Well I went to the dentist Wednesday to have my teeth cleaned and x-rayed. My dental hygenist was concerned about the abcess and the pain I have been having which seems like forever. She asked me when my consult was and I told her friday she said hold on a minute and I will see if he can do your consult today, they share the same office building. He came over looked at my x-rays and did my consult. He agreed with me that I might need a stronger antibiotic and prescribed me amoxicillin which I have taken plenty of times thru the years with no problems. He poked and prodded on the lump and when I asked him if I should be concerned about it spreading to jawbone he wouldn't answer the question instead said well when you come in Friday morning and I take the teeth out the infection will go away... Reallly not an answer. We argued about when I seen him in June and he pulled two opposite molars on the right side and I woke up as he was pulling the last one, he said "you may have woke up but you didn't feel anything because you were numb" I said "No I wasn't numb I felt every nerve with that tooth being ripped out" I then told him I had been shaking and sobbing with the pain he tried to explain that away as a side effect from the anesthesia. I then again denied that! He finally looked at my chart and decided the problem was all the pain medication I'm on for the trigeminal neuralgia. He said I had became intolerant to the medication and that was why I didn't stay under. all I know is I'm tired of all the excuses, this is now the 6th or 7th excuse about me waking up. We then proceeded to get into an argument about the trigeminal neuralgia and he tried to pull the superior act with me which I promptly shut down. I know what I have been thru and what I have done to try to find pain relief and I don't need him try to make me feel like an incompetent or worse a liar. He also placed derision on the local anethesist I went to in Sept. 2006 for nerve blocks which didn't work. I also see him for pain management. He implied the man doesn't know what he's doing. If that's not the pot calling the kettle black! If you can tell I'm aggravated then you are correct. Anyways after the consult my dentist came in when I asked him about the possibible problems of the abcess being in my jawbone and he totally ignored the question. He did his thing and felt around on the lump too. I left and made an appt. for Monday to get the teeth extracted. I filled my prescription and started it. I was in pain that night I don't know if it was from them messing around with the lump or having to talk. I found talking makes the pain worse. I was up all night with it. The next day I noticed my tongue had fissures on it and was very sore, it felt like I had scalded it. My lips were drying out, and they were burning also. I did notice my lower lip felt swollen. I spent the day just miserable between the pain and burning. I asked my cousin if I could possibly be having a reaction to the antibiotic even tho I have always taken it with no problem, she felt it was possible so I discontinued it. As I was brushing my teeth that night before bedtime I thought it could be the tootpaste. I had just had it filled a week prior and it is a generic for Colgate Prevident 5000. I have a real sensitivity to toothpaste and mouthwash. So I quit using it instead I'm using my grandaughter's toothpaste right now. I found some Bacitracin ointment yesterday evening and I have been using it on my lips and it's helping. I still don't know for sure what caused the reaction since I pretty much quit all triggers but it is improving. The pain kept me up all night Thurs. and Fri. finally right after I ate breakfast Saturday morining I suddenly felt all the pain dissipate. i don't know if the pressure was alieved or what but I was pain free all day yesterday until I went to bed last night and the pain is back. But I did have some relief after wanting to rip my face off forever. I'm still worried about the surgery tomorrow altho I know Bryanna is right that I will have to wait and see if it does any damage to the trigeminal nerve, I just need these teeth out. I'm extremely worried that I'm going to wake up while he's yanking and it's enough to keep me on edge. Whew I typed alot. I have been so tired and in pain for so long that if this soves some of that problem then great I just hope this old man doesn't make things worse for me.

Robyn....

Did you have the teeth out on monday???? How are you???

