My Journey Through Oral Surgery And The Lessons I've Learned

Ever wondered what it's like to face the drill at the dentist's office? Well, strap in as I, Brooke, offer you a front-row seat to my own dental drama that unfolded after my tooth extraction surgery on April 19th. Navigating the stormy seas of a last-minute anesthesia change at The Oral Surgery  Consultations of Pennsylvania, I'm getting real about the emotional whirlwind that comes with oral health crises. From the comfort of my boyfriend's unwavering support to the nervous anticipation leading up to the procedure, I'm baring it all, because when it comes to dental work, we're all in this together.

But it's not just about my story; it's about the bigger picture of dental care and the impact of neglect and fear. In the throes of recovery, I've had an epiphany about the importance of maintaining our pearly whites, and I'm sharing the insights with you. Hear about the toothache that almost ruined a family cruise and the daily habits that can lead to decay. This episode is a candid confession and a wake-up call rolled into one, with a side of hope for a future filled with crunchy snacks and a dazzling smile. Join me as I share my journey back to dental health and the lessons learned along the way.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Hey you guys, my name is Brooke, your fellow podcaster from the East Coast, and welcome to my podcast blogger with a twist, your host and their creator. And so, basically, on my podcast, I'll mainly be talking about things relating to lifestyle. So anything from me ranting about my life, my job, something I see on social media, or talking about something motivational or pretty much whatever is on my mind, that is pretty much the gist of my podcast. So if any of you guys find it interesting, do not hesitate t o subscribe, share my podcast with your family and friends and, last but not least, sit back, relax, grab your snacks or whatever you like to eat and let's get this episode popping. Hey you guys, and welcome back to a brand new episode and happy Thursday or Friday, whatever day you're tuning in. And let me tell you guys, I am so frustrated right now because I was recording this episode and I thought I was almost done, but then my dumb behind accidentally deleted the track and now I have to start all over again. So I'm hoping and cross my fingers that it's not going to happen for a second time. But other than that today's episode I thought that I would come on and give you guys a post-op update about my surgery that I had back on April the 19th. I know in my last episode I talked a little bit about it and also last week I did not drop an episode, and I am so sorry about that. I did have an episode recorded but after I edited the track I did not like how it sounded and for me, if I don't like how it sounds, I'm not going to upload it and maybe you can say that's a little bit of my OCD, but it was not going to happen. But, um, yeah, like I said, I'm just going to basically tell you guys what has been going on since my surgery and how everything went. So if you guys want to know more, grab your snacks and let's get this episode popping. Want to know more? Grab your snacks and let's get this episode popping.

Speaker 1: 2:49

So, starting off on the day of my surgery, I had to work in the morning and I got off at one o'clock in the afternoon and so after I got off my plan was to go to the gym and typically I normally go for about like an hour and a half most days when I go. So I figure it okay. I go after work, I get done maybe about 2.30ish, 2.45. I'll take a shower and then I'll make it to my appointment on time at 3.30. And even though that plan sounded all well and dandy, that did not happen. By the time I got to the gym it was after 2.30, because I was trying to edit the episode that I never even uploaded last week and yeah. So I had a late start to the gym and I kind of had to rush through my workout, which I was not that happy about, but at least I did exercise. So by the time I got out of the gym it was after three o'clock, I think, like 310.

Speaker 1: 3:56

And so on my way to the place I was getting my surgery done at which I'm trying to think I think it's called Dental Consultations of Pennsylvania, something like that. I'll put the name of the place in the description. So anyway, on my way over there, I did call my boyfriend to meet me so he could come with me to my appointment because I was so nervous. So after I met up with my boyfriend, we went over to the place and went inside and took the elevator up to the floor, and once we got into the office. I checked in and then we sat down and waited in a waiting room. So, as we're in a waiting room, I'm just getting more nervous and my boyfriend is comforting me and I think for me the reason why I was so nervous is because, number one, I thought it was going to be painful and, number two, I had changed the plans of my surgery.

