I just had two wisdom teeth pulled at the age of 45. (This is a statement of fact and possibly a disclaimer for the content of this post). It was the easiest dental procedure I’ve ever had with the help of a little IV sedation, something that was not an option when I had teeth pulled as a kid. (Hooray for medical progress!) My memories of those previous teeth pulling events are dramatic. Big needles of Novocain and lots of twisting and pulling and cracking (possibly exaggerated in my memory). The last thing I remember today as I was getting woozy was thinking that Wisdom Teeth is a stupid name and then my husband was tucking me in at home for a nap. Soft foods and no spitting are my main restrictions (i.e., soup and ice cream for lunch and no watermelon seed spitting contest). Dentistry has come a long way and its importance to overall health, particularly for older adults, does not get the attention it deserves. Perhaps that’s a post for another day when I can chew on something more substantial.
But for now, back to this name thing. Supposedly the third molars are called Wisdom Teeth because they typically come in between the ages of 17 and 25, much later than the rest of our teeth and when we are so much wiser. Thinking back to myself at that age, more appropriate names might have been Obnoxious Teeth, Stubborn Teeth, Naïve Teeth, Spoiled Brat Teeth, Clueless Teeth, etc., etc., etc.
I wonder if that means that today I lost half of my obnoxious, stubborn, naïve, spoiled, clueless qualities?
I am totally impressed that you wrote a blog entry after being sedated for wisdom teeth removal. Hope you feel OK!