Bryanna

Yes I went Monday and the man mangled me! First he completely missed the vein in my arm and no one has problems with finding my vein, he did and I got a nice long black bruise and it's sore. I think he pinched my lips with the insturments or something because I have a blister on the bottom and upper lip and it is very annoying. The pain was tolerable that day and it hasn't been to bad the last few days except for both sides of my jaw where I assume they held me while he pulled and dug. I am on clindamyacin now since we aren't sure if I had a reaction to the amoxicillin. I called his office Tuesaday to find out when the abcess was supposed to go down and when I should be worried, they told me give it 5 days and if it's still swollen to contact them. Today is day 3 and it is very swollen whick I figured it would be and tender. I guess I'll be taking it one day at a time. Tho I do wonder if something may be going on as I just don't feel right, kinda achy and tired. Will keep you posted and thank you for asking. My family could care less and it makes me feel better knowing someone asks after me.

Don't know what's going on but when I got up today the pain was really bad. I had to take a dialdud and normally I don't need anything other than tylenol. Still pretty swollen on jawlines and down throat also I still have the lump in my mouth it hasn't changed.

Hi Robyn,

I'm so sorry you have had such bad dental experiences with this dentist! I would expect the area to be swollen for few days but by the weekend it should be subsiding.

You said you were swollen along your jawline.... ok... but down your throat?? Do you feel that the swelling has traveled down your throat? If so, then you may want to call the dentist in the morning to tell him that.

You have a very severe infection and I am not surprised that you are not feeling well. Hopefully the clinda will help clear it up. But seriously, if your throat is getting swollen, then call your dentist.

Please keep in touch with us here...

Bryanna

Well it's Monday and officially one week since my oral surgery to extract two molars on my left side. I have completed my cycle of clindamycin and the infection in my jaw has not changed at all. My gums are still painful to the touch and the sutures are in no way ready to dissolve. I was thinking when I had previous extractions that the sutures were ready to come out by now but I could be wrong. I called his office and he wanted to see me today but it wasn't possible for me so I have an appt. with him Wednesday. I have been on three different antibiotics for a month now and nothing has touched it. I'm wondering what he's going to do. He's pretty scary in the way he thinks so it could be way out there...Any thoughts on what he might do to me this time? Or what I may suggest to him? Thanks!

Hi Robyn,

Depending on what the dentist sees clinically.... he may also take some xrays... will determine what further treatment may need to be done.

These are some questions that I normally address with patients who are not healing well....
Do you smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs in the methadone family? Do you take medications that you need to chew? Are you under a lot of stress? Do you have an eating disorder in which you purge every day? Are you malnourished? Have you been rinsing with warm salt water? Are you rinsing with anything else?? Are you brushing your other teeth? Are you avoiding that area when you chew? Do you have a fever or feel malaise... any nausea? Please let your dentist know if any of those things pertain to you.

Sometimes when oral antibiotics are not able to take care of an infection, they have to be administered intravenously. When given through an IV, the antibiotic bypasses the digestive tract which makes the antibiotic work more effectively. He may or may not suggest this to you.

I am a little worried about you ~:-<.... please keep in touch with us here.

Bryanna

Thanks Bryanna, no I have no problems you listed and I have done everything I am supposed to I guess I just have a stubborn infection or my immune system is not up to par. I know this has been very aggravating! I told a friend today that I thought he might have to try i.v antibiotics on me since I'm having no luck with oral ones. But he is a strange man so it's hard to tell what he'll do. I had x-rays taken the previous Wednesday when I had my teeth cleaned, you could see the pocket of infection on them altho to my untrained eye it didn't look that big or serious. I'm renconsidering that line of thought tho. Lol! Sorry I have to joke about it or I will be stressed. As far as any secondary symptons I've only noticed besides the tenderness and swelling is fatigue. No fever or nausea just don't want to do anything but then again that's probably not new either. Oh I have a different question for you, I have noticed that my right side now that I have to chew on it is sore. Ihad the bottom mollars removed on it back in June and I hadn't chewed on it and I figured the gum was tender because it hadn't been used to being used as a food grinder so to speak. Also the jawline is sore to the touch still and I assume it is from the assistants holding my jaw down while he did my surgery last Monday. I don't know I do know I feel like a complainer and it is embarrassing to post every little pain I'm having. I'm used to having to suck it up with the Trigeminal Neuralgia but I also know things seem a little weird right now and when I first was sick with TN I needed to tell everyone all the symptoms so I could get a correct diagnosis. Please don't think I'm a malingerer just needing some answers. Thank you again Bryanna! Will let you know what he says Wednesday and I also see my dentist again that day to have a couple of cavities filled and I will let him know what's going on too.

