Any Dental People can answer a question please?

[Hound dog]

I have followed doctor orders after having the upper teeth pulled. No issues with right side except that once the gum tissue began to heal it started hurting really bad again......I suspected pressure of the stitches as the cause.....that and we had a really cold/damp spell. And I was right. Soon as the stitches were out (it had warmed up weather wise again) I was just fine on that side. No more pain and now it's not even tender but I've noticed a teeny tooth fragment that has worked it's way to the surface I need to tell the dentist about. But it's not bothering me.

I am always careful after tooth extraction because I have a high tendency for dry socket. Left side seemed to go well. Only hitch was a few hours after the bleeding had stopped I'd eaten some pudding and it started bleeding again.....quite a bit. So I followed the directions on the orders they gave me and it did quit. All seemed fine again.

Since I had so many teeth removed at once I have stitches. doctor told me I could smoke after a like 2-3 hrs. Same as 1st time and same as 1st time I did....carefully. No issues with either side of mouth.

When I did my salt water rinse (yes I know no swishing ect, just let it sort of roll around the mouth) it seemed to go into my nose and run out. Now been having issues with left nostril being stuffy.....so will say perhaps it was just normal sinus drainage......the thin watery type that is really annoying. But it really unnerved me. I did have 2 teeth that could have had ........not sure what to call it.....where it opens up into the sinus. Now he must not have found any evidence of infection because he didn't put me on antibiotics. And honestly, I thought for sure you could see if the tooth issue had broken into the nasal cavity via xray.....and he never mentioned anything about that either.

Now I don't think there is any way salt water from the rinse is going to get into my nose if the clot is present in the socket. But while I'm having quite a bit of pain (like I did at the same time last time....more the stitches healing gums pain) believe me it is not the OMG I WANT TO KILL MYSELF pain of a dry socket.

Anyone who has experienced dry sockets knows what I'm talking about. There are no symptoms of infection.....no swelling in the area or in the cheek at all. And for the most part the pain is managable with ibuprofen and extra strength tylenol. (and a dry socket.....2 vicodin do nothing to touch the pain)

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm not sure if I should be concerned about this or not, or if I should call the dentist about it. When I take a drag from a cigarette sometimes there is no "suction" .....you know the pulling of the drag....which even at this stage I do carefully. This morning I forgot to lean my head to the right when I took a drink of coffee and it seemed if some of it came out my nose before I even swallowed. Sometimes it feels as if air passes through the 2 sockets with the issue......and yes it feels weird.

Ok. I'm hoping this is just my imagination coupled with anxiety. This whole thing is dragging out waaay to long and my anxiety is out of this world. I keep telling myself that if there is an opening from 2 of the sockets into the nasal cavity.......the clot would be gone and I'd be writhing in pain.......that that would have to be the case if liquid could pass through it. So surely I'd know. Right?

Ok......so now that I sound like a total crazy lady...............

Anyone have experience with such a thing? Only thing I find online is about absessed teeth breaking through to the nasal cavity.......and they go on and on about infection....but there is not one sign of infection.....so yeah. And since the bottom teeth are coming out tues.......I want to make sure these top ones are healed, ya know?

 

[Hound dog]

Oh, teeth were pulled tues. This didn't start until yesterday which is sat.......4-5 days after the pulling. Dry socket is supposed to happen 2-3 days following......at least from what I read. Plus I do know in one of the sockets he used that gel stuff that is to prevent/treat dry socket......so it shouldn't be doing it at all. (that root was terribly deep and hard to extract)

 

[AnnieO]

Make yourself a cup of tea with some cloves in it - the clove oil will help with the pain, the tannic acid in the tea will actually cleanse too, and I've used cooled (not cold) wet tea bags after dental surgery.

Actually the nasal thing isn't that rare, because it can go up in your sinuses. Believe me, you'd KNOW if you'd had a breakthrough to the sinuses. It's horrible. So are abscesses. The "OMG I'm dying" kind of pain.

Smoking's not such a good idea, either - but I understand.

I wouldn't worry too much, honestly. If they're not actively bleeding (a little is passive), you're fine. (by the way - tea will also help stop bleeding, for future reference.)

 

[witzend]

Sorry to hear about the dental work. Are you taking anything for pain? If it's abscess, you'll definitely know sooner rather than later. Step's right about the pain. Dying must be this painful.

