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Dry socket pain for almost 2 months

D

Drysockethell

Junior member
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
6
Location
LINCOLNSHIRE
I had a tooth extracted almost 2 months ago and developed dry socket, the pain subsided for a while and then returned. The pain is not as intense as it was at first but I have soreness in the area and a bitter taste in my mouth and my tongue is slightly discoloured on one side. I also experience occasional headaches and my gum and cheek feels "thick" at times. The socket appears to have healed but my dentist has told me that as it was a traumatic extraction i may experience pain for 2-3 months. I understand that everyone is different and heals at different rates and that dry socket pain has no set time to disappear. Will the pain eventually go?
 
Hi Drysockethell.
It could be that this is a really slow healing socket but nevertheless, if you gut feeling is that it is not slowly moving in the right direction then you should get it checked. On the odd occasion there may be a sliver of dead bone in the socket that needs to be removed to allow full healing or there might be a more deep seated infection in the bone although this is extremely unlikely. I have only seen this once in 30 years as a dentist.
Lincoln
 
Many thanks for your input, I have an appointment with an oral surgeon at the hospital today who I'm sure will sort this.
 
Hi
Following my visit to the oral surgeon he said that the discoloration on my tongue was a fungal infection, probably oral thrush, which has been there for a while. I was given a Nystatin suspension to help get rid of it. He saw tiny spicules in the socket which he can surgically remove and I'll be booked in for the new year. He said the pain could subside on its own and the spicules can fall out on their own. I'm wondering if the pain and bitter taste is due to the thrush? The symptoms are soreness in the mouth and a bad taste which is the main problem at present. I'm also concerned that if I have the spicules removed surgically would the pain still persist?
 
Thrush gives a sort of itchy/burny sensation as well as altered taste. Does that fit with how your mouth feels?
 
Hi Gordon
Thank you for responding to my post.
It was more of a soreness / mild burning sensation moving from the gum area where the tooth was extracted to the left inner cheek. I've now started a course of fluconazole tablets... 3 days into a week. The soreness has subsided and my tongue looks a bit better but my gum feels swollen... like a gripping sensation and I'm still getting the odd headache and nervy tingle. Do you think the pain will eventually subside?
 
Honestly I've no idea. Fluconazole is very effective against thrush, so best I can say is that if your symptoms have gone after a course, then it was definitely thrush :)
I assume you're otherwise in good health?
 
The thrush symptoms are going but I have a numbness in the extraction area as if I've had anaesthetic. The spicules are poking through the gum . It tends to develop into a gripping sensation, tightening up. I'm getting the odd nervy tingle and headache / earache
 
Easy enough to remove the spicules, I'd get back to the dentist and get that dealt with.
 
The oral surgeon is going to do that in the new year. I've been told the numb feeling in my gum similar to having anesthesic and the tightening, gripping sensation is the healing process which can take a while
 
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