Hi Robyn,
All of your questions are valid.... and like you, I ask alot of questions until I am comfortable with the answers. I have seen too many people misdiagnosed who were hesitant to question anything. It disturbs me that this dentist is rough with you and that you are so leary of having him take care of you. I understand your predicament and I feel really bad that people often have no choice but to settle for what their insurance dictates as far as who they can and can't see. I deal with that situation every day and have personally experienced it myself. So I truly understand. Hopefully he will be less apathetic to your situation at this point.

Because of the long term infection and also the numerous antibiotics you have taken... yes, your immune system is not up to par at this point. So that may be a couple of reasons why you are not healing well. Are you taking vitamins.... how about a probiotic every day??

You mentioned that xrays were taken a few days prior to your extractions and it showed the pocket of infection....radiographic pathology of the jawbone that indicates an infection means the infection has been there a long time and that it has entered the jawbone. The oral surgeon should have debrided (removed) that area of infection along with some of the necrotic bone. If he didn't do that and/or if the area was not kept very sterile during the surgery and/or if the antibiotics were not able to kill off the various strains of bacterial infection... then the infection will proliferate to other areas. So an xray of that area may be wise to see if that pocket of infection is still present and/or has changed. Don't be hesitant to insist on an xray... he may say it's not necessary because it's too early to see bone healing.......that is somewhat true however, he cannot tell if infection has spread, etc without the xray.

With regard to the right side of your jaw hurting... that would be normal if it is where you are doing the majority of your chewing. I know it's hard to stay on a soft food diet but it may be your best bet until this infection subsides. And yes, it could be sore from the assistant holding it but generally when a patient is put to sleep, the jaw is clamped open rather than the assistant holding it open. But who knows how this office does it!

Robyn... I don't think you are a complainer at all! You have every right to be concerned and I will help you as much and as often as I can =))

Look forward to hearing what the dentist says on wednesday!

Bryanna

Ok Bryanna heres the scoop, I seen him yesterday and he took another panoramic he looked at it and said it looked fine however he does see some inflammation in the gum area and of course you can see and feel the lump. He said he doesn't know what it is he doesn't think it's pus but he did put me on Clindamycin 300mgs and Flagyll 500mgs for a week and I'm to come back next Wedns. If the lump hasn't went down he wants to do some exploratory surgery and see what he can see. I'm not to keen on it but if it doesn't resolve I have no choice. I was wondering if I could see an ent for that? As you know I'm not comfortable with him. Also will this surgery be billed to my dental or medical insurance? I do know one thing tho, these antibiotics are killing me! I have been on probiotics for awhile but my stomache is still tore up. I'm giving it til tomorrow when he will be in to see if things right themselves. I hate to stop them and then definitely have to have the surgery. I also have been taking prenatel vitamins for years. So I am trying to keep everything on track but boy these antibiotics are a bear! He did say there was a possibility there was necrosis of the bone even tho the x-rays showed the bone was clean of infection. Believe me when it comes to x-rays nothing ever shows up even when there is a problem. Don't know why I have such luck but I do. I also seen my dentist and I asked the girl to grind off some sealant that had dripped down behind my bottom tooth where I have a permanent retainer. What happens? The retainer pops off cause of the drill and now she needs to put a new one on. Of course she couldn't get the wire to bend correctly so they had to take an impression and I will have it put back on next Wednesday. Never simple. Oh and as for the pain in the opposite jaw I believe it's from the clamp, I had a previous extraction and after the bruising came out you could see fingerprints along my jawline that time. There was no fingerprints so I would say a clamp this time. I know I will be glad when all this is over