Molar extraction - how should the site look afterwards?

[izzycat]

I had a bottom molar extracted on Monday night. it was extremely painful and I have localised pain on that side of the face now, though it seems to be getting slightly better today (Thursday). My dentist prescribed antibiotics, but only to prevent an infection - there wasn't one there to start with. I don't like to take antibiotics for no reason, so i have not colelcted the prescription yet. My dentist is now on holiday for several weeks and I am wondering whether the extraction site is OK or not. It is not red or inflamed looking. There doesn't appear to be any swelling, only my gum and inside of mouth are still a bit swollen from all the pain relief injections i received (Which didn't work anyway!). There appears to be a whitish area over the top of the hole, I can't see into the hole. I'm trying not to poke around much but this doesn't appear to be pus, it doesn't seemd to dislodge when I swill with warm salt water. My mouth doesn't taste great at present, but it doesn't seem to be as bad tasting as at first! I spoke to a pharmacist last night who advised to get the antibiotics only if I started getting worse pain and had a fever. The pain has, i think, subsided a little, but I'm keeping pretty much drugged up with painkillers at the mo and only really feel the pain first thing in the morning. Does this all seem OK? It's been a long time since I had an extraction and I am a bit paranoid. Going on holiday in 11 days so if I need antibiotics then i want to start taking them ASAP!

 

[drhirst]

Hi Izzycat,

Hang in there a bit longer with the painkillers and warm saltwater mouthwashes.
If by early next week you are still having enough pain to make you want to take painkillers, then you should get it checked out. If you are still having pain at that stage a dry socket is the likely cause and you would want to get that dressed to help it heal before you holiday.

Best of luck,

Lincoln

 

[brit]

Just a thought but if the tooth wouldn't numb, there likely was some kind of infection present at the time of the extraction.

If you are worried, especially given your holiday, I'd get a dentist to evaluate it personally...why suffer unnecessarily for x more days if something can be done to help (even if only reassurance) today.
I suspect your dentist prescribed the antibiotics expecting you to take them, so I think your avoiding taking them was not in his aftercare plan for you.

 

[izzycat]

Thanks both

Pain is much lessened today,have halved my painkiller intake. I'm continuing with the warm salt water - yuck! I think the pain may have come from my highly stressed state. I waited an hour for my appointment, then had 3 injections to numb me up... then was called back in AN HOUR later, by which time I was crying because my stress had got the better of me. I got 2 more injections cos I was panicking that the numbness was wearing off, and I didn't feel those. I got IV sedation and the last thing I remember is feeling the pressure.... then intense pain.. then nothing more for several hours. My husband arrived to collect me whilst I was in there, heard me screaming and went straight in to try to calm me down. He says the sight of me like that almost had him in tears, I was screaming and shouting, lashing out and trying to climb up the chair to escape. The dentist almost gave up on me, but my husband managed to calm me enough to let the dentist get the tooth out. I had it out because I had chipped a filling and had some pain, and my bad gag reflex makes me hate fillings. The dentist told me the tooth was quite badly decayed,so I figured it would have to be taken out eventually and asked him to just remove it. Bad move!

Anyway,I am pretty sure I will be OK without antibiotics, will assess again tomorrow but as the pain is lessening I am not worrying too much now. The site looks too small for what was taken out of it now! There is still a whitish covering to it but I have poked it with my tongue (only once mind!) and it doesn't appear to be pus. And the taste in my mouth is not as bad today

 

[izzycat]

Hmmm. Seems the whitish stuff was something infected. Managed to dislodge it last night and do a salt rinse, some has come back today though and I don't wanna go poking round too much. Pain not as bad in general, don't need as many painkillers, but when liquid goes into the socket, it hurts quite bad, and salt water reaaaaaalllllly hurts. Is this normal? Teeth around the socket are still a bit achy but not too bad. Am looking at visiting the emergency dental hospital on Tuesday if things are not looking up by then, cos my dentist doesn't return until after I go on holiday. My immune system is generally good, I recover from bugs quickly, so I am thinking that it is probably fighting this by itself. Am gonna try to get a syringe to fill with water to try to clean out the socket a bit, my thinking is to keep it as clean as I can to give me the best chance of fighting off bugs. Bit worried I might have dry socket though, as the socket seems to hurt a lot more than it did initially - but like I say, only when it gets liquid in it. Advice anyone?

 

[letsconnect]

The white stuff is most likely dead tissue from the healing - leave well alone !

 

[izzycat]

Really? It's a bit wet and tastes gross! think I will get some antibiotics just to be sure... holiday 1 weeks time