07.13.07
Some of the Wisdom is Gone
I cannot begin to describe how thankful I am that yesterday is over. I went through one of those ordeals that most people have to endure during their life - getting wisdom teeth extracted. My dentist of many years - Dr. Kenneth Mitro - had suggested on many occasions that I may someday need to have them removed. After he retired two years ago, my new dentist strongly encouraged it. I did not take the advice too seriously until my lower right wisdom tooth started giving some warning signs of no longer wanting to be in my mouth. I started having swollen gums around the tooth as well as random intermittent pain that I did not want to escalate into some major issue. The primary reason for this is my anticipated vacation with Jess in just a few short weeks from now. I did not want to be dealing with tooth pain while relaxing on the beach in South Carolina.
After a consultation with the oral surgeon - Dr. Robert J. Boyda - last month, I was fairly convinced that the procedure would not be too painful. It is ironic for me to note that it was Dr. Boyda’s father, of the same name, who recommended Dr. Mitro to my parents many years ago. Everything comes full circle. Three of my wisdom teeth were to be removed. One on the upper left, the troublesome one on the lower right, and an impacted one on the upper right. The one on the lower left was to be saved because of my glaring overbite and the fact that the upper tooth needed to rest against the lower left wisdom tooth. The big day came yesterday. Of course I was nervous but everyone reassured me that it would go smoothly. And it did.
After being delayed for an anxious fifty minutes, I was led to the surgery room. Not a very scary place. It looked like a normal dentist office except for all of the various tools I saw on the tray. I couldn’t explain how they were utilized, but there were many. I was given nitrous oxide which did relax me a bit. The doctor administered the sedative. It was less painful than giving blood because of the needle size. I watched him put in the first dose which made me dizzy, and I remarked that I felt like I was on an amusement park ride. I watched the second dose go in and was instantly gone. I felt, saw, and heard nothing which is exactly what I wanted. When I came around about a half hour later, around 12:20 PM, I was dizzy and definitely confused. I saw my dad and the doctor but don’t recall anything that was said. I don’t fully remember walking out of the office or to the car. I spent the majority of the day staring at the television and took two pain pills. There was some discomfort but not as much as I anticipated.
I spent today acquiring some additional rest but found that despite still some discomfort, there was nothing that warranted taking additional amounts of the Percocet pain killer. I am continuing to eat soft foods like mashed potatoes and Jello. I am grateful that the whole experience is over and anticipate my mouth will be healed to a point of comfort in a few short days. It was not a traumatizing experience for me which I attribute to the skill of Dr. Boyda as well as the fact that only one of my teeth had become impacted. It is, nonetheless, a sobering experience and one that I will not forget.