Speaker 1: 4:59

So initially, when I had changed the plans of my surgery, so initially, when I had my consultation with my doctor a couple weeks before my surgery, I had planned to do full sedation, meaning that I wanted to be asleep during the surgery. I did not want to be awake because I did not want to feel the pain. But I want to say, about two days before my surgery, I got a call from the office, I think, like just confirming everything, and at that time I had decided to do local anesthesia instead versus full sedation because, number one, it was about $100 cheaper to do local anesthesia versus doing full sedation. And number two, I think, like eight hours prior to your surgery, you cannot have nothing to eat or nothing to drink, not even water. And I just felt like because I had work in the morning, like because I had work in the morning and if I had of not been drinking nothing or eating anything, I would have gotten lightheaded or dehydrated. So I just felt like it was just a better option. And also, maybe if my appointment had been in the morning, maybe I would have considered the sedation, but because my appointment was all the way in the afternoon, it just did not make any sense. So I think that also just made me more nervous, because now I'm going to be awake when they extract my teeth.

Speaker 1: 6:41

And so after about 45 minutes of us sitting in a waiting room, this guy comes from the back and calls my name to take me back into the room. And I remember I did ask the guy could my boyfriend come back there with me? And he told me no, because the surgery is not going to take that long, which, in actuality, you guys, it really did not take that long. So, anyway, we get back to the room, I sit down in a chair and he puts like this topical numbing gel in my mouth on either sides to get the numbing process started. Because, mind you, I'm getting two teeth extracted, one on either side of my mouth, two teeth extracted, one on either side of my mouth. And so after I want to say like 10 to 15 minutes, my doctor eventually comes in to give me the Novocaine shot.

Speaker 1: 7:36

And when I tell you guys that was probably the worst part was every time she poked me with that needle I would just close my eyes and clench my fist because it was not fun and, for people that don't know, I hate getting needles, I really do. So her sticking me in my mouth did not make it any better. So she ended up poking me twice on each side to make sure I was fully numbed up, and I was so happy when she was finally done because I kept thinking about the scene in the movie Norbit when Rasputia is getting a bikini wax and the lady like rips off the strip and I think Rasputia like kicks her in the face or something like that. That is how I felt every time my doctor was poking me in my mouth with that freaking needle. And so after, like I said, she poked me and the Novocaine started kicking in and I didn't feel anything.

Speaker 1: 8:40

She starts the surgery which, in all honesty, you guys took less than seven minutes, which, in all honesty, you guys took less than seven minutes, and after she took out my teeth, she stitched me up with some dissolvable stitches on either side of my mouth, put some gauze in my mouth and they did show me my teeth. She gave me a bag with some post-op instructions to follow and they sent me away, you know, sent me on my merry way, and I went back to my boyfriend's house and I pretty much just relaxed the rest of the day. I did have something to eat later on, after the Novocaine were off, because I was starving, ended up having spaghetti and meat sauce because for the next couple of days I was basically on a soft food diet and I could not have anything crunchy or chewy or anything too hot. So yeah, so yeah, your girl was on a baby food diet pretty much for the next like five or six days, like five or six days. After I had dinner, went to sleep and then Saturday, which was day one, I want to say, of my post-op, I was really sleepy and I don't know if it was because of the surgery or also because my period was on, but your girl was just tired. So Saturday I was sleeping in and out a lot and I did have some food, but it was basically oatmeal, applesauce, ice cream, you know, and as far as the pain level, it wasn't super bad. I was still a little swollen and my gums were sensitive. So that was Saturday and then Sunday, day two, post stop I was feeling a little bit better. My gums were still tender, I was still a little bit swollen, I was not as sleepy, I was still. I was still on my baby food soft food diet and also I started using a salt water rinse to cleanse my mouth, because they do say in the post-op instructions that after 24 hours I think they want you to start doing a salt water rinse, which is basically a cup of water with some salt to help clean, to help keep your mouth clean, like the holes in your mouth.

