Wisdom tooth infection but no antibiotic prescribed

[kristen62]

Hi guys, I got my second impacted wisdom tooth out yesterday. I had a hunch it became infected about a month ago and that was confirmed by my surgeon yesterday. My surgeon gave me Clindamycin to take as well as antibacterial mouthwash since I'm allergic to Penicillin. However, it turns out I can't take Clindamycin since it's not recommended for people who have or have had stomach or intestinal problems which I do. After telling my surgeon this, he says I don't need to take the antibiotics and the mouthwash would be enough. But looking at the extraction site, I can tell it doesn't look quite right or like how my previous extracted tooth's extraction site looked. I'm oddly in no pain except for some tenderness near the glands under my jaw (possibly because of my lymph nodes?) and a slight stinging pain around where the tooth used to be

Should I go to my doctor and ask for another prescription of antibiotics or should I trust my surgeon's judgement and just use the mouthwash?

Thanks so much for answering!

 

[Zolin]

Hi, I had my lower wisdom tooth removed 10 days ago. It wasn’t impacted but was infected. It first bothered me over 18 months ago. My dentist tried to remove it, twice, but couldn’t get pain relief sufficiently. I wasn’t phobic before, but after 2 seperate sessions of 2 hours in the chair, I had had enough and was freaking big time. I was referred to the dental hospital, who could do sedation, but the appointment took 6 months to come though. In the interim ended up on several lots of antibiotics and all caused problems (allergic to penicillin). Finally got to the dental hospital who said the tooth wasn’t infected, and so refused to do anything. Fast forward to the big snows we had here in England this spring. I was staying at a relatives, and one night the tooth really hurt. I managed to battle through the snow to get to an emergency dentist and he took x rays. He said the tooth had considerable infection under it and that that must have been there for at least a year. He gave me more antibiotics. They did help, though were killing my tummy. Went back to my own dentist who did an emergency referral to the hospital again. In checking though found it was another 6 month wait.

I was getting desperate by this time - wanted it out, and preferably under sedation. No one local offered that. Eventually I went to see a private dentist 60 miles away. He also worked part time for the local dental hospital and he assured me he could remove the tooth without sedation, just local anaesthetic, and could remove it the next day. I booked it in. £20 for first visit, £175 for the extraction. Had no sleep that night due to anxiety. Went in the next day. The tooth wasn’t impacted but did have a very nasty curved root. The infection was still there and clearly showed round the tooth. He was excellent - even numbed the gum for the injection which was a new experience and a pleasant surprise. In minutes the tooth was numb, and a few minutes later, after a bit of a struggle, was out. He then spent a time cleaning out the socket. I have an impaired immune system, so am at risk from even a common cold. I asked about antibiotics after the extraction, and he said it would be fine - the infection would go with the tooth. He did warn me that I would need to stay on painkillers - not aspirin because thinned the blood and encouraged bleeding - but ibuprofen and Paracetamol. This was the Thursday.
That day was uncomfy but ok. I slept that night. Friday the same. Saturday was another story. The pain was horrendous, and I was so swollen and sore. Only ibuprofen helped with the pain. Couldn’t even see the socket to check. Couldn’t sleep - pain woke me. I was worried it was an infection starting, or dry socket.

Sunday was also grim. I did manage to see the socket, and it was full of a creamy white yellow fluffy stuff, that I know now was collagen, and is what you want to see, but sites about dry socket say you see white or cream so it worried me and that the pain comes on after 3 days. Paracetamol didn’t touch the pain, only ibuprofen.

Monday i could see the fluffy stuff had become level and the socket was closing over with pink skin. I was still in a lot of pain, still on ibuprofen. Utterly miserable and worried.

Tuesday the socket had closed over a lot, and the white fluffy stuff reduced in size and more yellowy. But i I was still in pain, so went back to the dentist. He said it was healing well but was still at risk of infection. He said the pain was from all the trauma of removing the tooth, especially given the root and given my age ( in my 60s), and that it took a few days for the swelling and bruising to come out fully. He advised me to buy some Corsodyl mouthwash and use it for another week, twice a day, and it would help with the pain and in reducing the risk of infection. I bought some and started using it that night.

The following morning the pain was radically reduced. The yellow stuff had gone, and the cavity almost closed over, with just a narrow cleft showing. It was the turning point.

From then on everything has been very manageable. I still have some very minor soreness but it’s nothing much. So despite having a really bad, long term infection, and having an impaired immune system, infection hasn’t been an issue and I didn’t need antibiotics at all. I do think the Corsodyl - which is exactly for these situations - has helped. I hope this will reassure you.