart tooth caused a massive infection in itself and my gums. The dental hygienist basically told me it was causing
gingivitis.
***
OK – that is my ‘before’ story. I stopped writing this blog
because the pain was too bad and it was all I could do to work and take care of
the kids. Brian actually did most of the care-taking and for that I am deeply
appreciative. I did get antibiotics for the initial infection of the wisdom
tooth and then was told I needed to have it removed because they couldn’t
guarantee an infection wouldn’t come back. I decided they all needed to come
out at the same time. That was smart… (queue a string quartet for da teefs)
I had all four stinkin’ wisdom teeth out on Wednesday
afternoon. It is now Sunday and the pain has mostly subsided for the top ones.
The bottoms, however, are a different story and I think I may have dry sockets.
Ah, yes, the dreaded ‘dry socket’.
I listened to everyone’s advice about avoiding dry sockets
and I really tried my best. However, apparently my best isn’t enough. The pain of a dry socket is absolutely unbearable.
(I’m sorry to all of you that I didn’t listen to in the first place) It makes me
want to rip my jaw off and pay the consequence of healing from entire mouth
removal. (Ok, I know that is a bit drastic) I can’t really talk without pain
and any sound sends shockwaves through my body, and it is not fun!
Tomorrow I will hopefully find out what is up with the tooth
situation. Wish me luck! I have so much more respect for the whole ‘wisdom’
tooth removal thing. (but I still don’t think those teeth are all that smart!)
