Hi Bryanna,
Thanks for getting back to me. OK, to answer your question, the fistula appeared on the gumline beneath the molar located right next to the lower left wisdom tooth. That wisdom tooth was sideways under the gumline and invisible below the surface of the gum, impacted onto the molar which developed the fistula. The fistula burst, and drained over the course of the week I waited (with bronchitis) to get the 4 wisdom teeth taken out. I should also mention that there is an INTENSE cold-sensitivity in the fairly large pocket left by the removal of that tooth. The pain is largely non-existent at this point aside from that, UNTIL about 7:30 pm each evening, at which time it kicks in at that same spot, and radiates upward and beneath the other lower teeth on my left side. It is well controlled by 2 Advil, and I have no trouble sleeping after I take those.
Thanks again for your attention and advice on this!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryanna
Hi Berus,
Please clarify for me....
Was the dry socket the same site as where the fistula was.... and is that the same place that the piece of root was left in?
Regarding leaving a piece of root in the bone after the extraction ..... generally that is not an ideal thing to do especially if the area had an infection to begin with. However, it is a judgement call at the time of the surgery. The piece of tooth may or may not work it's way up towards the gum. If it does, then it's possible to have it removed at a later date. If it doesn't then that site needs to be monitored with x-rays at least once a year to make sure an infection is not brewing.
Not all dental infections cause fever or significant pain. Sometimes people can be diagnosed with NICO and only complain of intermittent pain or vague symptoms. Others are in excruciating pain.
It is common for a patient to have lingering pain several weeks post op of wisdom teeth removal due to the stretching of the jaw during the procedure. When you have IV sedation, your mouth gets propped open fairly wide which puts a strain on the ligaments, muscles and TMJ joint. Any time there is a difficult extraction, especially a lower molar, the jaw is over worked in trying to remove the tooth. So your symptoms could be the result any any of those things.
If you are feeling anxious about this area and you feel that pain is just lingering too intensely, then either see the same oral surgeon or another one to evaluate it with an x-ray. The bone takes a year to fill in completely, but at 4 weeks post op an x-ray could be taken to compare with the original x-ray to see if a possible infection is brewing.
If your oral surgeon is impatient and you are concerned he will think your concerns are bothering him ... then see someone else. It's funny when people say ..... "he is the best in town or the most reputable" ... because that statement does not always indicate a dentist or doctor. It does however indicate a popular one who has in some way made his mark on the community via any number of ways. This is not to say he is not good at what he does.... he may be very good! But sometimes popularity rates dentists (or whomever) higher than their level of skill.
Thanks for the kind words... by the way 
Bryanna |