Swelling/Discomfort 2 months after deep cleaning for Periodontal Disease

[biggreenfeet]

I saw the periodontist about 2-3 months ago after swelling and discomfort around a top molar. Was told I have a 6mm pocket and had a deep cleaning done. I was given prescription mouthwash and tetracycline. I did not keep up with the antibiotics and stopped using the mouthwash after 1-2 weeks because it tasted horrible. I changed to a Sonicare toothbrush and have stepped up my mouth care routine, but still not perfect. I am flossing once per day at night.

I have been totally without irritation after the procedure. The irritation started to return a few days ago. Last night I flossed the area thoroughly, but noticed something between my gums. I picked it out with a toothpick but did not gouge the gums. A small white object came out and then the area bled a lot, but stopped. I rinsed with the mouthwash. It now has the level of irritation it did when I went to the dentist as an emergency situation.

Question being: should I run through the antibiotics and wait and see or go back to the periodontist? I really don't have the money to deal with this right now, and I have been up since 3am trying to figure out what to do.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[drm]

Re: Swelling/Discomfort 2 months after deep cleaning for Periodontal Disease

In an ideal world, seeing the periodontist is your best option. If there is something stuck under the gumline that is causing the swelling/irritation then you'll really need them to get in there and clean it out.

That said, there are some things you can do in the meantime to see if it resolves on it's own.

I'd use the mouthrinse (I assume it is chlorhexidine) twice a day even though it tastes terrible. Brush twice a day for two minutes at a time really concentrating your Sonicare toothbrush around the gumline. Floss twice a day, making sure to really bend it around each tooth and go up and down. If it is just some minor irritation that has flared up, this should take care of it.

If after 1-2 weeks it isn't any better, then you'll definitely need to go see them again.

I probably wouldn't start taking the antibiotics again without seeing the periodontist first.