 

[Hound dog]

Ok thanks Step. I won't worry too over much then. And although I don't have clove oil..........I've been drinking tea like mad because I'm not allowed soda which I don't like that much anyway. Hmm.....wonder if that may be why no infection? *knocks on wood fast*

Witz yeah.......20 vicodin aren't enough for this type of tooth extraction and any dentist who says otherwise is an idiot or a liar. I took them sparingly. First 24hrs I needed 6 with the ibuprofen inbetween every 4 hrs. Two of those were right before bed to control the pain enough that I could sleep. Second day I managed with 4 still doing the ibuprofen faithfully.......2 of those were right before bed so I could sleep. Third day the same. Fourth day I was so starved for food I ate some scrambled eggs and very soggy buttered toast. Serious mistake even though I did my utter best to keep the food away from the side that had just been pulled and rinsed with salt water after. Major pain after. I think by 4am I'd went thru 6 of the darn vicodin (says I can take 2 at a time) Yesterday I took 2 vicodin........but it wasn't easy.......still it was all I had left. Still did the ibuprofen faithfully. easy child had called to see how I was doing and boy did I tell her............I was miserable.

easy child told me a trick her dentist told her. She just had her 4 wisdom teeth surgically removed thurs and was nervous about talking the vicodin with the new baby and baby brandon to care for. So he told her if she could stand it to alt ibuprofen and extra strength tylenol like you would for a fever for during the day and save the pain pills for night. And so I tried it today because while the pain wasn't dry socket level it was pretty darn bad. And it works! Except man I sure know when it's time to take the next dose of either one. omg! But the combo does keep it fairly comfortable.

I know the pain will stop again once the stitches are removed. I was just worried about that whole weird nasal air thing.

A word of advice : If you ever need to have your teeth removed for dentures.........Please don't let them talk you into doing it a bit at a time. Do it all at once and get it over with. Instead of 1 week of awful pain, I've been through 2 with one more still to go. If I'd have had any clue it would be this awful I'd have made him remove them all at once. By the end of wk 2 the pain has you so worn down and you're so sick of dealing with it......well, you're not a very nice person to those who have to live with you.

Oh, and Step........this wasn't surgery. I wasn't put out for the procedure at all. Not even laughing gas. I'm just grateful that so far he seems really good about knowing how to numb the area well. Because he pulls them out the old fashion way.

 

[AnnieO]

I've had too much dental work to remember it all - root canals, filing, apicoectomies (they cut into your gums and scrape out the infection and back fill), teeth pulled, wisdom teeth... NONE of it was fun. I did learn though that I have a very high tolerance to Novocain, so they put me out for major stuff. They cannot legally give me enough to keep me numb. on the other hand, I fall asleep on my own during root canals now...

Plain cloves work too when steeped. Pumpkin spice is not as good, but has cloves in it! Ground cinnamon in tea helps a bit...

 

[DammitJanet]

Tony just went and had 3 more pulled Friday because he was so miserable. I think he is down to only fronts now. Or maybe fronts and one wisdom left. I have told him to keep calling this basically free clinic to get in to them before he is in a state of misery but we shall see. He had to go pay over $200 to get the 3 out on Friday. He just wouldnt do all the frantic calling last week like I told him to do. If he isnt dying he thinks he can just call once and leave his number. Uhhhhh...NO! Its a clinic...call, call, call and be ready to drop and run.

He seems to be able to get by with the pain medications after the teeth are out easier. He is worried this time because they had to break his wisdom tooth into pieces and he is worried it will be like mine and have bone shards left behind. I told him that was rare. However, if you are having a ton of pain and feel even a bit of hard anything, get back to the dentist, it could be a piece of bone. I waited too long and it was a mess.

 

[Hound dog]

Janet I'm glad Tony isn't having too rough a time. Most of my issue actually seems to be stitches related....which I hadn't counted on. Otherwise the actual omg they pulled my tooth pain is gone after the 1st day for the most part....at least the worst of it.

I do have a bone sliver on the right side that is just now barely poking through the gum and you betcha he'll be told tomorrow so he can remove it too. According to doctor orders he gave me it's fairly common to happen but they do want you to get back in to take care of it and have it removed. Since I am seeing him tomorrow anyways I didn;'t see the point in making yet another appoint. It can be taken care of while they remove the stitches on the left side (can't wait for that cuz they'll stop hurting completely)

Oh heck yeah! With a clinic you have to call them to death to catch an opening, no other choice!! It's because they're booked to the darn gills.

I still don't quite understand why on earth the stitches bother me so darn much.........I must be weird. lol I also have an issue where they put the needle for the numbing medications. Those areas stay sore for about a week, and pretty darn sore too. That's always been the case though, even if I was just getting a cavity filled.

Today has been a good day. I've managed with only ibuprofen but probably could have done without it but not ready to push my luck. lol I'm going to go watch easy child's boys for about an hour this evening........says alot about how I feel.

easy child reminded me to write down my questions for the dentist. The premeds (valium and this time vicodin) make me just enough loopy that I forget things I want to ask.

And the main question now is I know I have to wait 6 wks heal time until he can do the mold for the dentures. So now I want to know after that how long it takes to get those dentures to ME. Because by the end of that 6wk mark I'm going to be mighty eager to have them I'm sure. And I'm gonna be a mega b*tch if it's several more wks wait. Been wanting to ask this question 3 times now and have forgotten each time sheesh.

I am soooooo hoping the lowers won't be an issue compared to the top. Mostly because at least this time the roof of my mouth won't be involved.

But I am soooooo eager that have this ordeal over and done with. omg

 

[flutterby]

Lisa, it sounds like you're sensitive to the suture material. I am, too, and the sutures in my lip for the lip biopsy drove me crazy. I pulled them out before they dissolved. Same with the sutures from the lapraoscopy.