Hi Bryanna,

The oral surgeon extracted my bottom molar (the very back) tooth today morning & it took under 10 seconds. I didn't feel pain (chose the awake method - local freezing) except heard 2-3 ripping sound and the doctor said "it's done".

I looked in the mirror and bleeding appears to stopped after 3 hours.There is dark blood area on my gum. Every time I apply a new gauze pad on the gum, more blood soaks through (changing it every 2 hours - since it gets extremely soaked with my saliva & uncomfortable).

1. Does it mean the bleeding is still ongoing? I've been lying on bed and did very little movement.

2. I started eating yogurt & muffin. I started eating food after 7 hours after extraction. Food got around the extracted tooth area (mixed with blood) although I avoided biting on this side. Is this bad? I don't want to rinse my mouth because I am afraid it will get worse.

3. Is it normal to have a small pain in the jaw area (under my ear) when open mouth/or chew?

4. My mom told me to eat ice cream. And asked me to put the ice cream onto the extracted tooth area. But, there is dark blood on top of the gum. Is this a common thing to do? I didn't do it yet. Afraid that it will get worse.

Thank you,

Hi fistula,

First... stop changing the gauze pad. You only apply the gauze if the site is actively bleeding out a lot of blood. Then you would lightly moisten 2 gauze pads, fold them in half, place them over the site and bite down for 30 minutes. DO NOT disturb the pad before 30 minutes. You do this ONLY if the site is actively bleeding a lot. Otherwise if it is not actively bleeding a lot, then that means that the clot is forming and you could actually disturb the clot and pull it out by changing the gauze. So please leave the site a lone unless it is actively bleeding.

It is best to not put you head down flat. Either sit up or prop your head up on 2 pillows... even when you sleep tonight.

DO NOT rinse your mouth for 24 hours. At that time you are going to rinse with warm salt water extremely gently. NO swishing, just gently slosh the rinse back and forth in your mouth. You can do that 2-3 times tomorrow, then the next day 3-4 times, the next day rinse a bit more vigorously and so on.

Try not to eat anything like a muffin because this breaks down in to small pieces and sticks to everything. Eat soft foods like eggs, cooked veggies, seedless fruit, yogurt.... nothing with seeds or spicy.

Yes, it is typical to have some pain in the jaw and around the ear. This may or may not be worse tomorrow. But it should subside in a few days.

DO NOT put ice cream on top of the surgical site. You do not want any food to deliberately go on that area. Ice cream is "food" and it will melt into that hole and create bacteria.

If your dentist suggested to use ice packs on the outside of your face, then do that for the remainder of today. Twenty minutes on, twenty minutes off till you go to bed. If he did not suggest that, then do not do it.

It is important NOT to touch or disturb that area with anything. If it is bleeding a little, that is okay...just leave it alone it will stop. Don't put your tongue on it either. You may or may not find that when you wake up in the morning that you have some blood on your pillow....totally normal if you do. The site may even bleed a little tomorrow.... normal... don't disturb it.

Only apply the gauze if it is actively bleeding A LOT.

I hope I have been clear here. If not, let me know

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

Thanks for reading my post & providing great suggestions.

I stopped changing gauze pad & everything is normal now. Yes, it appears like a clot is forming & I am kind of nervous looking inside my own mouth.

I will try to sleep with two pillows stacked upon one another. Hopefully, I can sleep otherwise tomorrow will be a tiring day at work. Luckily, I work in the back end & don't need to deal with clients. Also, I should have chosen Friday to perform this tooth extraction - then I would get 3 days of rest. Oh well.

I guess I will eat ice-cream maybe on Friday & eat basic food where I don't need to chew a lot.

Hopefully, I can eat big meals starting next week.

I will provide an update next week.

Thank you.

Hi Bryanna,

Today is day 3 after tooth extraction.

There is some white stuff over the gum.

Is this infection, bacteria, part of the healing process, or fistula return? This is my first tooth extraction and I never seen something like this.

Thank you.

Hi fistula,

Without a picture, I cannot be sure of what the white stuff is. However, it is normal for plaque or some food debris to adhere itself to the site. If you are rinsing with warm salt water and this is debris, it's nothing to worry about.

If the white stuff looks like pus, then it is infected. But don't go poking anything in the socket as that will only cause further bacteria. If it is pus then you need to see your dentist.

If you think the fistula is forming again, you need to see your dentist.

Try rinsing with warm salt water and see if the white stuff disappears or lessons.

Other than the white stuff... how are you feeling? Any pain? Have you been sleeping okay?

Bryanna



Bryanna

Bryanna,

Today is the 4th day after tooth extraction. I took a picture inside my mouth but the image turned out to be very dark & not clear.

The stuff on my gum is a very thin flat white layer. After rinsing with warm salt water yesterday, it turned into pink-ish gum colour today. The tooth hole is not that big anymore. It's not pus & doesn't appear like a fistula. I guess it is healing very fast.

Only minor discomfort on the 1st and 2nd day when moving my jaw. No pain at all. I can sleep better now.

Thank you

Hi fistula,

Sounds good to me!
Glad to hear you are doing and feeling okay

Continue to take care of your self and keep rinsing with the warm salt water until the site closes over.

Thanks for keeping us posted!!

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

I am back. The gum healed successfully. Now that my molar tooth is gone...I will rely on other tooth for chewing.

#1) I had a root canal done on one of my tooth 10 years ago and still strong. My dentist suggested me to put a crown over it recently to prevent it from a crack.

Should I do it? I am only afraid that it will introduce new problems if done. If yes, what kind of dentist should I find? oral surgeon?

There is the old saying: "don't fix anything when it's still good". Otherwise, it will introduce a new problem when things go wrong.

Thanks.

Hi fistula,

Glad to hear that our extraction site has healed well.

I will re post your question and answer in bold type.

<<<#1) I had a root canal done on one of my tooth 10 years ago and still strong. My dentist suggested me to put a crown over it recently to prevent it from a crack.>>>

ROOT CANALED TEETH ARE NOT HEALTHY BUT WHEN THERE ARE NO OBVIOUS SYMPTOMS, THE PERSON ASSUMES THE TOOTH IS "STRONG" AND OKAY. YOUR DENTIST SUGGESTS A CROWN BECAUSE THE TOOTH IS WEAK AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO FRACTURING.

<<<Should I do it? I am only afraid that it will introduce new problems if done. If yes, what kind of dentist should I find? oral surgeon? >>>

THE CHOICE IS YOURS. PREPARING THE TOOTH FOR THE CROWN WILL INTRODUCE BACTERIA INTO THAT ALREADY COMPROMISED AREA. IT WILL ALSO CAUSE ADDITIONAL TRAUMA TO THE TOOTH. CROWNS ARE COMMONLY DONE ON ROOT CANALED TEETH BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED ABOVE, THE TOOTH IS WEAK AND SUSCEPTIBLE TO FRACTURING. A RESTORATIVE DENTIST SUCH AS A GENERAL DENTIST DOES CROWN WORK.

<<<There is the old saying: "don't fix anything when it's still good". Otherwise, it will introduce a new problem when things go wrong.>>>

SYMPTOMS ARE USUALLY NON EXISTENT OR MILD WITH MOST DENTAL PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY REGARDING ROOT CANALED TEETH. IT IS WHEN THE PROBLEM BECOMES SEVERE THAT SYMPTOMS SHOW THEMSELVES.

Bryanna