The Surgeryening
Wednesday was the day of my oral surgery. I had one half of my total gum graft procedure, having tissue from the room of my mouth grafted onto my rear right lower gum. The worst part of the procedure was the novacaine shot into the roof of the mouth, which I found to be exceedingly painful. Otherwise, the experience was merely long and tedious.
I was sent away with a number of chemical instant ice packs, two prescriptions for painkillers, and a 'scrip for a special mouthwash. I also left with a stent. A stent is a plastic covering that (in my case) fits over the roof of my mouth, rather like the top half of a set of plastic vampire teeth. This is to protect the area where the tissue was removed. It tastes and smells terrible if not washed two or three times a day.
Pain management has been pretty good. I am on a medication called Lodine that has good pain- and swelling-reduction abilities, and this can be supplemented at my discretion with a generous supply of Vicodin.
Christopher has been my hero in all this. Not only did he show up at the dental office early for moral support, he also drove me home, got my prescriptions, and soothed my ravaged mouth with sumptuous and cold smoothies )made with ingredients from Whole Foods) for the first two days.
I was sent away with a number of chemical instant ice packs, two prescriptions for painkillers, and a 'scrip for a special mouthwash. I also left with a stent. A stent is a plastic covering that (in my case) fits over the roof of my mouth, rather like the top half of a set of plastic vampire teeth. This is to protect the area where the tissue was removed. It tastes and smells terrible if not washed two or three times a day.
Pain management has been pretty good. I am on a medication called Lodine that has good pain- and swelling-reduction abilities, and this can be supplemented at my discretion with a generous supply of Vicodin.
Christopher has been my hero in all this. Not only did he show up at the dental office early for moral support, he also drove me home, got my prescriptions, and soothed my ravaged mouth with sumptuous and cold smoothies )made with ingredients from Whole Foods) for the first two days.