Novacaine Extractions/No Teeth!

[Julie]

I have decided to have my teeth pulled with just novacaine and would like to know how bad it will be from those of you have had it done that way. I chickened out on anesthesia and immediates due to having a bad reaction to anesthesia before. This will mean 2 E-Days instead of one, though. My dentist wants to pull all my teeth but the front top 6 and the bottom top 4. She wants to do this on Friday! Jan. 6 E-Day will be for the rest of my teeth and then I will go a month with no teeth while I heal.

My questions are 1: How awful is it to have your teeth pulled when you are awake while they do it? 2: With only 6 teeth on top and 4 on bottom, will it be really noticeable that I've had teeth pulled? 3: How bad is it to go a month with no teeth or dentures?! I will have to stock up on food (pudding/applesauce?) so I won't have to leave my apartment (I live alone. My sister would help, but she lives 80 miles away). 4: How hard is the ajustment from no teeth at all to dentures? I will be starting Spring semester right after I get my dentures. Really don't want anyone to know. Thanks for your advice!

[Judy Phillips]

Hi Julie,

I'm totally new here having just joined this group a couple of hours ago, but I can answer your question about going a month with no teeth or dentures at all.

I had all my teeth extracted in September and am one of the rare ones who didn't get immediate dentures. Nobody even mentioned immediates to me - I have state medical assistance and I gather it wouldn't pay for them or something. Anyway, I had all my teeth out at once under anesthesia, but then was totally toothless for three months. I finally got my full dentures this past Friday.

So to answer your question how bad is it to be without teeth at all for awhile - it's not AS bad as you might think! I did become a hermit due to self-consciousness. I'm a stay-at-home mom and a homebody anyway, but I found myself avoiding going to local stores - I would only shop out of town, and send my husband shopping for me whenever possible. But as far as eating is concerned, it's amazing what you actually can eat with no teeth! I started with pudding and yogurt and cottage cheese, but after awhile, I was eating grilled cheese sandwiches, and my big accomplishment was a filet o' fish sandwich from McDonald's. I LOVE and finally decided to try it and by gosh, I could do it with no teeth. I could eat scrambled eggs, fried eggs, toast, ramen noodles, corned beef (that was a favorite thing early on, if you heat it up it just falls apart), mac and cheese, ground beef (I never tried a hamburger or cheeseburger but I could eat a hamburg patty with a fork.) Some things were just impossible, but there was a lot of stuff that was surprisingly easy. You learn to use your tongue in place of your bottom teeth and the roof of your mouth in place of your top teeth. When you know this is only temporary it isn't really bad at all.

Then you get your dentures and have to learn to eat with them! I'm doing that now and it's a challenge, but I'll learn it like I did with no teeth at all.

- Judy

[CrazyMarie]

Hi Julie, and welcome!
I, in my lifetime, only had one tooth ever pulled with just novacaine. I felt nothing but heard everything. Ask if you can bring an ipod or cd player with headphones. Ask if you can have an eye-mask. Are you a person that needs to know what's going on, or are you the opposite?

I really don't know about going the month with no teeth. There are many adjustments that one goes through when dentures are first placed in the mouth. I am almost a month post extraction, and still getting used to having dentures.

The other thing I wanted to bring up is the sedation thing. There are many different forms. And most Oral Surgeons don't put you completely out, like they do in the hospital. It's not a general anethesia. it's iv sedation. So I don't know what your reaction was. Mine was although I wasn't completely knocked out, I didn't know half the time what they were doing, and the other half of the time I didn't care. They also offered nitrous oxide, but i'm claustrophobic, and wanted nothing over my face.

As far as not wanting people to know, that's the tricky part. People in general (especially reading the posts on the board) don't notice. But I feel like I'm walking around with a NEON sign on my forehead, blinking!

I do wish you luck in your journey, and will be thinking of you. Come back here ask tons of questions, and there is always going to be someone here that you can relate to. We've all had so many different things done, in different ways, and we're all in different stages of our healing/denture process.

