Wisdom Tooth Guide

(This post was previously from https://aboutwanariff.blogspot.com/2016/03/wisdom-tooth-guide.html )

This guide would be useful if:

1) You are an NSF (better if you are from SCDF)

2) Want to know what to do to get your wisdom tooth plucked out (for free, if you are an NSF)

3) Want to know the procedures for the surgery

4) Want to know how it feels

5) Want to know tips for before and after the surgery

Wisdom Tooth

Wisdom tooth is that annoying tooth that grows at the very end after your last visible molar tooth at all four sides of your mouth. They are usually inside your gums, but over time (usually when you are 20 years and above) there will be instances where they could grow out of your gums at an angle or move inwards to constrain the spaces of your remaining teeth. The former could result in infection or tooth decay as it would be near impossible to brush the tooth at an angle using a typical toothbrush. The later could cause your other tooth to move out of shape resulting in crooked tooth and even cause pain or discomfort. Some people are born with no wisdom tooth, others with all four. For me, I had three. Either way, the treatment normally prescribed is to remove them.

What have I gotten into?

For NSFs

For a National Service Fulltime (NSF; which could also mean Non-Sufficient Fund or Not So Fast, both very apt), an option by the Ministry was given to them to be able to remove their wisdom tooth for free during their NS period. First step is to consult a person in-charge of your unit's welfare. The person in charge would have at the very least another name for you to ask more questions about the procedures. As an SCDF NSF posted to a fire station as my unit, I was referred to a medical admin officer at my station. All fire station would have an admin officer to settle administration, and they would have the knowledge of the procedures to pluck your wisdom tooth for free. If you are posted to a different unit, the advise given might be different, thus you have to consult your relevant officers in charge. For me, the advice given was first, to get a referral from a Polyclinic which would schedule an appointment for me to a clinic which could perform the surgery for free under the NS agreement. Going/ calling the clinics directly would only result in them asking you to go to a Polyclinic first to get a referral. Any Polyclinic would do. I went to Pasir Ris Polyclinic. I went and consulted a doctor and asked for a referral to pluck my wisdom tooth. After the consultation, I was led to another room, the Polyclinic's call centre, where a nurse called the clinics to schedule an appointment for me. Some suggested clinics are the National Dental Centre and Changi Hospital. An appointment for dental consultation was fixed and I was given a referral letter.

Pre-Procedure/ Consultation

When the day of appointment came, I went to the National Dental Centre at Outram and was led to level 2 for registration. After registration, those below 21 are required to bring their parent/s-, my number was called up and I went to consult a Dentist. The Dentist checked and prodded my teeth in a cubicle with a dentist chair and some minimal dental equipment in it. Then I was led to an X Ray room where an x ray of my face was taken. I went back to the dentist and she advised me on the surgery required regarding my wisdom tooth. I had 2 high risk impacted wisdom tooth and 1 other wisdom tooth which would most likely not be impacted my entire life. She told me to choose if I wish to remove all 3 or just 2. She also highlighted the risks of the surgery, namely damage to the nerves which would numb senses near the wisdom tooth area and the risk of perforation on the upper gums. (A hole from mouth to nose.) The risks are small, about 1%, but nevertheless they are still risks. She also asked if I would prefer general or local anesthetic. General meaning I would go to sleep during surgery and local meaning I would be awake but they would numb the area they are operating on. In the end, I chose general aesthetics and to remove all 3 wisdom tooth at once. After the consultation, I was led out of the room and waited to schedule another appointment on another day for the surgery itself. A nurse with a calendar book looked through all appointments and scheduled a date agreeable for all parties. The nurse also advised on what to bring on the day itself and told me to not eat after 12am the day before the surgery or the Dentist would postpone my surgery.

Surgery

On 1 March, I went to NDC to level 3 where the surgery room is. After registering, I was led to a bed and was told to change my shirt to a plain blue shirt reminiscent of a bathrobe or kimono and an adjustable blue pants with slippers. A nurse took my blood pressure and asked me questions about my medical history. Afterwards, I was told to wait in my bed. I waited for hours before I was called. A very friendly and nice anaesthetic doctor told me the procedures of the surgery and if I had sneezing or coughing the previous days. Sneezing might affect the surgery and if I had them, they would postpone the surgery. I was then lead to the operating room and was told to lie on a bed under an enormous lamp. The staff was very friendly and asked me questions about my work and stuff. They inserted a 24G cannula to my left hand. Afterwards they place a mask over my face. At first I thought it was oxygen. Then, the gas smelled different. My second last breath made me really drowsy. The last thing I heard was, "You are doing really great...". Then, I blacked out. I had many dreams. Some bad, some good. But I totally did not recall the surgery. The next thing I felt was a slap from a nurse asking me to wake and I woke up suddenly, surprised.

