Plaster white walls, the smell of latex gloves, blue scrubs and lab coats surround you. The sound of drills and tools, and little kids leaving with their bags of goodies and a sticker.
If you’re anything like I am, the dentist office may be a little nerve racking, especially if you’re going to have your wisdom teeth removed, but fear not my friend! It isn’t as bad as it looks, it’s worse.
“When they put the [Novocain] shot into my mouth, I cried. It hurt so bad,” Hannibal High sophomore, Lauren Pease said. Pease had her wisdom teeth removed the summer before her freshman year.
The most horrific part of the entire experience is being awake and able to see the doctor putting the tools into your mouth, which isn’t much larger than the drill itself.
Between swelling, not being able to eat, and not sleeping on the comfortable side of your body, I was over my wisdom teeth removal after twenty minutes. I ached as I tore through a piece of friend chicken nearly two hours post surgery. Pain radiated from my mouth to my toes as I showered and hot water hit my face, and my stomach turned and growled while watching my brothers eat pizza, as if begging for solid food.
“The worst part for me was waiting on my mouth to heal before eating. I got sick of pudding and mashed potatoes. My sister was eating pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and all I got was another vanilla pudding,” North High junior, Samantha Earley said.
Although tough, and maybe even painful, sticking to the rules set by your dentist is important. One bite of tasty chicken isn’t worth the several weeks of painful dry socket. Change your gauze often, apply ice frequently, and get a lot of rest. The more you sleep, the quicker this brutal week will go by.