Just got my wisdom tooth operation done near to half a month back at Khoo Teck Phuat and I thought I shall just blog about my experience so friends who are considering or about to go through the same experience as me can know roughly what to expect!
Before Operation Day
I had 4 wisdom tooth removed and 2 other extra teeth in front (1 grew behind my original tooth, and 1 is buried under my front tooth) all at one go. For that to happen, I had to go through general anesthesia so feasting 8 hours before operation time was required. I actually rescheduled my operation twice because I caught a flu the day before on the first appointment, and got chased back home on the second appointment because the anesthetist said that I can't go on with the operation when I still have phlegm.
Tip: As much as it can be tempting to have all the food you want because you can no longer do it for probably the next 2 weeks after operation. PLEASE DON'T.
I did that the first round and it was so torturous when I had to feast and I feel sick. So I would recommend you to start getting use to not taking in water after 12 midnight so it won't be too uncomfortable for you on the day of operation.
During Operation Day
I think I am lucky that all the 2 times I went I got a staff with really good service for registration. So the registration staff checked with me about my Medisave and then lead me in to meet the staff nurse that is in charge of my surgery.
The member involved to my memory are several staff nurses, the dentist, senior operation staff nurse and 3 anesthetist in the operation room. They will first get you to change into a robe and put on something like a shower cap. If you have drug allergy, you get a red one. Then they will start asking you for your name and why are you there for. The different group of member will take turns to come and ask you the same damn question which I think was pretty annoying, cause I swear I said the same thing more than 4 times.
Tip: Just be prepared that they bombard you with 3 standard questions:
What is your name and NRIC number?
Why are you here for today?
What are your drug allergies?
*At least I see several people after me getting that as well LOL*
After the nurses made sure you are who you are, and that you know what shit you are getting yourself into, the dentist will get you in a room and tell you again what you will expect during and after the operation and the risks involved. Nothing new because they would have have told you when you had your review way before the operation day.
Then you will meet your anesthetist and they ask you the same questions again and tells you about the procedure to expect and the possible side effect. Some side effects not written on the list of risk they gave me are things like, having dry blood in the nose if they have difficulty inserting the tube, or sore throat if they fail to insert a tube through my nose and had to put it through my throat and coarse voice. After telling you what to expect, I saw the thing I was most scared of. That damn iv line.
Tip: Don't be too nervous. Choose to lie down over sitting up. If your veins collapse while the anesthetist inserts the iv line. She will take it out and poke again. It sucks. I had to do it 3 times, so I know. HAHA.
After they get the iv line in, I was ask to lie there and wait for my doom time to come.
HAHA. Kidding la. I was just lying down gossiping with my mum and scrolling my phone, taking useless snaps on snapchat lol for about 20 minutes before I was called in.
When I get into the operation room, I see my x-ray projected on the screen, like a super big one and also my throne and all the equipment. So I lie down and the anesthetist put something in my iv line and okay, it hurts and I still don't know what it is cause I did not sleep right after so I guess is not the anesthesia? They also stick the things on you to track your heartbeat and stuff. So after that one gush of pain, the anesthetist put this oxygen mask over me and I just breathe normally. After breathing like a minute or two of it, the second anesthetist then inform me that he will be putting the anesthesia in and I my feel something warm or a bit of pain. Okay. I felt nothing HAHA.
After surgery
The next thing I know was nurses calling my name and tada, I am on the recovery ward lo!
I had a moment of confusion on if I even consciously went in to the operation room which my memory came back after a few minutes of recalling. So no big drama that I thought on the confusion, like if i would remember my name etc. The nurses will just check on you if you feel any sharp pain and I feel super drowsy. But the nurses was talking so loud that I can't sleep again so yea. I stayed awake hearing all their gossips till I get back to my ward.
Conclusion: General anesthesia is good! I felt no pain throughout and I don't have to go through all those torturous drilling shit and seeing what they do but not feeling it. I just have my best sleep and continue being able to have a good sleep every now and then for the day HAHA. So if you are worried like I was, don't be!
Before I was able to leave the hospital, they checked with me if I had any sharp pain and also gave me one painkiller and bite on the gauze for about an hour plus. They then gave me some apple juice and water and i swear it was damn hard to drink because I felt like my lips was swelling like sausages but it is not HAHA. Its just because of the anesthesia that did not wear off yet.
Discovery: I read a lot online that we cannot suck on the straw after the operation and I was quite stunned when the nurse gave me a straw to suck the apple juice. After checking with the nurse, they said that only some patient that have special cases like the place connecting from the mouth to nose is empty cannot suck on straw as the drink will come out from the nose. So I can't be sure if the dry socket thing really applies these days but I was recovering well though i drank from straw 1 hour after operation so I guess its okay?
For the rest of the day, I had 1 yogurt and soya bean milk. No pain felt probably thanks to the local anesthesia that remains. Continue taking my painkillers as instructed and finished my antibiotics though it gave me quite some rash, but continued with it since it wasn't that serious.
This was roughly all for my day of surgery removing 4 wisdom tooth and 2 extra tooth at the front! I think I was over paranoid before the operation and it really isn't as scary as I thought it was. Am thankful for the nurses and hope that this read can clear some doubt for locals who are about to go for wisdom tooth operation since most information I manage to get last time are more from other countries.
Will blog about my food diet and the recovery of my wisdom tooth and the level of pain to expect on the subsequent days soon. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any things you wanna know about the operation and I will be more than glad to share my experience with you!
