Hello. On Jan. 15, I had teeth #17 & 18 extracted. The molar had fractured under its crown and the other was a horizontally-positioned wisdom tooth; there was some infection brewing between the two teeth as well.

The healing process seemed pretty much uneventful; I wound up with a dry socket, had it packed twice and the oral surgeon commented that things were healing up nicely. However, pain that I had attributed to the dry socket began to increase; after a few days of waiting for it to resolve and taking the prescribed meds for pain, I went back in to see the oral surgeon.

He examined the area and explained that the "tissue wasn't healing correctly" over the extraction area. The only lay person way to describe the tissue was that it was blob-like and it looked as if it was rebelling against what it was expected to do naturally. The surgeon said he needed to open the area, debride it and then take biopsies; due to his busy practice, the first appointment that he could get me in was a full week out.

I counted down each day with anticipation---I was so uncomfortable and in such freaking pain. On the day of the surgery, I looked at the area one last time, and noticed that the area had grown more since the surgeon had examined the tissue a week ago. It was primarily pink with a little pinkish white at the ends.

After the surgery, I didn't have a chance to speak with the doctor about what his impressions were, but the nurse assured me that the biopsies were on their way and that it would take 2 week to get the results. I have a follow-up appointment scheduled with him this Thursday, March 12th to check on the surgery area---the biopsies won't be in until March 10th.

As I sit hère and type this note, I am still in pain. Pain in my mouth, jaw; on the outside of my cheek it's warm to the touch and I do get relief by applying a cold pack. My cheek is yellow in that same area; it looks as if a bruise is in it's healing phase. Part of the pain can be attributed to getting what I think is yet another dry socket, which I will have to have packed tomorrow. I am afraid to admit that the other pain that I feel is similar to what I felt the last time around---prior to noticing that the tissue wasn't healing correctly.

As of tomorrow, I will have taken a total of 25 days worth of the Clindamycin. I
have also been on a high-quality probiotic as well in order to preserve the rest of my system. I guess it's safe to assume that the antibiotic isn't kicking whatever it is that's kicking my mouth/tissue/jaw area. I'm allergic to penicillin and bactrim---maybe there is something else that could help eradicate this stuff…germ, bacteria, etc…...

I realize that once the biopsy results arrive, the surgeon will have a clear idea of what is going on with me and we'll develop a plan of attack-----but I am really concerned because I haven't a clue what to think about everything that's been going on. I also fear not getting relief from all of this discomfort…it's hard to find anyone who'll really speak up with a solid, professional opinion and that scares me.

*One other footnote worth sharing. Several days after I had the extractions done, I was scheduled for my regular 6-month cleaning and check-up with my dentist. I explained to her how I was feeling and I described the pain that was creeping in… She picked up one of my x-ray films that they had just taken and pointed to this vertical thing that was very clear. She said "maybe this is your problem." I didn't know what to say because when I normally look at x-rays I don't see much. Anyhow, it resembled the lead from inside a #2 pencil---a short little piece for sure. When I explained what my dentist had shown me on an x-ray taken a few days prior to my visit to the oral surgeon, he never said a word, nod his head, or anything. He didn't even look at me. ??? Did I miss something?

I apologize for being so long-winded. Thank you for reading this post. Take care! Laughter