Hi toothtroublesgal,
You are welcome
Based on your description of the size of your jaw, I can tell you that the oral surgeon had a heck of time removing your wisdom teeth. Again based on the information you have shared here, you have done really well considering.
I would agree with his general assessment about your second molars. He was not implying that you should run out and have them removed. He was trying to forewarn you about the complications that can arise due to the inability to keep that area clean and healthy. If you were to remove the lower second molar and not replace it with an implant, the upper molar that bites against this lower one would drift downward into the open space below because there would be nothing preventing it from doing that. Regarding the implant to replace the molar, if it should come to that.... depends on the health, depth, and width of the bone in that lower right molar area as to if it is sufficient to hold the implant.
So it seems that the best course of action you can take is preventative. The surgeon has removed the excess tissue so to try and prevent or minimize the problem from reoccurring, you may need to alter your brushing habits a bit.
Use a child size soft head toothbrush or a child size electric toothbrush. Make sure to angle the brush so that the bristles are angled against the back portion of that molar and use a circular motion to clean that area. It will take some practice to get the hang of it. Using an electric brush may be easier for you because all you have to do is angle the brush and it will do the work for you. The idea be thorough but not aggressive as you do not want to injure the tissue. The idea is to repetitively, gently shock the tissue so that it does not want to grow back and so that the gum line toughens up as this will inhibit the tissue from over growing.
As soon as the extraction site and newly surgerized area feels comfortable, start the new brushing routine. Initially it may bleed a little, but that's okay. You do not want to make it sore, so let that be your guide as to when you should be more gentle.
Do you use an electric toothbrush?
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by toothtroublesgal
Thank you so much for your quick and helpful reply! I am definitely taking probiotics and I know they're helping my digestive system handle the antibiotics a little better. I'm glad to know that you think my surgeon is handling this correctly, and it helps to get some peace of mind from an informed source.
I do have one more question. While my surgeon is fairly confident the operculectomy will resolve the repeated infection issues, he said that if this continues to be a problem or the gum flap grows back, I may have to get that second molar pulled and possibly the corresponding top second molar to resolve the problem. He says that most people don't have enough room for wisdom teeth in their mouth, but I don't even have enough room on that side for my second molar (which does seem likely.) Would this be a reasonable course of treatment if the area cannot heal properly?
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