Korean Job Discussion Forums

marlow · Joined: 06 Feb 2005

Anyone else have this done in Korea? I had all four out, two at a time, one week apart. They used local anesthesia, and I found it rather unpleasant and painful, even with extra freezing. My teeth were impacted, so the surgery was a little deeper and complicated. I'm glad there are only four, and they are all out - ha ha - no more of that hell.

The only gross thing are the remnant holes/caverns in my lower gum that hold an amazing amount of chewed food. I have to clean them with a spray bottle, as brushing can't clean them effectively. I go for the follow up this week and to get the remaining stitches out, and I'm wondering what to ask the dentist about the holes. When should they close up, or will they naturally, and what will the dentist probably tell me?

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

They will close up eventually. Mine took about two years to close completely (one year to get past the disgusting food stuck inside part) but he had to cut one of them out. It was nasty. I never went back to get the other two out... and now my insurance is gone.

So how much does it cost to get wisdom teeth pulled in Korea?

Troll_Bait

marlow · Joined: 06 Feb 2005

shetan · Joined: 24 Apr 2006 Location: In front of my PC.

i was going to get mine pulled but after reading all this I think Im gonna wuss out..

is there any noticable difference in comfort or reduction in pain after they are gone?

IE.. is it worth it?

xCustomx · Joined: 06 Jan 2006

Mine are also impacted and my dentist back home told me that I should have them removed, but after hearing Marlow's story I think I may pass.

maeil · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Location: Haebangchon

Mine weren't impacted. I had them all out one at a time, with local anesthetic and a week between each extraction. Each appointment was under 10 minutes, and each tooth cost 7k. Incredibly easy with no swelling and almost no pain - I didn't even have to take the painkillers they gave me afterwards.

My holes closed up in about 2 months. I can still feel the depressions there (maybe 5 months later), but nothing is getting stuck in there anymore.

I can't speak to impacted teeth, but I and other people I know have had good experiences with Korean dentists and non-impacted teeth.

Fun fact: Westerners call them Wisdom teeth, and Koreans call them Love teeth.

marlow · Joined: 06 Feb 2005

samd · Joined: 03 Jan 2007

Had my bottom left wisdom out last week. 5 days later I'm still in pain.

Dentist was awesome, the procedure was fine, I was wide awake, it's the aftermath that sucks. I just want to be able to eat properly again.

Draz · Joined: 27 Jun 2007 Location: Land of Morning Clam

Vicissitude · Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Location: Chef School

The normal procedure where I come from is to have all four extracted at the same time. My mother worked in the a dental field for most of my growing up years and I drug her along with me. It was terrible watching the movie with her where they show how a human jaw literally breaks in half from all the drilling. They made me sign a release and hold harmless agreement incase they broke my jaw in half and I woke up in intensive care at the hospital. I almost ran out but she held me down. My teeth were seriously impacted and the doctors were worried about breaking my jaw. There was no choice in the matter about being completely knocked out for the procedure which lasted for about four hours. I woke up a bit in the middle of the surgery and I remember the doctor telling the nurse to give me more because I was waking up. Then, when it was all over, they could not wake me up. I felt this terrible stomach ache like was going to die. I didn't feel pain in my mouth but my stomach was killing me. My mother headed off to the pharmacy to get me some vicadin for when I woke up. That's some serious pain medication. Doctors insisted that I would need it. In and out of consciousness they were telling me that my surgery was complicated and that I might get dry socket, which is very common. Well, I got the dry socket and I had to go back into the office on the second day so they could rip out the stitches, hose the holes all out and put these "packings" down deep in there. Packings are this long thin gauze dipped in some type of numbing that they pack down DEEP and hard. THAT HURT LIKE HELL!!! But once the med in the gauze started to kick in, it felt a little better. I had to have that done every few days. Doctors actually told me they felt sorry for me. Sad

They were quite good doctors. I just can't possibly fathom the thought of having that surgery done in Korea. No way in HELL!

Anyway, it took a few months for the holes to fill in. Sometimes I get phantom pains where the teeth were. It happens several times a year and lasts for about five minutes each time.

mercury · Joined: 05 Dec 2004 Location: Pusan

Had mine out in MEXICO, an L.A trained dentist did it.

1. Went to his private HOUSE office. His beautiful secretary took the exrays.

2. He came in, spent 10 minutes looking at the exrays, they had grown into my jaw bone.

3. He put some kind of cream all over my gums, I DID NOT FEEL ONE THING! Nice music, nice office, he stitched up the holes, went back two weeks later and he took out the stitches, total cost.......

250 U.S dollars! No pain, no lines, no waiting, and he was one classy dentist!