Speaker 1: 11:10

So what I would do is that I would put the salt water rinse in my mouth and gently bob my head side to side and then, when I was done, I would just open my mouth and let the water just flow out, rather than spitting it out, because one of the things they don't want you to do is spit, because it could possibly cause dry socket, which is basically I forgot the definition word by word but it happens when you accidentally dislodge the blood clot that has formed in the holes of your mouth and if you dislodge them from what I have heard, it can be a very painful experience. So that is why for the first week or so, they do not want you using the straw or spitting or smoking. Anything where it can cause you to dislodge the blood clot is a no-no. So yeah, I was doing my salt water rinses Also. I attempted to use a water flosser to just make sure I was getting everything clean. But when I tried to use a water flosser clean, but when I tried to use the water flosser, even though I had the pressure on soft, it still irritated the holes in my mouth. So that is when I just decided that the next day, on Monday, I would just go to either CVS or Rite Aid and get one of those plastic syringes without the needle to clean out the holes in my mouth, because I felt like it would just be easier. So that was pretty much the end of day two.

Speaker 1: 12:54

And then the next day, on Monday, which was day three post-op, I did go to the gym and I went to work. I was still a little swollen. I was still a little swollen. Pain wasn't that bad. I did end up going to CVS to not only get a syringe, but also to fill the prescriptions that my doctor had gave me. So she gave me three prescriptions. One was penicillin, which is basically an antibiotic. Second one was ibuprofen, I think it was like 800 milligrams. And then the last one. It was for pain relief, but I think it was an opioid which is a lot stronger than ibuprofen or pain relievers over the counter ibuprofen or pain relievers over the counter and I only ended up filling the antibiotic and the opioid just in case the pain got really bad, because I already have Advil and Tylenol and ibuprofen at home.

Speaker 1: 13:59

And then the next day, on Tuesday, day four post-op, I was starting to get sick of the soft food diet and I really wanted something to eat because I think the night before on Monday I was craving Wingstop, like I just wanted something to chew on. Ok, I did go to the gym, the pain wasn't that bad. The stitches in my mouth did finally dissolve. Stitches in my mouth did finally dissolve and it's so funny because the stitches on the right side of my mouth I felt like dissolved faster than the ones on my left, because I remember Tuesday morning when I woke up I could feel the stitches on the left side of my mouth and then later on Tuesday evening I could not feel them anymore. So I was so happy when it finally dissolved.

Speaker 1: 14:49

And then day five or six, that is when I attempted to eat solid food because I felt like now that the stitches were dissolved, it might be easier for me to chew solid food. But also I just felt like I needed a change in my eating pattern because, as much as I enjoy smoothies and applesauce and oatmeal and cream of wheat and ice cream, I just needed a change, okay. And so I ended up going out to the store for my mom and as I was driving I decided to pull into Burger King's drive-thru and I got a double cheeseburger with a small order of fries to really just test could I eat solid food? And I could. I just had to take really small bites because my gums would still feel irritated when I would chew my food. And so from that day on, you guys, the healing process has been going great. I can finally eat solid food, I can finally chew on things crunchy. It feels so great.

Speaker 1: 16:13

This Friday will make it my two week post-op and yeah, you know this journey of getting my teeth extracted. It has taught me a lesson? Okay, and the lesson is you need to take care of your teeth, because I feel like when I was younger, if I had taken better care of my teeth like brushing twice a day and flossing I probably would still have my teeth. I often sometimes think about when, back in 2017 and I was, and I was on a family cruise and I remember this one night I was having really bad tooth pain and I didn't tell anybody not my mom and I think at that time I did not have an actual dentist because I had got kicked off of my mom's insurance and I did not find a dentist. And, mind you, this pain had been happening for a couple of weeks. But because, like I said, I did not have a dentist, I did not go see anyone.

