Hey Bryanna,
The stitch is out and ugggg my gums are so swollen around those sites. He stitched the gum together in between the two teeth and now that gum is so swollen. He looked at it all today and said it looks good.. Good? My gums feel 10x their normal size.The sockets do not hurt at all, it is the gums. Holy Moly they are so sore, tight, and the remaining teeth feel so weird but I assume that is from the swelling. I kept saying mention about the blood taste in the morning and what do I forget to ask? You got it.. The blood. But i know it is from what you said the two surgical wounds are still open and my dad told me today that when you sleep your tongue could be playing with it. Makes sense I guess. My bridge on top throbs at times also and I assume that it is because of the gums below and everything is connected. I am just hoping the swelling subsides before Christmas. Do you think it will. It has been 7 days today and I also keep forgetting it was two extracted and double the healing. Bryanna, as you might tell I am a little obsessed with my recent dental work. I feel since August I have had problems in the mouth. I look at my kids and I cry. I cry because I want to be pain free to enjoy them and it is one thing after another and the time is flying by and I just need a break. I am so sad to be in discomfort not pain but discomfort everyday. I know you must see this everyday and I thank you for taking your personal time to help me out.
Do you know an approximate timeline on how long the swelling lasts in the gums? The tightness has subsided.
Thanks so much
I am doing salt water rinses 3 to 4 times a day.
OS said to use mouthwash to help with the odor and the food getting stuck. Rinse after I eat. I don;t want to use alcohol based so is a Biotene ok? i have sjougrens disorder so I use that.
Thanks
Nicole



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Nicole,

Did he remove the suture yesterday? If so, then the swelling would be normal for a day or two. I would suggest that you not rinse with Biotene but rather Xylitol which can be purchased in health food stores. It comes in a box of little packets like sugar. The brand I use is called Xylosweet. You put one packet in a small glass of water, stir, rinse gently/thoroughly and swallow it. Best if you do this at night after you brush/floss just before you go to bed. Do the salt water rinses 3 times during the day. The Xylitol helps with the dry mouth and also is very healing to the oral and digestive tissue.

Bryanna



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Hi Bryanna,
Thanks for the suggestion. When I go to the store I will check it out. The swelling today feels like it went down a little but it is still there. The site from tooth 30 is almost closed which is great but 31 is taking a while and I noticed when I open my mouth and look back there with a light, air hits it and gets super sensitive. I wonder if I have a slight dry socket but OS looked at it when he took the stitch out and said they looked good. Maybe not then, just weird that that is happening. Could it just be healing and that is the sensitivity?
I went to my doctor today because I have been fighting a cough for a week now and she gave me a zpack. I don't think that is strong enough of an antibiotic to help if there was a sligh infection anywhere is it?
Now I have this food issue. It is getting stuck in 31. Not 30 cause that is just about closed where food can not get trapped. I am rinsing as much as I should not more to irritate it but there is stuff that won't come out and I have tried to gently pull it out with my nail but I aggravate the area so I have decided to leave it alone. Will the food eventually come out or disintegrate. My step mom says you need to take it out or the site will get infected. I just say I will take my chances because I don't want to put my finger there anymore
Will it eventually come out on its own or disintegrate? OS did not give a syringe just said salt water or mouthwash to help with the odor. He did not make it out to be of any concern when I told him I can't get the food out.
Thanks for ur help.
Nicole












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Nicole,

It is normal for the extraction site to be sensitive to temperature... food, drinks or air. I suggest that you NOT try to remove anything from the socket with your finger or anything else. Do not risk the contamination of bacteria. Some food debris is not going to interfere with the healing as it will fall out or be rinsed out. Keep rinsing with the salt water 3-4 times a day. After 7 days post op, you can rinse vigorously meaning swish the salt water in that area deliberately to clean out any leftover food. The chances of dry socket developing at this point is basically nil as the clot had already formed and done it's job.

The zpack is adequate for a slight oral infection, which you have not been diagnosed with. Do you have an upper respiratory infection or just a cold? Anytime the body is dealing with any illness, the healing time from any type of surgery will be longer because of the compromised immune system.