Take care of yourself,
Marie

[Joyce]

Hi Julie, I had my extractions with only novacaine, had 6 removed in the front top, I did get an immediate b/c I knew I couldn't go without them, vain I know but it is just me. You will be fine, it sounds like you have a plan and have made up your mind. Keep us posted,,,,

[Michelle Zoodsma]

I had 21 extractions with Novicaine only just about 5-1/2 wks ago...I am a complete and total dentist-phobe, and was in a full state of panic prior to getting this done. Seriously, my entire body was shaking so much when they were ready to begin numbing my mouth, the chair was rattling and they were afraid for me...and no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to stop shaking. The dentist and her assistant, however, were wonderfully patient and calm and literally held me until I could handle the first shot. And I can't say it was a piece of cake - what I can say, though, is that I followed EVERY SINGLE INSTRUCTION, really focusing on breathing through my nose, very slowly, and somehow that BECAME my focus throughout the entire procedure and it worked! I was fully aware but surprisingly not in pain - or panic. A part of my brain was actually sort of observing with amused surprise that it wasn't nearly the ordeal I thought it would be.

No, the shots aren't fun...yes, you're aware of the sounds, but they offered me earphones (I didn't use them). I thought it would take forever, but the extraction part was over in about 30 minutes. I'm NOT one who has ever used hypnosis and I'd say I'm even skeptical of it - but I must say, I got out of that chair feeling almost as if I'd been in a state of hypnosis. I just concentrated on breathing and, once the initial shots were numbing me up, focused on relaxing (and neither I nor the dentist and assistant thought THAT was even possible!).

So...having also used anesthesia and IV sedation at times in the past, and knowing that dental phobia has literally been my most consuming total-panic nightmare, I'd say even if you're totally panicked about it, I wouldn't panic too much about being "awake" for the whole thing. I'd have called anyone a liar who suggested it would happen - but after being numbed up, I actually could have drifted off to sleep while they were doing the actual extractions. I think the fear leading up to it was far worse than the procedure itself - and if a phobic like me can say that (and MANY others on this site say the same thing, lol), then you can have SOME comfort knowing your anxiety now is far greater than what you'll go through at that moment. Follow every single instruction for care of your extraction sites since you won't have a denture in place to protect them...

As for people knowing you have dentures? Not a single person has noticed except the people I told, and I think many of our friends on this board say the same thing. WE notice...it's ALL we notice at times, lol...but one of the best parts is seeing people who don't know and having them get that funny look, and you know they're thinking "hmmmm something's different - can't put my finger on it" and they don't realize it's just that they are seeing a rare smile with no covering hand!

As for the adjustment from no teeth to dentures - I only go a few hours without my teeth so my experience won't be like yours. But even my raggedy teeth were great for chewing, and I sure did miss them at first...but now, only 5+ wks later, some of the adjustments are really second nature. There are some little frustrations some days, but overall I feel I'm adapting pretty well and can only imagine how it will be a year from now. Everyone says the first few months are the hardest, and based on my first several weeks I believe them...after a month with no teeth, I imagine you'll welcome the chance "to adjust"!

Good luck to you - you'll do fine! Dig around on this board...you'll see LOTS of soft foods you can handle with no teeth and when you first have your new dentures. The variety is amazing, and it gets better every day. This forum has been a lifesaver for all of us - all our questions, all our fears, all our big and little victories in this journey...WELCOME!

[Susan]

Hi Julie,

extraxctions just with novacaine are ok, my sister had all 32 teeth out in one go with it..... I had been put to sleep as there had been some surgery on bones as well for me..... She was ok with it and would do so again.

As for getting no immediates: it would be better for you to get them. For one thing you go home with teeth in your mouth and have not to hide for a month. Another thing is to get used to dentures will be easier with immediates; furthermore immediates serve as bondage and makes healing safer from infections.

So get immediates; during first months gums will shrink and change and you will have to get relines and after some time you would need a perm set anyways.... so better to get immediates right away instead of waiting one month.

