Post wizzie extraction pain - how long does it last?

[Larhanya]

Hi all -- new here, driven to the net to find answers!

I had all three (two upper, one lower) of my wisdom teeth out on Wednesday (that's five and a half days ago now). I did the general anaesthesia route (because I am a dental coward) and all went well, as far as I know. I took the Tylenol 3s I was prescribed that evening and night, didn't eat much that night (Jello) and Thursday morning was sick. I was sick again twice that day, didn't take any more pain meds, felt mostly fine (little pain) though I had to use some "non-oral" Gravol just to eat something since I couldn't keep even water down.

Friday morning, pain began at the lower extraction site. The T3s helped, so I kept taking them. Was running low on Saturday, called the dentist to book an appointment for Sunday, Sunday's appointment was cancelled an hour before it was to take place ("something came up, the office has to close), and was instructed to take one normal Tylenol and Advil (at the same time) to cover the pain. Made appointment for Monday.

Normal Advil + Tylenol treatment took the edge off the pain. Saw my dentist (not the operating surgeon) on Monday and he said all looked good, healing well. More T3s prescribed.

The T3s stop the pain (so long as I take it easy), but when they wear off: <<insert appropriate religious cry for help here>> .

I have no strange taste in my mouth. The pain does go away on the T3s. When the drugs wear off, it is a horrible pain like someone has shoved a hot iron rod into the socket.

Notably, the socket is sutured, sort of. It appears to be sewn onto my cheek! The tooth was kind of growing that way (into my cheek) so maybe they had to cut the cheek to get it out?

Anyway, all this is to ask:
Is it normal to still be having this much pain 5.5 days after the surgery? When will it end?

P.S.
The dentist says I do not have dry socket. I followed all the rules (no straws, spitting, smoking, etc; start salt rinses after 24 hours, etc) except for the being sick three times on Thursday -- that can't have helped.

 

[Zzzdentist]

"Non-oral" Gravol - that's a cool way of describing that.

You could have an persisting acute infection which might explain the persisting pain. According to my calendar, it's coming up to a week so it really should be turning around by now. Even though some extractions do take longer to settle down, the hot iron rod description doesn't sound quite right to me. Usually the sutures are removed in a week so aren't you scheduled to go in like today? Definitely let the dentist know about the severe pain that you are still experiencing.

Sometimes antibiotics can help, but other times cleaning out the socket and placing a sedative dressing such as Alvogyl will reduce the pain to a more manageable level.

If the wisdom was erupting towards the cheek, often there won't be much gum tissue to suture to so the dentist often will just tie the other side to what tissue is there so basically that would be the cheek. It might seem weird now, but over time as the area heals up everything returns to normal.

 

[Larhanya]

Hey, thanks for the response! Sorry I haven't updated. The pain plateaued enough for me to be tolerably sociable when my sister came to visit from out of town, which kept me from the forum.

I just saw the dental surgeon this morning. I had dissolvable sutures in, so there was no need for a removal checkup last week. But it turns out that my dentist missed something. I do have dry socket. Now I know why I was in pain, and I'm "enjoying" the numbing taste of cloves as I type.

~sigh~ Just as I was starting to enjoy food again, too.