Pam,

The esthetic appearance of our teeth is not a good indicator that they are healthy. So to have a great smile or similar is wonderful but it can be deceiving. That is why pathology as to what is happening inside our teeth and jaw bone is most important from a health standpoint.

Every root canaled tooth is infected and diseased, there are no exceptions to that. So even a root canaled tooth can look esthetically great but it is black and putrid on the inside.

The itchy feeling indicates an irritant and it may be due to the periodontal ligament still being in the bone. This ligament needs to be removed when the tooth is removed otherwise it will be a constant source of bacteria and inflammation which can eventually lead to referred discomfort or pain as it becomes irritating to the bundles of nerves. All too often people who are diagnosed with facial neuralgia after a tooth has been removed will blame it on the extraction when in fact it may be linked to the ligament being left in the bone. I recall, you didn't see the OS, you had your general dentist remove these teeth, correct? Most general dentists do not remove the ligament as they think the body will just miraculously absorb it.

Just to give you an idea of the purpose of the periodontal ligament and to give you a comparison to something that may help you understand it's purpose and why it should not be left behind after the tooth is removed.
The periodontal ligament is a live and very hearty fibrous tissue that wraps around the circumference of the root structure of the tooth. It helps to protect the tooth from harm and it feeds the tooth and the surrounding bone nourishment via the blood vessels. When the tooth is removed and the ligament is not, the ligament dies and becomes diseased having a negative and unhealthy affect on the bone. The periodontal ligament is comparable to the placenta or after birth of a pregnancy. The ligament and the placenta have the same functions, to protect and nourish as long as there is something present that needs protecting and nourishment. The difference between the two, aside from the obvious, is that the placenta is in tissue and is able to disengage itself with or without help... the ligament is in bone and is not able to disengage itself without physical intervention. You can imagine how ill a woman would become if the placenta were left inside of her body after the birth of her child. So imagine the progression of problems that can occur when the periodontal ligament is left in the jaw bone.

I can no be sure this is your problem as I was not assisting the dentist when he removed your teeth. But all too often this situation occurs and goes undiagnosed and then misdiagnosed as some form of neuralgia.

The only person that can answer the question as to whether the ligament was removed or not was the dentist who extracted the tooth. But do not expect him to be completely honest as to admit he left it behind is not professional in his best interest. Sometimes an xray will show if the ligament is still present. But it may not show until the site has healed for awhile. So maybe you should have an xray done in a few weeks from now.

Also, I believe you previously mentioned that you were using a lot of orajel. Again this stuff can cause further irritation and an unpleasant reaction to occur.

Bryanna