Thank you SO much, Bryanna. I have no fever and feel fine otherwise but I am on amoxicillin 500 for 8 days. I was on penicillin for 5 days after the extraction. What I didn't mention (this is not my week!) is that I developed a periodontal abscess on tooth 11 (root canaled and crowned) and had it traced yesterday by my dentist with a piece of gutta percha and an x-ray. It is very close to the gumline so they suspected that it was periodontal and not a tooth abscess. This happened last year also. The periodontist opened my gum, looked for a crack, found none, attributed it to a pocket, did a guided tissue regeneration and all was well....til Saturday when a big white bump appeared again. It drained on its own on Sunday after rinsing with salt water all day. I called, they phoned in a prescription and I went in yesterday to see what's going on. I am seeing an oral surgeon tomorrow for a consultation. I heard that sometimes they can't see tiny cracks and this can be what causes it. So I am faced with more surgery and they may find nothing again, or extraction if they do find a crack or just feel it's a goner, or leaving it and praying.
I also have to talk to them about a horizontally impacted wisdom tooth (lower, my luck) that has now developed resorption. I am a nervous wreck over all this at the same time. My dentist and the oral surgeon saw the x-ray and both said take another x-ray in a year or two, they didn't seem alarmed. I have an immense fear of this extraction's danger, dry socket, paresthesia and I am petrified. I am almost 60 so wish I had done this when I was young, they saw it and never advised me and I certainly didn't know about this stuff as a younger person. Again, thanks for the advice regarding the extraction site and the great information about the muscle and soreness. I just used 2 mirrors and cleaned the first molar very carefully...there was some food on it and I used a rubber tip to gently swab it off and brushed it very carefully, not touching the extraction site. You're a Godsend and I will let you know the outcome of my consult if that's ok.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryanna
Hi Sandy,
It is normal for the gum area of an extraction site to be sore or tender for a couple of weeks after the procedure to remove the tooth. It is also normal for the face and bony area around the extraction site to be uncomfortable for a couple of weeks as the area is healing.
Sometimes, the gum tissue at the extraction site develops a canker sore from hot, sharp edged or spicy food. Keep in mind that the extraction site is an open wound that is subjected to everything you eat even if you are not eating directly on that area. If that is the case, then salt walter rinses will help heal the gum tissue. It is also imperative to make sure that you brush the first molar (in front of the extraction site) very thoroughly to avoid any plaque from building up along the gumline of that tooth. If plaque accumulates around the gumline of that first molar, it will cause a sore to develop which could spread to the extraction site.
The area along the cheekbone can be tender for a variety of reasons but one that is common is due to trauma with the Zygomatic Major muscle. The Zygomatic Major is a very thick muscle that runs diagonally from the ear, down along the outer edge of the cheekbone to the corners of the mouth. This muscle is referred to as the Smile Muscle. When you have an upper molar extracted, this muscle may be overstretched especially if the patient tightens their facial muscles during the extraction. As the muscle starts to relax and heal, the cheekbone area can feel tender or achey. This condition can last for a few days to a few weeks, but it is temporary.
The nose can be tender from referred pain from the overstretched zygomatic major muscle.
On the other hand, sinus issues or infection can also make both of these areas tender. Usually when there is infection present, the patient doesn't feel very well and may run a fever. Are you feeling ok in general?
If by friday of this week, the gum area is still "very" sore and the area at the side of the nose is "very" sore or you develop swelling or a fever ...... it wouldn't hurt to let the oral surgeon or your general dentist take another look at the area and even take an xray.
Please try not to worry...... your situation does not sound serious but if you are very concerned that something is wrong, it is always best to let the dentist take a look to make sure all is well.
Please keep us posted on how you are healing!
Bryanna ~'.'~
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