I explained exactly to the "receptionist" because you cant get to the dentist or a nurse, and she said there were no complications with my extraction, I asked her is there was a sinus perferation, she grabbed the file and said no. She said if the site is not bleeding now and no pain I just have to wait for the socket to heal. This suprised me per your reply it sounded like I was in deep trouble. I asked her if I should salt water rinse still and she said no, for a smoker yes longer healing, and common sense dictates this but when you have anxiety you dont have much common sense. lol lol or I would not be a smoker. Its very aggrivating and worrysome to have different symtoms and no where to get answers and when you call your dentist they treat you like you are a bug. Hence why I came onto this site thinking maybe someone else had this experience. The way I see it I am a week behind on healing because of the Gelfoam, which I am gratefull to the dentist because he knew I was a smoker and he was giving me extra precaution against dry socket. I find the bleeding after this time scary but I have to look at the whole picture and I must be the only person who ever smoked after an extraction rock on smokers for quiting until the site is completly healed up...I feel the quote I posted can be helpful to a person who might not know what to expect and you can still bleed in the 2 week period. If the Gelfoam and stitches were in the socket the site had to wait until the foam dissolved to start to scab ect. One thing I will take away with this "first" extraction is no one heals the same and if a person smokes just add on a bunch more time to heal. Its interesting to hear about people cleaning out there extraction site with a syringe when I asked if it applied to me the dentist said no....hmm Am I correct when I say if the site has not closed shut this is still a Wound? and A wound can still bleed?
Thank you I have cut the smoking in half and except the responsibility of healing slower but when a person is scared sometimes a knowledgable person may be able to calm the fears a little bit.



This is your previous post....
<<<<I am filled with anxiety and to the point of panic. I had a tooth pulled 19 days ago, it was a broken at the gum premolar with a prior root canal. Had to tooth pulled, seems I am a slow healer 47 yrs old. I have been tasting a salt like taste the whole time after the extraction, according to the dentist because I smoke and the taste was the "scab" inside getting hot. OK so going forward to tonight, I have had the sneezes spring allergies, I forgot to open my mouth to sneeze and I sneezed and have a huge amount of that taste of "salt", I grabbed a tissue to wipe the "salt off my toungue and its blood!!, I looked in the mirror and the socket is blood. No pain thank god, I have no idea what to do or who to talk to ......any help would be awsome. I have a fear of dentist to the extreme of feeling faint>>>

Pennye, I'm a bit confused here. IMO, what you described above is not anything similar to what you have re written about your findings online that state what is normal for 7-14 days post op.

I assume you explained to the oral surgeon in detail what you have experienced. If so, then I assume your dentist figures this incident is "expected" because the site is not healing the way it "normally" would in a non smoker.

Your case is typical in that patients who continue to smoke post-operatively tend to have complications during the healing phase and they do take longer to heal.

I wish you all the best.
Bryanna[/QUOTE]