It would have been no way for me and my sister to go one single day with no teeth at all ! So we got immediates and thought of having done it right.....

[Michelle Zoodsma]

If you have a choice - I'd get them all at once with immediates...1 e-day, 1 set of shots, 1 adjustment period, no days without teeth - priceless :)

[Jon]

I would have to agree with the previous post. Even though my novacaine started wearing off half way through, I would not have been able to go through it again,if I had to come back. So, one time extractions is what I am thankful for. I am on my 3rd month now with immediates, and perms on the way. What a life changing experience.....for the better. Just get through it the first time around is my opinion. BTW: where I went, being "knocked out" was not an option, and I didn't even know this was possible. I had 24 teeth pulled that day, and I can say with confidence, now, it was the best choice I ever made!

[Michelle Zoodsma]

I agree with Jon in that I probably would have been MORE terrified to go back for a second round of major tooth-pulling...especially since the trend is to save the most painful (i.e. front ones) for the 2nd round. My Novicaine also started wearing off by the time they did the front teeth - which are extremely difficult to numb well anyway - and I'll admit I did have a couple of hours of total misery afterwards...which I could easily have lessened had I thought to take one pain killer just prior to extractions!

I wanted to get knocked out but, like Jon, it wasn't an option where I went...and now I'm glad it wasn't. There's a certain amount of risk, like any anesthesia, getting knocked out - and any after-effects are much less with just a local like Novicaine. I was actually kind of proud of myself after it was over (yeah, yeah, broke my elbow there patting myself on the back), and although wild rampaging buffaloes couldn't drag me in to do it again (I'm still phobic about dentists but it's almost a funny phobia now that I won't be facing any drills/needles!) - well, the beauty is, I'm all done!

[Greg]

Hi,

I had all my teeth pulled using Novicaine, all in one day. All went well! Why does your dentist want to prolong this, pulling your teeth in two sessions? I am also a fan of immediate dentures. They really do help protect things and aid in healing when you have your teeth pulled, in my opinion. Plus it is all over at one time.

Best,

Greg

[Joker's Wild Again]

Hey there...I had 26 teeth pulled all in one sitting with Novacaine and a pre-med (Xanax.) I also had Nitrous (my dentist met me in the parking lot with the tank ;-) .) I can't take the longer-acting Novacaine for health reasons, so I had up to the maximum number of shots and had one tooth left to go (upper left canine.) My dentist wanted to do it the next day, but no I wasn't coming back for that. My dentist made it clear that he didn't want me to come out of my Zen, so he even let me go out and have a smoke halfway through the procedure...sure surprised my spouse when I showed up at the car.

As for the dentures...I didn't have the money for them right away. In fact I only got them in October (my extractions were done in 2006.) I'm only now getting used to my dentures, and it's great to smile again :-) !!! ~JWA

[Patty]

Hi Julie and welcome!! Little late, But just not inline as much anymore. I had 25 pulled with just novacaine. It only took her about 40 minutes for everything. Left with my immediates went to get pain pills. Only took one pill later that night and I did not have any swelling that you could tell. That was in April and I got my perms the last of November and love them. You will be just fine. Just do everything the dentist says. Best thing I ever done. LOL Keep us posted

[JR]

My dentist never mentioned going without teeth. I had mine pulled (upper) in one sitting with a Xanax and Novacaine. The shots were some sort of rotating little thing and I didn't feel those. I couldn't have gone without teeth, vanity maybe, but I have a job working with the public, and I needed teeth. That was a year ago. My uppers are MY TEETH, I have no problems eating whatever I want and don't use adhesives. At the six month point the upper was hard relined. So far, no speech problems and I feel naked without my upper plate. I am still getting used to my interim partial on the bottom but I can eat with it and talk with it and that is the impt thing. It looks natural except for the little hooks. Those won't be noticeable with the nice partial with implant abutments. The implants are in the rear jaw.

Make sure you have something to relax you, one Xanax will do it. Novacaine and immediates. You will be fine. Good Luck.