Hope this helps...
Bryanna



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Yes, I have an upper respiratory infection but it is just about gone. A cough that I could not shake. Sockets are starting to fill in with new gum tissue underneath. They are still sensitive to air. If I put my tongue back there at times And air hits it it is like a jolt and they are so sore when food gets in. In time it will all calm down and then it will be another extraction I think. The last molar on the right side upper is throbbing at times lately. It is a root canal tooth (they suck so bad). There is no sharp shooting pains just some throbbing at times. I am not sure if it is from the whole area healing and that being aggravated or there is a slight infection going on there. I can't eat on that side yet to see if like the last time I got a sharp pain biting down, but it is of concern. I honestly feel like my mouth is being attacked. The tooth on the bottom next to extracted 30 is a rc and that is still sensitive. No sharp pain just a little difficult to chew on feels weird and there is a weird feeling of emptiness and that tooth seems to have a big feeling. I just want to get through the holidays and then get them xrayed and see where to go from there. What else could cause the throbbing? Could it be my gums? There is no sensitivity to cold or hot. The tooth is directly above the extraction site. My bridge throbs a little also on the top same side. I have the molar an empty space and then a 3 tooth bridge. All my front teeth are healthy it is everything else. My dentist said that we can do partials not to worry or get upset it is all fixable in time. She said lets fix what is wrong and go from there. I just hate all the extractions. I get very nervous about them. My biggest fear with them is the bleeding and clotting. Once I know I have the clot and it sticks I am ok it's just knowing when to take gauze out and leave it out. I hope this is not too long and you don't think I am a wack job I just worry. I have celiac and sjourens and don't worry or think about it at all. I am checked (blood work) every 3 months for organ damage or WBC and RBC numbers. I get about 5 vials taken every 3 months and thought get nervous with the results it is not anywhere near my anxiety with teeth. Very strange.



QUOTE=Bryanna;831346]Nicole,

It is normal for the extraction site to be sensitive to temperature... food, drinks or air. I suggest that you NOT try to remove anything from the socket with your finger or anything else. Do not risk the contamination of bacteria. Some food debris is not going to interfere with the healing as it will fall out or be rinsed out. Keep rinsing with the salt water 3-4 times a day. After 7 days post op, you can rinse vigorously meaning swish the salt water in that area deliberately to clean out any leftover food. The chances of dry socket developing at this point is basically nil as the clot had already formed and done it's job.

The zpack is adequate for a slight oral infection, which you have not been diagnosed with. Do you have an upper respiratory infection or just a cold? Anytime the body is dealing with any illness, the healing time from any type of surgery will be longer because of the compromised immune system.

Hope this helps...
Bryanna



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Nicole,

I don't think you are wacked at all! I totally understand your concerns and anxiety about the magnitude of your dental issues. There are a couple ways to go about getting it all done and everyone has to do what is most comfortable and affordable for them. It is up to your dentist to help you prioritize the course of treatment and provide the treatment plan to you in writing so you can see the different phases of treatment as well as the ultimate goal.

Removing teeth is an operation and there is no way around that. Each extraction takes up to a year to completely fill in with bone, longer if there are post op complications. So that can give you some idea of why the areas are still sensitive to air, food, pressure.......all of which will subside in time.

It is not unusual for "vulnerable teeth" to act up after a tooth/teeth have been extracted because more chewing pressure is being put on them than prior to the extraction. There is also a major change taking place within the anatomical structure of the jaw. So it is very common to temporarily have lingering and varying symptoms in other teeth post operatively.

The one thing that I discuss with my patients who are faced with the prospect of multiple extractions followed by partial dentures is to consider having the problem teeth in each quadrant removed all at the same time. Meaning do quadrant extractions rather than one or two teeth here and there. Doing this extraction pattern usually results in a more even bone level throughout the mouth. Have you had impressions taken for the partial dentures?

Bryanna






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Hi. I would have had those teeth extracted also of they were giving me a problem but they were fine. Now they are sensitive and the top throbs at times. It is not constant with the top but the bottom tooth next to the extraction feels weird and is still sensitive. I can't do anymore till Jan and the new insurance kicks in. I will eventually have those two taken out cause 1. The back one is useless. There is nothing under it to chew on except my gum and it is a RC so it is destined for disaster eventually anyway and the bottom partial I do not want to do until that tooth is out because then it is just my natural teeth that my dentist say are fine. On that partial I would only do 3 teeth on it. The other side I will stretch out if possible till 2013 and if not I will have the top last tooth extracted and again the partial would be good cause it is all natural teeth unless I have enough bone on that one where I can keep that tooth and use that partial that goes around natural teeth also.
So we will see. I have some stuff obviously to fix, but again I will do it it is just finding the right time so both my kids are not home all the time like the summer. I do look foward to getting it all done because I will not have to worry about that anymore in my life but scared at the same time. I hope to have some stability by the summer with this all.
I have a concern about something. I have a 3 tooth bridge on the top I dont know the teeth numbers but if you start from the back here goes. I have the last molar, no tooth net to it and then the three tooth bridge. If I have the last molar extracted will my bridge fall out? I am so scared of that happening. I feel like it will because of the pressure that it will take for the tooth to come out. Any help would help me understand better.
Thanks so much

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Nicole,

If I understood your explanation correctly.......
The molar is part of the three unit bridge, once the molar is removed the bridge will be compromised because the molar is one of the anchor teeth that holds the bridge in place.

Did I understand your explanation ok?

Bryanna


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Hi.. No the molar is not part of the bridge. There is a missing tooth separating the molar from the bridge. Would that still be compromised?



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Ok, sorry for misunderstanding you

If the three unit bridge has two anchor teeth, one on each side of a missing tooth, then the removal of the molar will not compromise the bridge.

Did I get it right this time?

Bryanna



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