Dry socket

[amanda1252]

@Gordon please can you tell me if this is normal healing from dry socket (12 days post extraction)

On the inner side of the gum there is a large bony section which I assume is the top of the socket?, will this disappear eventually as it is giving me an ulcer on the tongue?

At the front of the socket it is still very red and swollen . It is very painful when my tongue rubs the area but otherwise painless. It has been like this since the extraction, I had 5 days antibiotics for an infection which I think has cleared everything ok but I am a little concerned about the very red section - am I over worrying, could it be some bone trying to work its way out??

Does the socket itself look normal? I am still not sure if there is some packing in there from the dry socket or if this is actual healing tissue? I am still doing salt water washes after ever meal and it still wont budge.

As I am not in pain unless I touch the area, I really don't want to go back to the dentist for another check up.

Thanks

 

[Gordon]

It looks OK, I don't think the redness has any bone there, it's a funny place to find it, just some inflammation as part of the healing process. I can only see granulation tissue there which is good.
The bony section will disappear soon, as the gum grows over it.

Bit of a mess but it's going in the right direction now by the look of it.

 

[amanda1252]

@Gordon Thank you! I feel much better now that I know everything is going in the right direction. When I agreed to the tooth extraction I was expecting to be almost back to normal within 3 weeks (I go on holiday next week) but seems that the dry socket and infection has slowed the healing down and I think the extraction itself has made a mess of my gums.

I was not experiencing toothache before the extraction, I had a broken crown on a RCT and the dentist identified an infection beneath the tooth and advised they could not re-crown unless they tried to redo the RCT. It was my second failed RCT so it was decided to extract. I chose to be proactive and do it now as I was worried the "stump" would be fragile and cause problems at the most inconvenient time (like on my holiday).

As I had infection already beneath the tooth, do you think it would have been appropriate to have been prescribed antibiotics before the extraction?

Anyway, it is done now and at least I am mostly pain free with the exception of my tongue touching the gums when eating/talking and I am able to eat real food again so all is not hopeless if I am still in the process of healing when I go on holiday.

 

[Gordon]

As I had infection already beneath the tooth, do you think it would have been appropriate to have been prescribed antibiotics before the extraction?

No.

It's really annoying though when you make a sensible decision like getting the tooth out in time for your holidays and it blows up in your face like that.