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Hard lump on the cheek 5 days after wisdom teeth extraction

A

applebees

Junior member
Joined
May 26, 2019
Messages
9
Location
Winnipeg
Hi guys,

I’ve had my wisdom teeth surgery 5 days ago. Went back to my dental surgeon 3 days after as I noticed some white pus in the extraction site where my impacted tooth was. He said I had a little infection but I was already taking Penicillin after the surgery. He prescribed me new antibiotics Amoxicillin 500 mg 3x a day and Metronidazole 500 mg 3x a day. Started the new antibiotics the other day but I am just so fatigued and exhausted, I’m still on a soft diet not sure if this is causing the weakness or the strong antibiotics. I also noticed a hard lump on my cheek below the extraction site not sure what it is. There is still some pain on the extraction site but manageable with ibuprofen 400 mg. Hope someone can enlighten me, I hope there’s light after the tunnel just want to recover as soon as I can. Thank you.
 
Hi!
Fatigue is normal and can last a couple weeks both due to the calorie deficit from eating less and just the stress on your body to heal and combat infection. It is good that they are being proactive with antibiotics and as long as the pain is manageable you are probably in good shape. I’m not a dentist but I would guess that lump could be from an injection to numb the area??? Although 5 days seems like a long time to still have that...also not sure how far below you are meaning...if it’s closer to the jaw it may even be a swollen lymph node which would make sense if there is an infection present.
 
D
Hi!
Fatigue is normal and can last a couple weeks both due to the calorie deficit from eating less and just the stress on your body to heal and combat infection. It is good that they are being proactive with antibiotics and as long as the pain is manageable you are probably in good shape. I’m not a dentist but I would guess that lump could be from an injection to numb the area??? Although 5 days seems like a long time to still have that...also not sure how far below you are meaning...if it’s closer to the jaw it may even be a swollen lymph node which would make sense if there is an infection present.

Hi Kitkat,

Thank you so much for your response. Your support and thoughts are really appreciated during these times. I expected pain and swelling after the surgery but I did not expect the exhaustion and weakness after. Being on a really low caloric diet plus the stress and trauma, medications, pain and infections if there are any could really be quite draining and tiring. I’ve never felt such exhaustion in my life. Doing daily activities can easily tire me these days. Need to up my food intake to get my energy back. I also phoned the surgeon he said the lump might be related to the infection and the new antibiotics should take care of this. It has gotten a bit smaller after starting the new antibiotics, hopefully I get rid of it in the next few days.

Is having some pain on the 5th day normal after the surgery? When do most patients expect to recover without the need to take pain meds evey 6 hours or so?

Thanks again!
 
In my experience with wisdom teeth (I had mine out 15 years ago), I remember needing pain meds consistently for about 10 days (all of mine were impacted). I could only take ibuprofen as the narcotic pain meds made me very nauseous. Yes nobody warned me that I would be so drained of energy and I had no previous experience with surgery so it was a surprise to me as well. You may benefit from meal replacement types of drinks (ensure or boost, etc) to increase calories and protein but you should not need the soft foods for much longer.
 
Hey! I also developed a hard lump halfway between the extraction site and mouth on my lower left side. I just came back from the dentist who told me that this can arise when the tooth is challenging to get out and they have to drill with more force so the swelling can be displaced. I haven’t had an extreme amount of pain after the first couple days either, just overall uncomfortable and frustrating. I have developed some tingling and pins and needle feelings on that site as well, probably because the swelling is over a large nerve. Did your bump ever go away?
 
Hey! I also developed a hard lump halfway between the extraction site and mouth on my lower left side. I just came back from the dentist who told me that this can arise when the tooth is challenging to get out and they have to drill with more force so the swelling can be displaced. I haven’t had an extreme amount of pain after the first couple days either, just overall uncomfortable and frustrating. I have developed some tingling and pins and needle feelings on that site as well, probably because the swelling is over a large nerve. Did your bump ever go away?

Hi Tierd,

It’s been past 3 weeks past my wisdom teeth extraction, I don’t notice the bump anymore though I still have some soreness and twinge in my jaw area and at the extraction site. It definitely took some time for the bump to go away. 3 days after the surgery it was a big lump and was related to a small infection I had. After taking antibiotics, the lump became smaller even 2 weeks after I can still feel it but my surgeon said it should resolve on its own just the jaw bone healing and reshaping itself. The healing time varies depending on how deep your extraction is and your age too. If your surgeon ruled out infection and you’re not it too much pain, it might just be your bone healing which may take some time.
 
I am experiencing this now 9 days post extraction. I have a hard lump below my second moler that was extracted. I am on augmentin and have been for a week. I’m nervous it’s an infection. It’s painful to touch and then just a constant nuscence. Any advice? Oral surgeon said just keep an eye on it.
 
I am experiencing this now 9 days post extraction. I have a hard lump below my second moler that was extracted. I am on augmentin and have been for a week. I’m nervous it’s an infection. It’s painful to touch and then just a constant nuscence. Any advice? Oral surgeon said just keep an eye on it.
Hi,

Sorry to hear you’re having the same issue after your wisdom teeth surgery. It would be best to have it checked by your oral surgeon. I was initially on Amoxicillin but still developed the hard lump. Changing the antibiotic worked for me and noticed my lump becoming smaller the next day with my new antibiotic. It might be worth checking for your peace of mind. Your lump should become smaller as the days go by and your pain should not be getting worse either. All the best to you.
 
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