The first thing I tried to do was to comprehend what just happened and it slowly dawned to me that I just had my surgery and I remembered the gas. The next thing I realized was that I could not feel my tongue. It was numb, and so is the sides of my mouth. The nurse calmed me down and I felt them wheeling me to my previous ward where I had waited before my surgery. I was very groggy and when I tried to sit up, my whole body was weak and it made my head spin. The peculiar thing was that my mouth did not hurt and I assumed it was due to the anaesthetic. A different nurse came to me and fed me a cup full of purple glucose  through my mouth. It had been about 14 hours since I last ate. Nurses have high patience level and I salute them. For there I was, a helpless patient barely able to open my mouth due to the numbness and I had spilt my drink and she wiped it for me. I have my gratitude to all the staff which made my surgery successful and pleasant, they are really professional. Afterwards, my dentist came to me and told me of the surgery and it's outcome and told me what to do in the next coming days and what to expect. I collected my medication and afterwards left the vicinity. As a precaution, I was told to take a cab home.

Post surgery

The pain I envisioned based on countless recounted experiences from friends who had undergone the surgery before did not arrive. What I felt was a prickly pain similar to a cut to my finger, to the sides of the operated area. There was no excruciating pain, just the prickly feeling once in a while and when I bend my head down. Swallowing the painkillers even let the pain disappear altogether. The only problem was that my mouth became swollen and hard to open for the next 4 days. The swelling was very severe, I stopped all social activities like a chalet and movie outing with colleagues and friends. The silver lining is, I had a clear picture of what I would look like if I was fat. And it was not a pretty sight. (Added motivation to keep fit) I was told to eat 5 pills 3 times daily for the next few days and since my mouth was swollen, I was advised not to eat or chew on the affected places of surgery in my mouth for at least the next few days. My mother cooked for me porridge almost everyday and bought me tubs of ice cream. I spent my days eating and watching movies or catching up on television shows I had missed. When I get bored I read books or do household chores around the house. And before long, I had recovered. I fixed another appointment about a week after the surgery to the dental centre where they check up on my teeth and remove the stitches. The removing of stitches is slightly painful, like a prick. Afterwards, I recovered a little more and my mouth is back to normal. The slight complication I had was that I felt a slight numbness to my lower right jaw. The dentist then told me to come back in a month and gave me a prescription of vitamin D for the nerves. But generally, the procedure went extremely well.

Cost

The cost of the surgery, under the NS Scheme amounted to $7 for the removal of 3 wisdom tooth. I checked the invoice for my surgery at the National Dental Centre, the cost of the surgery amounted to $3000+ but with Government subsidies (for Singaporeans/PRs) bringing the cost down to about $1200+. My private dentist quoted me $2200 for the removal of all 3 wisdom tooth.

For NSFs, I would advice them to apply to remove wisdom tooth early. If they remove 2 teeth, they are allowed to remove one at a time. Each time they remove would allow them to take 7/8 days of MC. That is, if they wish to do so. I advice them to take early because I took mine close to my ORD date (ord-oh), and almost was not able to get an appointment to remove my wisdom teeth. I would advise them to at the very least, start getting referrals at least 1 or 1 and a half month before your Ord date as it may take 1 or even 2 months until you get an appointment to remove your wisdom tooth.

I hope this guide was useful as I sure was not able to get a proper detailed guide from just Google. For those intending to get their wisdom tooth removed, do not be afraid as the way the surgery looks is less painful than it seems. A paramedic once told me a thing about pain. At that time, the paramedic was referring to inserting a needle into our hand for intravenous (IV) use and he had this advise for those who are afraid of needles. "Pain, pain a bit only what. Why need to scared? You can't die. Seriously, you cant die!" And it's true! A needle won't kill you. I have seen patients with a crushed leg or had broken their arms and I do believe their pain would be insurmountable compared to a needle poke. I will not die.

But anyway, for being less wise by 3 tooths, I sure am wiser about the subject.

Name one person you have known to have died from a needle poke