Hi there,

I had one of my upper wisdom teeth extracted six weeks ago by my dentist. The tooth was impacted and there were concerns that it may have caused me problems in the future. The extraction (under local anesthesia) seemed to go well and was very quick, took less than a minute.

A day or so after the extraction, the pain seemed to be worsening. I was also having a lot of trouble opening my mouth and it was difficult to even fit a spoon in. Three days after my extraction, I went back to the dentist who diagnosed me with dry socket, cleaned out and packed the extraction site and put me on a short course (3 days) of antibiotics, in case of any infection.

The pain gradually lessened, my mouth opening improved and within a week or so everything seemed to be healing nicely. I went back for another check to my dentist who agreed that everything looked good.

About a week ago, I noticed a strange taste coming from one side of my mouth, at the top, where the tooth had been removed. It reminded me of the taste of the dry socket packing, and I wondered if it was the last of it working its way out. However, over a few days the bad taste worsened and so I went back to my dentist again.

After checking again, the dentist said my gum was almost healed and no signs of infection were showing and perhaps the taste was due to food getting stuck around the healing extraction site. I didn't really have pain and could open my mouth normally again.I was advised to rinse with salt water (I'd already been doing this for a few days at this stage) or alcohol free mouthwash and to use an interdental brush to remove any stuck food particles which may get trapped in the indentation.

A few days later, despite rinsing with salt water 4-5 times a day and gently cleaning the area, there was no improvement. Worried, I returned again to my dentist who took an X-ray, and saw no problems with the area, although my sinus did appear cloudy on it. I do suffer from ongoing sinus problems and my sinus was cloudy in the pre-extraction X-ray also. I'm due to go back for a cleaning in a couple of weeks and the extraction site will be checked again then.

I'm really concerned that this bad taste is the sign of an infection somewhere around the extraction site. The taste is metallic- like and is there all the time except when I'm eating or brushing my teeth. The dentist seemed to think it might be a sinus infection & post nasal drip causing the taste, but as I said I suffer regularly with my sinuses and haven't ever had this taste before. Also, it seems to be coming from just that one area of my mouth. The gums/ teeth on that side are aching a bit and the extraction site is still quite tender to touch. I also suffer from TMJ issues, so it's sometimes hard to tell where pain might be coming from.

Sorry for such a long post, but I'm so worried that this is some kind of serious infection. Any advice on what I should do next?

Thank you.

Hi Salisha,

You could have what is called a sinus communication between the extracted site and your sinuses. If the extraction site is open even just a slight bit that would be enough for the sinus to drain through it and that would cause or contribute to that taste that you describe.

Sinus communications can heal on their own depending on how large they are and if there is an infection or not. I would suggest that you consult with an oral surgeon to rule out the communication. Make sure you have all of your xrays both pre and post op for the surgeon to evaluate. It may also be wise for the surgeon to take a panoramic xray as this shows a great more detail of the sinus than a single dental xray. Also be sure to mention your chronic sinus problems and the specific history of those problems both pre and post op the extraction.

If you do have a chronic sinus infection and/or a sinus communication with an infection, a 3 day course of antibiotics is probably not adequate. So the oral surgeon would be the one to diagnose this best.

I hope this information helps. Keep us posted.

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.

Here I would need to have a referral from the dentist to see an oral surgeon. I'm not sure what I would do about this, as my dentist was quite certain there were no problems with the healing and just said they'd check again if I still wasn't happy when I went back in a couple of weeks for the cleaning.

The situation is complicated by the fact that we're currently trying to start a family (with time very much not on my side) and I am concerned as to what would happen should I fall pregnant and this turn out to be a problem down the line. Is it something that might require extensive surgery to fix?

Sorry for yet more questions and thanks again, for your help Bryanna.

Salisha,

Try to get the referral to the oral surgeon. It is imperative that you get this diagnosed and treated if necessary prior to getting pregnant. Depending on what the problem is... will determine the treatment.

Also, a chronic infection can reduce the chances of becoming pregnant and/or it can put you into a high risk category during your pregnancy.

It is always best to be as healthy as possible before becoming pregnant as the pregnancy hormones can exacerbate an infection or other inflammatory problem.

