Well I went back to the dentist today. He said it looks like the socket is finally healing, but still had a little redness. He also said the gum is now attached to the bone. I have to go back again in 3 weeks because he said he believes there's some sinus communication. He said that it is uncommon because usually it is a back molar and mine is a premolar, but he thinks since I'm not tasting the salt anymore and my nose is no longer burning when I drink anything, that it might be healing on its own. He said if it is not completely healed in 3 weeks, he will send me to the oral surgeon. It actually doesn't hurt at all anymore, just a tiny bit tender if I chew on that side. I asked him if he thought I'd be ok now, and he wouldn't give me a solid answer, he just said to come back in 3 weeks and we'd see if it was healed. Also, I'm back to not being allowed to blow my nose, no straws, I have sinus medication to take, and no heavy sniffling. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will totally heal, because I leave in a week and a half for a vacation cross-country. We've decided to drive, just so I have no problems.

Hi Bryanna. I hope you will see this post. Its 6 weeks post extraction and everything seemed to be healing (finally) nicely. The socket actually looks fully healed now, and there's been no salty taste anymore. Then this afternoon, I ran my tongue along my gums and felt something. There's a pimple above the extraction site now. There's no pain, but definitely a pimple. The last time I had a pimple on my gum over a different tooth, it was an abscess. How can you get an abscess when there's nothing left there? And can you have an abscess without pain? I tried to call the doctor, but he's out until Tuesday (figures, everything happens on a 3 day weekend). I've had alot of white things popping out of the socket area, which I believe are bone fragments. Is it possible that a bone fragment can be working its way out of the side of the gum? I'm due to go back in 2 weeks for a check up and am supposed to leave in 6 days for a cross country vacation. Now I'm not sure what to do.

Hi Jess,

Is it soft like a pimple, does it have a head on it? Or is it hard/pointy like a piece of bone? To answer your question..... yes you can have an infection even if a tooth is removed and not all infections cause pain at the onset.

It is not unusual to see some bony fragments come out or poke out of the gum after an extraction. They are similar to splinters. Perhaps that is what you are referring to when you say "white things popping out of the socket"?

If you think it's a pimple and/or get drainage from that area, then see the dentist on tuesday. If it's a bony fragment, it may be okay to leave it alone as it may fall out or heal over on it's own. If it were to become infected, then it would have to be removed.

Keep us posted.

Bryanna

Thank you so much for responding Bryanna. I'm about at my wits end with this. No it definitely has a head on it and looks like a pimple. I thought maybe it was like a gum boil because bone was stuck or something. So I'm assuming it is an abscess. I did what I probably shouldn't have done and looked it up on the internet. They talked about the abscesses going to the brain, mortality rates, etc. which have scared me something awful now. I did everything the doctor told me to do, to a T. I don't smoke, I didn't suck through a straw, I haven't blown my nose, even with my awful allergies. I do know when I was brushing my teeth this morning, I hit an area on the gum above the site, and it really hurt. But only the gum, the extraction site is fine. I can even eat on that side now. The tooth did not have an infection prior to extraction, so I don't understand why this is happening. I know when you get an abscess in tooth, you usually have to have it extracted or a root canal to get rid of infection, but with the tooth gone, what can cause infection? I guess I just don't understand 6 weeks later. I could see a week or so later, but this long, and its been feeling so much better now too, I was feeling so hopeful. Ugh!

Hi Jess,

I'm not so sure it is an abscess. Could it be a canker sore?

Here's a link of what they look like.

http://www.primehealthchannel.com/wp...-Sore-Gums.jpg

Does it look like that?

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna. No, it looked like a pimple with a head on it. It burst during the night, and now there's some what stuff coming out of it that tastes awful. It looks like a little hole now on the side of the gum, and if I push on it, that's when I see the white stuff. Not alot, but a little. I called the dentist's emergency number 4 times and left messages over the past 24 hours, but he's not returning my call. The gum where it meets with the cheek has turned really red and is beginning to swell a little, but still only minor pressure, and no really pain. If it gets too bad, I may have to go to the ER. Of course this would happen on a holiday weekend. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I know I probably sound insane, but I'm just really aggravated over this still acting up this much later. I've also had a few nosebleeds this week on that side along with really bad congestion. I thought it was just allergies, but now I'm beginning to wonder if its not some weird infection.

Jess,

The nosebleeds and sinus congestion on that same side may be linked to the sinus communication that the surgeon acknowledged at your post op appointment. If the pimple is a fistula and there is infection, you will continue to get drainage from that fistula so long as it stays open. Keep rinsing with warm salt water...... 3-4 times a day is adequate enough to keep it open. If the swelling gets bigger and you can't get a hold of that surgeon, call another one or go to the ER. Your oral surgeon is legally obligated to return your call........ cannot believe he hasn't done that yet!

There's not much else I can suggest to you. Hopefully the swelling will not increase and you can get in to see him on tuesday.

Please keep in touch here.......
Bryanna

Well I finally went to see an oral surgeon yesterday. Turns out I don't have an abscess. He said the area actually looks like it is healing well. I guess the pimple on the gum and bleeding, he believes is being caused by bone chips that are stuck in the socket area (I hope I understood him correctly). He said alot of times it can cause inflammation. He said the pimple on the gum is gone, but there's a tiny little hole that he thinks bone may have come out of. He said the body will try to push the bone chips (he actually had a name for them) out on their own, but if they don't come out in a week, he wants to make an incision and clean the area out. He also told me to wash my hands really good, wet my finger and massage the gum above the area to bring blood to it to help speed up the healing. And the sinus issue I was having seems to either be healed or is healing really well too. I guess according to him, oral surgeons have more skill with extracting teeth and aren't as barbaric as my dentist was (my words, not his). I go back tomorrow and he will evaluate it again before I leave on vacation. He also seemed to genuinely care about how distraught I have been. Refreshing change from what I've been dealing with the last 6 weeks! Thanks again Bryanna!