As students get older, their wisdom teeth slowly emerge. Sometimes they can be crooked or backward, causing tenderness. Removal may be needed, and long breaks from school, like the holiday break coming up, is often a time students get wisdom teeth taken out.
However, wisdom teeth removal can also cause pain and discomfort for students and can put them at risk for dry sockets, which is when the blood clot within the hollow wound becomes dislodged.
Nerve damage is a concern when getting wisdom teeth out, but horribly impacted teeth can cause soreness and discomfort for students.
“On my right side on the top, it was impacted in my nasal cavity so they had to go in and redo my gums and stitch it up. That was really painful, but the other two I knew were impacted,” said OH junior and student artist Ava Pinks.
Although this experience can be nerve-wracking, getting them removed may be the best option. But for students who are nervous going into the procedure, emotional support can come in many forms.
“My mom let me take my boyfriend out of school, so he could come with me and he was my emotional support, he filmed me and did the fun things,” said Pinks.
Support from friends, family, and teachers can help relieve stress for students getting their wisdom teeth removed. The all-liquid diet, however, removes the possibility for students to rely on emotional support foods.
“Make sure you stock up on pudding and Jell-O and ice cream. You’re not allowed to eat solid food for the first three days and after that you can eat pasta. Make sure to get foods like these, you’ll get sick of them so try to get variety,” said OH senior Jordan Trader.
Frozen foods provide an icy effect that helps relieve tooth pain. Other foods can also help relieve tooth pain.
“I loved frozen yogurt, that was my thing. I ate a lot of frozen yogurt and boba. I’d take the lid off and drink out of it. I’d also say pineapple juice before [the procedure] because it helps with swelling,” said Pinks.
Protecting teeth is the top priority after getting your wisdom teeth removed, but it is not always possible for band players.
“I’m not nervous. I’m mostly annoyed at the prospect of being unable to play the trumpet for a while. Missing school could be annoying too,” said junior and band student Cameron Anderson.
For band members, wisdom teeth removal can cause stress. When wisdom teeth are removed, students cannot play their instrument for a certain amount of time. For those who try, there are many harsh consequences.
“It was a week after my surgery and I was still bleeding. [[…]] I thought I had to take this gig, so I played the first hour. [It] was fine then I started to look in my mouthpiece because I wasn’t feeling so great, and I saw blood in my mouthpiece” said OH band director Kevin Schoenbach, “I still had two more hours of playing after that so it was really gross.”
Preventing dry sockets is the worst-case scenario for students. It causes severe pain and requires more procedures to correct.
“They had to do x-rays, then my dentist was poking and stuff. So they put [gause with] clover inside [[..]] it’s supposed to heal it and stuff. [[…]] Then you come back two days after and get it removed and refilled, then you go back and do the same thing, so it’s not a fun process, so don’t let that happen to you. Dry sockets are not fun,” said Pinks.
Overall, wisdom teeth removal is an important part of health for teenagers. Although it may seem nerve-wracking, it is crucial.
Hello, I am a journalist at 42fifty, this is my first year and I am a senior. I am in many clubs such as Youth in Government, German club, Horticulture club and more! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
This is great, such a fun angle!