Having Wisdom Teeth Doesn't Make You Smart!

I'm not a big fan of pain. Realistically, I don't think anyone strives to be in pain. Of course, some handle it well, and others not so well. I'm of the impression that I usually can take the pain fairly well, but I was still scared when it finally came time to get my wisdom teeth removed. (NOTE: Just because I can take the pain well, doesn't mean I don't complain about the pain. Wait, maybe that means I don't take the pain well...whatever.)

It had been several years since they grew in, and I had been putting off the procedure for about three when I finally ran out of excuses, and the dentist scheduled them to come out. I'm not going to lie to you, I was terrified.

Pain...metal pulling on my tooth...the cracking, the breaking, the suction, the pain. What it I got dry socket?? I nervously smiled at the receptionist as she gave me a reminder card.

"Don't worry," she said, "I just had mine out a month ago, and it was fine. They'll give you the Nitrous, and it won't put you out, but it'll make it so you won't even care what's happening."

Even though I wanted to be reassured by that, I wasn't. I still feared the extraction. When the time came, I had called up all of my courage, and I entered without showing my fear. I was going to conquer it head on, to hell with the pain!!

I watched a video on oral care and the doctor numbed my mouth. They put the Nitrous on me. Amazingly enough, the receptionist was right...I found that I just didn't care what was happening. The dentist came in, and quickly yanked the first one out. I couldn't believe it was that easy!! The second one required him to rotate his pulling motion in a circle. After punching me in the face about 10 times with the circular motion, the second tooth came out.

"Halftime," the dentist said. I closed my eyes and smiled.

The third tooth broke, but I still didn't care. After a little drilling and some work, it was gone. The last tooth broke as well. But there was no pain. In the whole procedure, there was no pain. I feared that it would come, once the Nitrous wore off.

But, alas, it did not. I was eating chicken noodle soup that very night. By the next day, it was Mac and Cheese and mashed potatoes. On the third day, I took Becky to Red Lobster for her birthday. The only fear remaining was getting food in the gaping holes where my teeth once were. Now, only a month later, the holes have closed for the most part. I still have the occasional bit of food to rinse out, but nothing major (I remember, early on, rinsing a full mac and cheese noodle from one of the holes!!)

And, most importantly, there was no pain!!