Speaker 1: 17:23

And when I think about that, I wish I had have gotten it checking out. I wish I had have had a dentist, because maybe I would still have that tooth. You know, maybe that's probably one of the tooth they did have to extract. So when I think about stuff like that, I could have done better, I should have done better, I should have done better, but it's a life lesson and things could have been worse, because I have definitely seen cases where people have lost like nine teeth, for all of their teeth, all of their top or bottoms.

Speaker 1: 17:59

So I'm just blessed and grateful that I still have enough teeth to smile, I have enough teeth to chew and I am definitely dedicated to making sure I'm taking care of the remainder of my teeth because, like I said, I'm not trying to lose any more teeth and you know, I feel like when it comes to teeth for any part of your body, once you lose it, then you kind of start seeing how important it is and how sometimes you take it for granted, Because when you don't have enough teeth to be able to eat food, then you may become malnourished and that can also affect other parts of your body. So it's important to make sure you're taking care of all parts of your body, and so, if you guys can get anything out of this episode besides me, just give you guys an update about my post-op and everything. I just want you to understand that you need to take care of your teeth and if you don't have a dentist, find one. And if you are having problems with your teeth, do not let it sit too long to the point where you don't have many options, because sometimes if you let a cavity or root canal or something sit too long, then you may end up losing more teeth than you may have wanted to, or you may get gum disease or it's a. It's a whole host of problems. So make sure not only are you taking care of your teeth at home, but you are going to a dentist to get your cleanings and stuff like that, because, boo-boo, it's not cute to be losing teeth. Okay, it's not cute. So please try to preserve your teeth and try not to have a lot of things that are acidic and a lot of candy and soda, because stuff like that will wear down the enamel on your teeth.

Speaker 1: 20:06

Like, seriously, I was watching this story about Britain's worst teeth and it was a brother and sister duo and the one guy like the way his teeth looked, it was so unbelievable, like like his front teeth, it looked like the size of his teeth had been eaten into and that was because of all the sugar he ate and, I think, the smoking and not flossing in between his teeth. So, yes, you guys, okay, make sure you are keeping up with your oral health and other than that, you guys, I'm doing good and I, like I said, I'm just happy to be over this part of my life and I'm happy I'm learning something from this and I'm taking better steps to making sure I'm keeping my teeth clean and making sure I'm flossing like I should. And also one last thing I do want to say.

Speaker 1: 21:08

I know there are a lot of people that do have a phobia about going to the dentist or even going to the doctor, and I completely understand. Sometimes, when you don't know, it's better than actually knowing. So I'm just hoping that if you do have a phobia when it comes to the dentist or whatever, try to overcome that phobia, especially if you are in pain and you can tell that your teeth are decaying. Like understand it can be scary to go to the dentist and seeing a needle and hearing the drills and stuff like that, to the dentist and seeing the needle and hearing the drills and stuff like that, but at the end of the day, your, your teeth and the health of your teeth is way more important, I feel like, and that's just my opinion. So please, if you do have a phobia, try to get some help and just try to understand that your phobia may be holding you back from maintaining the health of your teeth and know that you're not alone and, like I said, there are a lot of people that do have phobias when it comes to that. You just have to find ways to be able to cope with it so you can eventually go to the dentist and get your checkups and stuff like that.

Speaker 1: 22:28

And so, yeah, you guys, thank you again for listening and, like I said, I am just so excited to be able to eat solid food again and not be eating like a baby, because I'm too grown for that. Okay, talk to you guys in my next episode. I'm too grown for that. Okay, talk to you guys in my next episode. So, you guys, that will conclude this week's episode. If you enjoyed it, like I say in my intro, definitely subscribe, share the podcast. If you have any questions or inquiries, all of my information is in the description box of every episode and, other than that, you guys, stay blessed, stay positive, be safe and peace.