Marie,
Based on your description, the tooth was badly infected for a long time and the symptoms of soreness that you had prior to the extraction indicate the bacteria had spread beyond the tooth. Whether or not you need an antibiotic during this healing phase is a decision that a dentist needs to make. However, it is untrue that if you remove a single infected tooth that the body will automatically heal the residual infection on its own. With every tooth extraction, the jaw bone needs to be thoroughly debrided of all visible diseased tissue and bone and if infection is still suspected, then an antibiotic is given.
Your description of how the site feels better when it is plugged up with food indicates a possible bone exposure. Which means that the clot may have been disturbed, thus the pain starting on the 3rd day of post op, which would leave the bone exposed and dry. Covering it kind of soothes it like a blanket. However, it is not a good idea to let food debris stay in the hole as the food will decay and cause further problems. If irrigating causes the hole to become painful, then you may be irrigating to aggressively. Try avoiding that area when you eat and instead of irrigating the hole, rinse with warm salt water after you have eaten. The key is to not get food trapped in the hole in the first place and then just gently rinse out whatever debris ends up in there. The inside of the wound will not heal well if it is constantly being disturbed. Also avoid all mouthwash because the chemicals are just more irritating to the wound.
The 3D scan, irrelevant of whether they charged you for it or not, belongs to you as it is an image of your body. If you alter your eating habits and do the salt water rinsing instead of the irrigating for the weekend and the pain is still intense and lingering by monday, it would behoove you to get an appointment with a different oral surgeon and have the original office email the 3D scan to the new dentist. They cannot legally refuse to do this.
As a side note, it is not uncommon to have pain of various degrees for several weeks after an infected tooth has been extracted. The real concern is regarding the health of the extraction site and jaw bone which should be taken seriously by the oral surgeon. So if you feel that you have to follow up with another surgeon, then don't hesitate to do that. But you would need that 3D scan for proper evaluation.
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marie11
Hi Bryanna,
Thank you for your reply. I got into see the oral surgeon today, they fit me in. He did a 3D xray. He said the bone looks good. He did a look quickly at my hole and said it looks to be healing well. He said a lower molar pull can cause pain for 2 weeks or more! I asked if it was dry or partial dry socket and he said no. I asked if I was feeling this as he "nicked" my nerve giving the anesthetic shot. He said no I wouldn't feel pain now. It's really strange to me, if I get porridge or soft food in the hole the pain goes away and when I finish eating and clean the hole out, the pain returns, which made me suspect a dry or partial dry socket. The pain is now radiated to my middle lower teeth. He said that is normal for the pain to radiate. I also asked the assistant if I could get a copy of the 3D image and she said no as it was a $400 xray they did for free. She did print it for me on a piece of paper. Do you think I should get a second opinion?
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