Worried I’m not healing right

[Terrifiedintoronto]

@Gordon thank for answering again. I hope it heals quickly

 

[Gordon]

Me too, it's been a journey for you

 

[Terrifiedintoronto]

To be honest I don’t even actually know what my question is. I am just so, so tired. Of the pain and the fear and I just want my life back.

I had my lower wisdom teeth removed 23 days ago now. The pain was ok the first 3 days then got unbearable on day 4. After I called 3 times complaining about the pain, the surgeon brought me in for a follow up even though he never does them, and said I have dry socket. He said there was no sign of infection, and I had been on antibiotics for a month before the removal, and another week after.

It hurts so much. It is a burning, throbbing pain in the sockets, up the sides of my face to my temple, inside my ears and down along my jaw and throat. Pain meds don’t work. The pain is not as bad as the infection I had that led to the teeth being removed, only because it is not 24/7; it comes in flare ups that last a few hours and then calm down. And then inevitably restart later.

But it hurts so much and I don’t know how much more pain I can take. The pain and/or stress has made me start clenching my jaw in my sleep and I’m scared of getting TMJ, of the joints coming out of place, and having to deal with worsening pain for the rest of my life.

Everything I read online says dry socket should heal in 10 days but mine is still here, still as bad as ever.
Is this really dry socket if it’s still lingering? It does seem to match the descriptions of it but can it last this long? Or is it something else, should I call the surgeon again and insist on another follow up? Can this be nerve damage? But it wasn’t there immediately after the surgery, it started 4 days after…

I just don’t know, I am just so worried. I’m trying to stay calm but it is hard when I still have this much pain this long after. It feels like it will never stop. I was told I’d be 100% back to normal by day 10.

I also still don’t have full range of motion back in my mouth opening. It’s only slightly better than it was in the beginning, should I be worried about that too? Is it normal for healing to be this slow?

Sorry for all my hysterical posts. I’ve just never been this scared. I can’t cope with it.

 

[Gordon]

Can this be nerve damage?

We've been over this. Nerve damage equals loss of sensation. It's not dry socket because it's far too late, they just don't last more than a few days.

Going back to previous threads, I've suggested trying some of the DIY approaches to TMJ dysfunction, have you tried any of them and did anything help?

 

[Terrifiedintoronto]

@Gordon yes I have, nothing is helping with the burning feeling. The diy stuff helped with the limited opening, a little bit, and the achy feeling in my cheek muscles, that is gone. But the burning throbbing feeling in my gums and ears has not changed. And it will radiate out to other parts of my face when it gets bad.

 

[letsconnect]

I'm not a doctor or a dentist, but could this be some form of neuralgia (nerve pain)? This is different from nerve damage.

I had a similar situation (not facial though) years ago, so I read up on it at the time. Apparently, when you experience poorly controlled pain over a longer period of time, pain receptors can start misbehaving and may fire even in the absence of painful stimuli.

As far as I remember, you were in pain with pericoronitis for quite some time before you were correctly diagnosed and the tooth was finally removed. So maybe this has set off some sort of neuralgia?

I remember the pain being absolute torture, to the point where I thought of ending it all. Luckily enough, my symptoms went away after a few months. My GP had prescribed some ultra-strength vitamin B12, so I'm not sure if that did the trick. It might have just been a coincidence. But my next step would have been to see a pain specialist. They're usually based in hospitals (though that might be different in Canada). Do you have a GP/medical doctor you could ask for advice and maybe a referral to a pain specialist? They would be in a better position to figure out what is actually going on than some strangers on the internet

 

[Terrifiedintoronto]

@letsconnect I don’t have a doctor, it is extremely hard to find one here. The state of health care is a mess in Canada! if I did I wouldn’t be asking questions here, I would just go to my doctor.

I did have pericoronitis and the pain was excruciating but it was a completely different pain. This very obviously starts in the surgical sites/tooth sockets and then radiates to my ears and head. Just as dry socket is described.

I went to my oral surgeon today for another follow up; I just showed up at the office crying so they had no choice but to see me. He said this is a VERY textbook case of dry socket, down to the fact that it started on day 4 with little pain the days before and the exact symptoms that I am experiencing.

He also said it can last up to 4 or 5 weeks if it is particularly stubborn, he said he’s seen that many times. He gave me some medication to put on it and the pain went away instantly, so he was clearly correct. He took a good look at me to ease my anxiety, did a full exam and X-rays and didn’t even charge me. So showing up crying was worth it.

At the end of the day, I have to trust him because he is the best in our area, on the boards of multiple hospitals and universities and has been a practicing surgeon for 40 years. Plus the fact that the treatment worked right away.

He also said my difficulty with opening is just due to Trismus from the surgery and is extremely common and can also last for 4 weeks depending on the person. I wish he would have explained all that to me before! But I’m glad I know now.

I did a search for dry socket on this board and there is another dentist who also told someone it can take a few weeks to heal. So while it can last only a few days for some, others like me are just unlucky I guess.

I’m going to be leaving this board now because I am clearly irritating everyone with all my questions. And to be honest being here has made me more anxious, not less.

Thanks to those who took the time to read my posts and give suggestions. Now I will just keep putting my medication on the sockets and wait it out. Goodbye.

 

[letsconnect]

He gave me some medication to put on it and the pain went away instantly, so he was clearly correct.

Well yeah, that does sound like dry socket then! Sorry, I must have missed that part in your earlier posts (I presume the same happened the last time you saw him?). I was under the impression that dentists repack the socket until the pain eases, but it sounds as if this didn't happen in your case for some reason .

I haven't noticed anyone here getting irritated - people here were just trying to provide suggestions based on limited information. I did merge your threads just to make it easier to follow your story.

Sorry to hear that being here has made you more anxious - that certainly isn't the intention of this forum.

I hope you'll make a speedy recovery from now on. Wishing you all the best