Help! Bad smell coming from extraction site. Is this normal????

[DaraDara]

Hi! I'm 25 and the last time I had a tooth extracted was around 21. I don't really remember how that went, but just a couple days ago (Thursday Sept 7th) I got my back molar extracted on the left side, bottom. It's been almost 72 hours, but not too long after the tooth was extracted and the clot had formed, along with the white stuff ontop of the clot (I've read thats normal) the site started to smell bad.

I've brushed my teeth, being wary of the extraction site, and its not my other teeth or tongue. The smell is from the extraction site its self. Whenever I rub my tongue over it, I can taste how bad it is.

I do salt water rinses but it doesnt help at all.

Is this smell normal? To re confirm, the clot IS there and its been almost 72 hours since the extraction. There is minimal to no pain.

What is this smell? Should I be worried? I am worried .-.

Thank you!!!

 

[Sevena]

Smells can be worrisome...or they can be something more innocent, like a little piece of food stuck in the extraction site. The gum surrounding the site may be more red and tender and swollen than everywhere else, but is the swelling excessive? Has it spread? Do you have any fever symptoms?

I am not a dentist, but while a bad taste/smell can be a sign of infection, the real big signs are increasing pain, and if you develop a fever that means it's time to seek urgent care as it's an emergency. I very much advise you to call your dentist when you can and ask them. As an anonymous internet person, I'm not qualified to advise you, and it's much better to be safe rather than sorry. But I wouldn't panic outright. If you had dry socket, you would know, as it is very painful.

Call your dentist just for peace of mind, and in the mean time, try not to panic!

 

[DaraDara]

Thank you so much! I've been trying to read up on a bunch on things on the internet, as it's the weekend and my dentist is not available. This is generally the worst time for something like this to come up xD

But the pain is the same. The swelling is minimal. I don't believe I'm experiencing any feverish symptoms.

However I was prescribed Hydrocodone and the only thing it did for me was make me feel nauseous. It didn't help with the initial pain at all. Now I'm just taking ibuprofen every 6 hours to help with the small amount of pain there is.

Ill call my dentist on Monday and see what he says. Hopefully its nothing serious... Follow up appointments like this are generally free, right?

 

[Sevena]

I was prescribed codeine (also an opiate) after extractions for my pain, and it didn't help me either, so I stuck to ibuprofen and paracetamol (which you can take together), mostly just in case it flared up and because ibuprofen helps with the swelling.

You won't die in between now and Monday, I promise! Be careful with the site etc, see if swirling some mouthwash or salt water helps (I was given special antibacterial mouthwash after, though it was the same you can buy in any pharmacy, maybe have a look on Monday). If you've eaten anything like rice or soup with shredded chicken in, tiny bits can get stuck in the extraction site. This won't kill you, and won't damage your healing, but could be a cause.

I'm not sure about the price of follow-up appointments. I'm not sure where you are based. As it usually doesn't involve any actual procedures, it's free in many places. That's also something you can ask about when you call. You may find the problem has gone away by Monday, or they tell you on the phone that it's not a problem.

 

[DaraDara]

Thank you so much!!!​