They may have gotten my teeth, but I still have my wisdom.
Most people have their wisdom teeth out when they are teenagers, but I chose not to have mine taken out while I was in high school. My dentist told me that as long I could keep them clean, they were fine.
That was all fine and dandy for a few years. I don’t remember exactly when my dentist told me all three of my wisdom teeth were going to be taken out.
If my wisdom teeth had impacted the other teeth around them, I would have had to have them removed much earlier. To be honest, I am glad that my wisdom teeth weren’t impacted because, for the most part, my recovery has been a piece of cake.
Leading up to the surgery, I knew I was going to be put to sleep, but as the date grew nearer, my anxiety levels grew. It wasn’t until the day of the surgery that I began to get a little panicky, but luckily I had my mom there with me to make everything feel better.
My first piece of advice for those of you who have not had your wisdom teeth taken out yet is to be calm; the doctors and nurses will take care of you — it is their job. Also, bring someone you trust to take you home after surgery.
My first reaction was that I was dreaming, but nope, the surgery was over in less than an hour, my mom said. One thing that did kind of make me mad was when I learned that I fell asleep before I could count backward from 10 or name presidents — I was in disbelief because that is the one thing I was looking forward during the process of being knocked out.
It felt weird because everyone I had ever known who had their wisdom teeth taken out before me said their mouths were swollen and bruised. But I was, for once in my life, more fortunate than most.
The only bad thing about the whole ordeal for me is the diet. I am not a person who eats healthful meals, but can you blame a semi-broke college student for not eating completely healthy? The day of the surgery, I only had three or four shakes.
That brings me to my next piece of advice: Don’t try to eat anything besides shakes on the day of the surgery. It is not worth risking having to go back to the doctor’s office for something that can be easily avoided.
On the second day, I tried some actual food in the form of mashed potatoes and gravy. At that exact moment when the potatoes hit my mouth, I felt like I had just eaten the best thing in my life. That whole second day after surgery, I only ate mashed potatoes.
On the day after surgery, I would go with soft food only, if I were you. Soups are great, and mashed potatoes are a good choice as well. Remember that you may feel better, but your gums and mouth are still healing, and it is a good idea not to stress yourself out too much that next day.
The third day I took another step toward solid food. For lunch and dinner, I had the best macaroni and cheese of my life — at least it felt like it. The only bad thing about the macaroni and cheese was that some of the cheese got stuck where my teeth used to be.
At this point, I know you are dying to sink your teeth into a juicy hamburger and eat some fries, but it is still a little early. Be on the cautious side and eat something soft, such as noodles, macaroni and cheese or some meatloaf.
The best advice I can give you if you are going to get your wisdom teeth taken out is to just be calm because getting all worked up about the situation will not get you anywhere. Before your surgery, go buy some movies, put something good in your Netflix instant queue or get a good book to read. Have something to occupy your time, so you don’t get too bored and do something you may regret.
Brent Stenstrom is broadcasting and electronic media junior.
