Maybe I don't know what an actually fistula is, but what I have is a white patch that develops where the redness is in that first picture. It shows redness there only because the clove oil peels it off, and the area returns to white as the oil wears off. You did put it the best way in saying there's soughing. Of all the things I'm doing to deal with this issue, from taking antibiotics to brushing my teeth, clove oil is the only thing that seems to have any effect on the pain. Otherwise the pain stays at a very high level, seeming all day long.
I'm brushing my teeth with a standard toothpaste that says sensitive, and I'm rinsing with warm salt water about 4-5 times a day. I do have GERD and heartburn. The dark part you were referring to in my teeth may be fillings; and yes the tips of my teeth have a tendency to break off easily. I avoid the dentist for the same reason I went with the school of dentistry, and that's finances. But that's just one reason why I'm here.
At this point, I keep taking the antibiotics because I think it's keeping the infection from spreading to other parts of my body. I will stop if there is no merit to that.
The return of symptoms I've had pre-extraction tells me the infection is back. The fact that those symptoms are worse and that I now have additional ones tells me it's worse this time. My teeth are not in the best of shape, but I've never had gum issues and the only tooth that has given me problems in a long time is the 1st molar that is out now. I had the thing pulled out because to my understanding it was the root cause of the abscess, and that the abscess remains in the tooth nerves because the antibiotics can't access that area. The cause of the infection being gone, the antibiotics seemingly having no effect, and the infection getting worse and spreading, knowing what the correct thing to do would be very helpful at this point.
Also, the gum area that is infected is also starting to get sensitive to cold and hot like the tooth was. To me, that says it's the same bacteria that decayed the tooth. Looing at the tooth makes me think the same thing is happening to the bone of my gums. The tooth having broken off at one point because of the decay leads me to believe the same thing will happen to the bone if I don't do something constructive about it.

The pain is slowly leveling off where one can deal with it. The other symptoms are too. Based on experience with the tooth, while it was still in place, it doesn't mean the infection is gone. Even though the tooth rarely hurt the last couple of months, at the crown, it looks like a fossil. I guess the question I'm trying to pose is how to prevent this bacteria from spreading.

Seems the amoxicillin got rid of the post-surgery infection. The pain is almost gone. My gums are slowly getting back to normal. The other symptoms are almost gone too.

In reference to what the dentist said. I was seen by a different oral surgeon. He explained to me that what may have caused the high level of pain is actually dry socket. He wasn't sure because I saw him more than a week after the extraction. Based on what I had read about dry socket, before and after his conclusion, I believe he is right.
At the same time, I'm also convinced I also had an infection in and around the site. I had gooey nasty looking stuff coming out of the socket. Also, this white stuff, that looked like some kind of residual, on the roof of my mouth, above the gums. Either way, as bad as I think things were before and after the extraction, I know things would have got worse if I waited longer to pull the tooth. I'm sure someone can learn from this.

Miss Bryanna, the ulcers you mentioned, the oral surgeon said are caused by the body's reaction to the extraction. I tend to believe him because it was a difficult one that lasted a while and involved a lot of tugging, wiggling, and overall movement of the tooth. Also, the sloughing off of the gum you mentioned was probably due to the clove oil I was using on them, which you correctly advised me to stop doing. If I had to deal with this again, I would probably put the clove oil cotton balls in the socket instead of the gums.
Having dealt with all this because of neglect over one tooth, making sure it doesn't happen again is imperative to me at this point. That said, the main incisor next to the broken tooth you mentioned is more broken. I also have other teeth in my mouth that are chipped and broken at the tip. In reference to the main incisor above, it's the only one that emits a foul odor when I floss it. Because all of them are teeth that can be easily seem, pulling them is not the first option, so what else is left?

I've got lots of bumps and knobs in my mouth. but it doesn't stop me from posting! i'll always be there for a voice in the "crowd"! You are in my prAYERS. When I was struck by the rim of a basketball hoop two years ago while setting it up all alone be cause ,my wife refused to help (i'll get into that lator) anywho, I thought I had new teeth growing (at my age???) how will i alert the social media??? i found an excel lent doctor who gave me some great advice and he said lay off the sigar cubes because you are not a pony, but a man a man that has been threw so much. after the rim of the basketball hoop hit me straight in the noggin, i felt a tightening in my gums and well, i've never wisdom teeth out (yes, i'm still wqise) but my excellent doctor re assured me that everything would be just FINE. and well, it was for a qhile until my second TBI...i was walking to the bathroom and tripoded over a baby swing, of course i love the baby but her things are always in the way! anywho? i ended up falling face first into the coffee table. it hurt very badly but i managed to gather myself and touched the back of my head and felt blood, just a trickle, but it was still......there.:grouphug:

Maxpower,

So glad to hear that you have survived some major mishaps!! Perhaps your wife is wise not to "help" you with certain things... ?? :)

Thanks for posting!

Bryanna