Hi yankee232,
Thank you for the kind words
I am in the dental field and can offer you some information here.
To make it easier to follow, I will re post some of your thread and answer you in bold type.
FOR THOSE READING THIS, TOOTH #31 IS YOUR LOWER RIGHT SECOND MOLAR. IF YOU NOW HAVE A LARGE OPEN SPACE THERE IT IS BECAUSE YOU EITHER HAD TOOTH #32 (YOUR WISDOM TOOTH) REMOVED (AT SOME POINT) OR YOUR WISDOM TOOTH NEVER CAME IN.
Correct. I had my wisdom teeth extracted about 15 years ago. All four are gone.
<<I also had a very bad infection form near the fracture site and started treatment of antibiotics 2 days prior to extraction. That's besides the point.>>
ACTUALLY THE INFECTION THAT DEVELOPED IN THIS TOOTH HAD BEEN BREWING FOR 12 YEARS. THE DETERIORATION CAUSED BY THE BACTERIA HAD REACHED A POINT WHERE IT WAS PROLIFERATING FROM THE OBVIOUS FRACTURE. CHANCES ARE, THIS INFECTION WAS VISIBLE ON DENTAL XRAYS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IF NOT LONGER. DID YOU HAVE REGULAR DENTAL CHECK UPS AND XRAYS AND HAD YOUR DENTIST EVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TOOTH TO YOU OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS?
Do you really think I had an infection that could of been stewing for that long? Dentist said possibly a month or two, I have regular xrays yearly and nothing looked out of ordinary with this tooth at the time. However, when I had the tooth xray the other day before extraction, the infection was SEVERE and very noticable on the xray per the Dentist.
Is it really possible to have a 12 year infection? Could that have affected my health over this time frame and is a week of antibiotics enough time to rid of this?
<<Tooth was extracted at a specialist using sedation. ( I have TERRIBLE anxiety issues), woke up all went very well. I went home, rested, iced and continued to take Ammoxicilin antibiotic.>>
OKAY, GLAD YOU HAD IT REMOVED BY AN ORAL SURGEON.
I wanted to note, that the Oral Surgeon who removed the tooth said there was a massive amount of pus and that came out when the tooth did. (Sorry for the graphic picture). Could that make me sick, or end up in my stomach? Will this delay healing? I am doing salt water swishes lightly, and trying to take care of the wound.
<<I have no pain in that area now, but I'm very depressed knowing I am now missing a large portion of my mouth to chew and will likely undergo some sort of implant in the future as I don't want my lower teeth shifting around and me causing more real tooth loss. (Still on Ammox. for another 3 days).>>
REGARDING THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS TOOTH. JUST SO YOU KNOW, MANY PEOPLE CAN CHEW JUST FINE WITHOUT REPLACING TOOTH #31. THE CONCERN OF NOT REPLACING IT HAS TO DO WITH THE TOOTH ABOVE IT, TOOTH #2, WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY DRIFT DOWNWARDS IF IT DOES NOT HAVE A LOWER TOOTH TO PREVENT IT FROM DRIFTING DOWN. YOUR DENTIST CAN EVALUATE YOUR BITE AND TELL YOU IF TOOTH #2 IS BEING SUPPORTED BY TOOTH #30 BELOW IT. IF THAT IS THE CASE, YOU MAY DO JUST FINE WITHOUT REPLACING #31.
ALSO, IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT TOOTH #31 WAS BADLY INFECTED FOR 12 YEARS. I KNOW THAT SEEMS LIKE HOW CAN THAT BE IF IT DIDN'T BOTHER YOU, BUT AS I SAID, MOST ORAL INFECTIONS ARE A SYMPTOMATIC UNTIL THE INFECTION IS SEVERE. THE POINT HERE IS THAT THE BONE IN THE AREA OF TOOTH #31 MAY NOT BE VERY HEALTHY DUE TO THE LONG TERM INFECTION IN THAT AREA AND IT MAY NEVER HEAL TO A COMPLETELY HEALTHY STATE. IT WOULD THEN BE RISKY TO PLACE A DENTAL IMPLANT IN THAT AREA DUE TO THE CHANGES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THERE. THE RISK OF IMPLANT FAILURE AND INFECTION IS ELEVATED ANYTIME A DENTAL IMPLANT IS PLACED IN THE JAWBONE WHERE THERE USE TO BE A ROOT CANALED TOOTH.
<<One thing I am noticing, is today is the first day I tried to bite down on that side of a small amount of banana, I feel like the top #6 tooth which had a cavity filled, is hurting when I bite on that side of the extraction.. almost like it's hitting a deeper area now.>>
IT IS TOO SOON TO BE EATING ON THAT SIDE OF YOUR MOUTH. YOU SHOULD AVOID CHEWING ANYWHERE NEAR THAT WOUND UNTIL THE GUM TISSUE HAS CLOSED OVER. TOOTH #6 IS YOUR UPPER RIGHT CANINE AND SEVERAL TEETH IN FRONT OF THAT SPACE. IF #6 IS HURTING TO CHEW THEN IT SHOULD BE EVALUATED BY YOUR DENTIST.
<< Could my bite be off? Can this be adjusted? >>
YOUR BITE COULD BE OFF AS YOU STILL HAVE BONE AND MUSCLE INFLAMMATION FROM THE ORAL SURGERY THAT WILL SLOWLY SUBSIDE OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL WEEKS. HAVE YOUR DENTIST EVALUATE YOUR #6 AND BITE.
<<I'm suffer from depression as is, but this has me feeling really down lately. I am very saddened, and having some dark thoughts.>>
I'M COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT DEPRESSION CAN ELEVATE DURING TIMES OF STRESS AND UNCERTAINTY. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK OF THIS EXPERIENCE FROM A POSITIVE PERSPECTIVE IN THAT YOU TRULY DID YOUR HEALTH A HUGE FAVOR BY HAVING THAT DISEASED TOOTH REMOVED. YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS YELLING "THANK YOU"!!
REGARDING THE LARGE SPACE, THAT WILL FEEL LESS LARGE AS THE SITE HEALS. MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE EVENTUALLY FORGET THE SPACE IS EVEN THERE AND GO ON TO EAT AND LIVE JUST FINE WITHOUT THAT TOOTH. MANY PEOPLE BY THE TIME THEY ARE IN THEIR 30'S ARE ACTUALLY MISSING ONE OR MORE OF THEIR MOLARS DUE TO INFECTION, DECAY OR WHATEVER AND THEY DO JUST FINE. SO TRY TO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE ASPECT OF ALL OF THIS AND BELIEVE ME, YOU WILL BE OKAY
)
Do you think my health could of been impacted from this infection for a period of time? I have felt really down in the dumps lately. Tired, not myself etc. I'm hoping I can get more used to the lack of teeth on that side, I know i need to give it time as its only been two days. Thank you for this last part, it reassures me Im not alone. I'm jelous of people who have all their teeth now lol.
Bryanna