Bryanna


chronicQUOTE=Salisha;1089770]Hi Bryanna,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.

Here I would need to have a referral from the dentist to see an oral surgeon. I'm not sure what I would do about this, as my dentist was quite certain there were no problems with the healing and just said they'd check again if I still wasn't happy when I went back in a couple of weeks for the cleaning.

The situation is complicated by the fact that we're currently trying to start a family (with time very much not on my side) and I am concerned as to what would happen should I fall pregnant and this turn out to be a problem down the line. Is it something that might require extensive surgery to fix?

Sorry for yet more questions and thanks again, for your help Bryanna.[/QUOTE]

Hi Bryanna,

Well it's now 2 months since my extraction and the bad taste still persists, though more intermittently than before. I have been back to my dentist yet again, who still could find no problem with the now fully closed extraction site and suggested I contact my ENT dr. regarding a sinus communication (though this was not likely due to my symptoms) or any non dental issues as I do suffer from chronic sinus problems anyway.

As I'd only seen the ENT dr. a few weeks ago for a check up ( a couple of weeks after the extraction when the bad taste hadn't appeared yet) I called him to discuss the situation. He too said that as I was fine when I saw him, and that as there was only very non-specific symptom of a bad taste now with no other symptoms, he would advise a "wait and see" approach and suggested a CT scan of the area only if other symptoms developed.

Over the last week or so, I had been having some issues with sore gums on the same side of the mouth as the bad taste and the dentist prescribed some alcohol free, chlorhexidine mouth rinse to try and ease this. I've been using this twice a day for the last few days, making sure to floss carefully and brush the gum line gently but well. The gums have improved - all except one spot on the outside gum over the last molar (beside the extraction site) which is sore/tender when brushed or touched but doesn't hurt otherwise.

I'm now wondering if this is in fact where the taste is coming from? The tooth itself is not sore, just the gum. After my wisdom tooth was taken out, I was very nervous about brushing round the area beside it - could there be a plaque build up causing some problems here? Or do I have another problematic tooth starting?

Apologies for all the questions Bryanna, but I'm starting to feel like it's all in my head, as neither dentist nor ENT can suggest what to do next to resolve this. Dentist said to go back if the gums were still sore, but at this stage I'm at a loss as to what to say as they can see no problems every time they check and I feel like I'm just being a nuisance.

Thanks for all your help so far, everything seemed fine before this extraction and I really just want to resolve all this and put it behind me

Hi Salisha,

Feel free to ask me questions... that's why I am here

The molar with the irritated gum tissue needs to be re evaluated by your dentist. I would also suggest another xray of that area... and a panorex xray as well as this gives a much broader view of the anatomical areas around that tooth.

Regarding your sinus issues..... I know sinus problems are common in many people however, it is never healthy to have chronic sinus issues. It always indicates that there is something unhealthy happening and believe it or not it could have to do with your digestive system. Seventy percent of our immune system lives in our digestive tract. So if there is a constant inflammation in our sinuses or anyplace in our body that is irritating our immune system we could end up ill.

Have you taken antibiotics for your sinus problems? Do you take a probiotic supplement every day? What is your daily diet like... does it include sugar, soda, processed and refine foods? All of these non nutritious foods contribute to ongoing sinus and other health problems. I know you would like to get pregnant and I don't know if you are aware of any of this, that is why I am sharing this information with you.

Bryanna

Hello Salisha,

Im having the exact same problem as you and I mean EXACTLY THE SAME.

Please can you reach out and let me know if you resolved this?

Thanks.

Welcome sbboyy.

sbboy, welcome!

I can't add much to the advice that is already in this thread but do wonder if the metallic taste might be unrelated to the tooth extraction site. If you're taking any medicine, you might want to check into each med's possible side effects. Some drugs can cause a metallic taste in the mouth.

Also, I've had quite a few tooth extractions, and some of them take a long long time to heal up to the point where the gums are no longer tender and an angry red. With the last tooth extraction I had, it took a year or so. I couldn't brush comfortable around that area during that time. The swelling, redness, and tenderness finally subsided though.

The poster has not been active on this thread since 2014, so you may not get any replies. I would talk to dentist and read the info given and I've had nice results working with Myhrr Tincture on problem issues if and when they occur.