Hi jer,
I'm sorry the oral surgeon was a jerk and did not treat you kindly. There is never a good reason to mistreat anyone ever. I'm so sorry :/
I am concerned about what could be lurking in the surgical socket or if there was a sinus communication. The OS should have debrided the entire area thoroughly without question. But it does not sound like he did that and again there is no excuse for not doing that. Can you consult with a different oral surgeon, one that is not associated with this guy? You would need to bring your pre op xrays with you. I would recommend doing that over seeing your general dentist because to be honest, he's not going to be much help.
Have you every considered trying a Biological or holistic dentist? They are usually much more knowledgeable and understanding of the oral and systemic connection and they tend to treat their patients more compassionately. The website IAOMT.org has a listing of these dentists who are located all over the world. That type of dentist may be a better fit for you since you are into self advocacy and unconventional health care.
I think you get temporary relief with the antibiotic and pain meds because they reduce the bacteria count and inflammation. But it sounds like once that builds up again, the pain comes with it. This could be indicative of a minor dry socket or a sinus communication or just inadequate debridement during the surgery. I really think another opinion with someone who you can trust more so than the os would be a good idea.
Are you rinsing with warm salt water? You should be doing that 3-4 times a day gently but thoroughly until the hole closes over with gum tissue. Also, stick with a nutritious soft food diet for another week or so to give your jaw muscles a rest and drink lots of filtered water throughout the day to keep flushing out the toxins.
I agree with you about the antibiotics .... they are often carelessly prescribed which leads people to assume they are safe to take repetitively. I also know without a question that there is a strong correlation between our gut and our brain. Which means when our intestinal tract is being attacked by the medications, our brain is not functioning optimally. It is common knowledge that antibiotics can have profound affects on the function of the brain... in some instances it's a positive affect but in others it's not. So don't not let anyone make you feel odd about how the meds affect you or tell you that there is no correlation. There wrong and you're right.
What do you think about the possibility of seeing another OS or a biological dentist?
Bryanna
Quote:
Originally Posted by jer87
Hi Bryanna and AH2015,
AH2015 thank you for your kind words. It always helps to know you're not alone and someone is out there caring! I am currently talking to a holistic/ homeopathic doctor but it all has to be long distance because I live in a rural area. I am considering the prescription they have recommended for me instead of more antibiotics but am a little unsure at this point. I know more about herbal supplements than homeopathy but I also know that homeopathy if pretty safe and effective.
Bryanna it was an oral surgeon that removed the tooth. My normal dentist didn't feel comfortable removing the tooth because it had a root canal and because I had a sinus that was clearly draping down over the root of the tooth in the x-ray.
I was very unhappy with the oral surgeon though! I let the staff and the surgeon know that I was incredibly anxious about it because I've never had a tooth pulled. They did nothing to put me at ease. There was barely a consultation, when he injected the local anesthetic I didn't get numb on my pallet (I always have a hard time getting numb) and I told him when he came back in. He quickly injected my pallet again but was so rough that I actually felt the needle slide like it was cutting in my flesh and he hit a nerve that made me jump on the chair... I'm tough. Normally during an injection I just breathe and know that it will be over soon. I really can handle physical pain very well but that was unreal, it was almost sadistic. Like he was punishing me for not getting numb the first time... Then without giving that anesthetic any time to work he started working on the outside of the tooth to remove it. Then when he got to the inside and pried the tooth out I'm pretty sure the bad taste in my mouth was all the anesthetic just pouring out. It was a bad experience! I'm pretty sure he didn't do any scraping of my jaw or cleaning out of the periodontal ligaments. There wasn't enough time for that between the tooth coming out and the less than sympathetic nurse stuffing the gauze in my mouth.
He didn't mention anything about a perforation in my sinus. Or really have anything to say to me after the tooth was gone. I barely got any information on after care. I had paid and left within 5 minutes of the tooth being ripped out with no request for a follow up either. I think this is part of the reason why I’m so unsettled about the whole thing. Removing the tooth was supposed to make things better! Not worse 
I won’t be going back to that OS for any more procedures… I had considered calling to ask if they removed the necrotic tissue etc. (I read a post from someone else that you talked to on the forum) but since from what you said all dentists are supposed to do this during a tooth extraction I’m sure they would just lie to me and say they did whether they really did or not. I’m not sure now if I should call my regular dentist or not?
I do meditate and practice mudras as well as yoga. I find them very beneficial… I went to the beach yesterday after posting for some grounding and meditated while immersed in salt water holding a healing mudra. I felt better during this but as soon as I left the pain returned. Right now I am focusing on my belly dancing for physical activity because I am afraid to lower my head down for yoga. I am stretching as much as possible but it’s really hard to keep your head elevated.
I am aware about the importance of good bacteria… I make my own yogurt and sauerkraut and take a good probiotic when I can’t keep those going. I know my body is a microcosm and that the antibiotics are like setting off a nuke in there… Most people have no idea how powerful and dangerous most of the things western doctors prescribe are. At my regular dentist I mentioned being depressed by the antibiotics and they acted like it wasn’t possible but I found research just yesterday that substantiates the claim that gut flora play a huge part on emotional health. Only about 10% of the cells in our bodies are actually human. Everything else is little bacteria running around… It’s no wonder being an empathetic person that I become suicidal on antibiotics… I’m feeling millions of creatures die in my own body.
Sorry… I digress.
Thank you for the great article and I will make sure my probiotic supplement has those bacteria in it!
Today I felt better when I woke up but as I began moving around I felt some of the pressure return. Then I went about 45 miles away to my mother’s house and had pressure disappear completely for a while, only to return after I had been there for about 2 hours. I am wondering if I’m seeing a correlation with the antibiotics and the pressure. I had just eaten and taken my morning dose when I left. Then it was almost time for the midday dose when the pressure returned. With the midday dose I took an ibuprofen because I didn’t want to let it get out of control so I’m not sure if the pressure left with that dose or stayed. Today is my last day on the antibiotics, so I’ll have a chance to test that theory during the next few days.
I’ve noticed I also have a low grade fever that comes and goes. I do natural family planning for birth control and I notice that my temp is normal early in the morning when I wake up but as I move around during the day it goes up. Nothing high just around 99.5 or so. I did read that having a low grade fever was normal but I wonder for how long? It’s been 5 days and I’m really clueless as to what to expect.
I’m also wondering if maybe all this could be a little case of dry socket? Does that come and go or is it something where the pain is steady until it’s gone?
All in all I think I might feel a little better but between the ibuprofen (I never take that kind of stuff!) and the antibiotics it’s hard to tell. The extraction site is still very open but I think some of the swelling on the outside gum is down. My pallet hurts quite a bit still but I’m not sure if that’s from the last injection or the extraction.
I know this is all a lot… Even reading back over it I feel like I should just suck it up and wait for a while before doing anything but I don’t want to damage my health.
I thank you both for helping me. I’m incredibly grateful to have someone to talk to about all this. |