Hopefully Bryanna will respond to you on this one. I don't like how this sounds. May be infection still in your jaw, at the site of the extraction. Usually water pics, are good for the gums, so I don't think the shower hurts. However any remaining pain is something to get checked out. Bone itself can become infected especially if the initial infection, did go into the bone. Pain like that is not normal. If your OS does not take an active investigative roll, I would see that other opinion. Better to be on the safe side, and try and get rid of that pain. Is the empty socket all closed up nicely? Any swellings at the site? ginnie

No swelling, temperature is fairly normal, and my dentist says the site has healed very well. The pain feels sort of muscular in nature, like a sore joint that throbs like mad after chewing anything at all chewy.

Am going to try and get hold my OS as soon as feasible. Am terribly busy this week, so timing is awkward. Argh. In the meantime, I way try some sort of Vicks heat balm thing in the I suppose unlikely event it might help...

Thanks,

- John

Is there any bad taste in your mouth? I hope that your OS will actively take a look and do the tests to get this resolved. Bryanna will post at some point. I know her, she really does care about these dental issues. I know just a little bit. Actually studied to be a hygentist way back in my 20's. ginnie

No bad taste. Tried taking an aspirin (or tylenol, I forget) and it seemed to help some. Still hurts though. Kind of difficult to describe the exact location of the pain, though - sometimes I feel it in my lower gum near some sort of canker-ish sore, other times it's closer to my TMJ. My OS is about to prescribe some sort of antibiotic, I think.

Also, an awkward aspect of this, other than the usual problems I associate with dental disorders, is that my OS is 500 miles away (I had the extraction in Portland over the summer, but I work in Northern CA during the school year).

Canker sores are one thing, but something different in regard to possible infection. I would feel better for you if your OS would take a complete film, to realy look at the bone. antibiotics are fine for mild infections, but for bone involved infection, ask him to do it. You would have peace of mind, knowing it wasn't a real problem. Just my take, as I am a wuss when it comes to dental proceedures. ginnie

Hi John,

I suggest that you see an oral surgeon close to where you are rather than wait.... just in case there is an infection. It does not have to be the surgeon who extracted the tooth. Your symptoms are indicative of an infection, but also mimic a muscular spasm. The canker sore may or may not be linked to an infection. It could also be linked to your gum disease, especially if you've had a cleaning recently.

Gingivitis is the beginning of periodontal disease and with diligent home care, it can be brought under control. If the condition continues, the bacteria will progress further into the gum tissue and bone. It is not normal for healthy gums to bleed more than a few specks during a professional cleaning. If your gums bleed a lot when you have your teeth cleaned, this is a sign of more than gingivitis. It could also indicate a health problem and/or be associated with certain medications that you are taking.

I would suggest that you NOT use the shower head or the water pik on a hard setting to rinse out your mouth or gums. The hard setting is definitely too harsh and can actually injure the gum tissue.

Again, I think it's best to have this checked out and not just take an antibiotic for an undiagnosed infection.

Hope this info helps...
Bryanna

I'm not sure what sort of gum disease I've got actually - at every cleaning, they call out numbers from two to four that measure something, and they tell me to floss, of course, and I've been trying to do so more frequently, but it's possible the shower thing was a bad idea and made things worse than they already were. If the gums are badly infected, what can be done?

Anyhow, I too am wary of taking antibiotics until I know more and will try and make an appointment with the local OS, assuming he'll let me.

Argh.

Thanks,

- John

a two, or three is OK. When the numbers state a 4, that is an area to pay attention to. 5 and above is a problem. I had deep root cleaning for those areas, and it worked right away. This proceedure no longer hurts, as they used a topical gel that works wonders. Hope you get that test to see whats up. take care, ginnie

John,

The numbers that are called out during your cleaning are measurements as to how far down the periodontal probe will slide into the area between the tooth and the gum. There are 6 measurements taken on every tooth and each one indicates the depth of the pocket from the top of the gum line to the bone level. The measurements are in millimeters and they range from "0" to "10". The numbers "0" through "3" are considered a normal depth. Anything deeper than a "3" indicates some bone loss. The larger the number the deeper the pocket.

If you have recession, this is where the gum has receded lower than normal, then the pocket depths may not be deep but the bone loss can be significant when you measure from where the gum line should actually be down to the actual bone level.

If you have normal to slightly deep pocket depths, say 3 to 4 or 5 mms deep and you have chronic gingivitis, you have the onset of periodontal disease which will progress to deeper pockets, recession and bone loss. Gingivitis does not ever stay in that stage of inflammation, it always worsens if it is not brought under control.

It is important to understand that bleeding gums are never normal when brushing, flossing or having your teeth cleaned. Bleeding from the gums always indicates inflammation and usually a build up of bacteria. It is also important to understand what disease process is going on with your gums so that you can learn how to bring it under control. So ask your hygienist next time you see her!

Home care on a daily basis should always include thorough (not aggressive) tooth brushing with a soft bristle brush (change the brush every 3 months), and flossing in between every tooth. There is no need to use a mouthwash if you are thorough with your home care. Mouthwashes that contain alcohol and/or preservatives and/or dyes are actually harmful to your gums, your salivary glands and your digestive system. These mouthwashes are meant to kill germs, which means they kill off ALL of the germs, both good and bad. It is never a good idea to kill off the good germs as they are necessary for the health of your teeth and gums. The mouth is not meant to be a sterile environment.. it's meant to be a healthy one

Try using different types of floss and see which works best for you. Also you can try some different types of dental picks in addition to using the floss.
One really good one is called soft picks...here's a link..
http://www.dentalproductshopper.com/...s-dental-picks.

Don't be alarmed over this... your gum condition is probably controllable at this point. Start being diligent with your home care every day and ask about your gum issues at your next cleaning.

Have a good weekend!
Bryanna

I tried today and over the weekend to get someone to see if I've an infection, no luck whatsoever. I've been prescribed, from 500 miles away, 300 MG Clindamycin 4X(!) a day, and given that I've a rather sensitive digestion I'm not eager to take it. Anyhow, I've no idea how to verify if I've an actual infection or not - no doctor will see me any time soon, saying that I've a dental problem and a dental prescription, and there's no dentist or Oral Surgeon that has time in their schedule to see me to make a clear diagnosis. Also, I'm not entirely sure a dentist is even qualified to determine such things.

Would going to the ER help at all?