Hello! I have been reading the posts on this forum since getting my wisdom teeth out a week ago and I would like to share what I'm going through for some possible input.
My ordeal started when I went to a dentist for an overdue cleaning and mentioned I had some pain from my wisdom teeth. The doctor who saw me in the last 2 minutes of my appointment, who had the personality of a rock, looked at my x-Ray and wrote a referral for me to have them removed. At the desk as I was making the appointment for surgery that weekend, my sister said, "you know you're gonna be really swollen right?" I had never had a tooth pulled and always thought wisdom teeth surgery was no big deal- everybody does it at some point right?! I asked the receptionist if I would be swollen and she told me she couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't but it is not typical and I would be back to normal activities the next day, just a little sore.
So I showed up for surgery and the office was very busy due to a surgeon calling out that day. The surgeon who worked on me introduced herself, her credentials, briefed me on risk of sinus or nerve damage, and got right to business. I was awake with novacaine so I was aware of everything going on. Apparently all four teeth were severely impacted and she needed to remove a lot of bone. The bottom right tooth, she began pulling it and I felt extreme pain. She gave me more novacaine and pulled it out and then stitched it, took out the stitches, and restitched it. Immediately after the surgery I was having pain in that right side. My face became extremely swollen, which I learned was normal thanks to google, not the dentist office.
Three days after surgery I called the doctor because the swelling on both sides of my cheeks were hard masses and I was still in pain. I came in to see her at a different office and she was very nice. She looked in my cheeks and told me the problem was there was food stuck behind my swollen cheeks. She gave me a syringe to irrigate, a syringe of "sock-it" paste and told me the hardness in my cheeks might take weeks to go away, but I should start feeling a lot better.
Well, the next day the pain was even worse. It radiated though my whole jaw and gave me an unbearable headache. My molars hurt to chew and are extremely sensitive to cold. I went back for my one week follow up and the visit lasted all of five minutes. She was rushed and short with me and barely looked in my mouth. She didn't seem to believe that the pain had gotten worse, yet she wrote me a script for more meds and said come back in a week. When we were out in the office in front of her coworkers she said kind of loudly, "So you're feeling so much better, I'm so glad!".. which was odd because I had told her the opposite.
Now I have bought euganol at the drug store and continuing salt water rinses and the pain has slightly improved. My concern is that right side extraction site that she had difficulty with. It is extremely sensitive and tender to the touch. My jaw bone is visible, which the dentist is aware of. The other side has a wide open hole but this side's hole looks like a long slit and the tissue surrounding the whole is red and swollen looking and I can't really pull my cheek away from it. The molar next to it is in pain as well as the gums. When I swallow, it sucks through the hole and is very painful. Also, when I rinse with salt water there is an excruciating pain, I have to jump around and wince to get through it. Right behind that molar it felt like food was stuck and putting pressure on the tooth so I finally managed to pick it out... It was a stitch that was somehow buried in the gums. I thought it was strange because all other stitches came out on day 2. I am taking antibiotics but I am still worried that this could be an infection. I have an appointment in a week, should I go in sooner or wait and see if it gets better? I am hoping the surgeon wouldn't brush me off again, as I'm not the most assertive person and I'm in an awful lot of pain! Thanks for any insight.

Hi Memphis,

I am in the dental field and can offer you some information here.

First, the person in the dental office who told you it is NOT typical to swell after wisdom tooth removal has NO clue what she is talking about and should not have misinformed you. It is very typical to swell after 3rd molar extractions... even more so when they are impacted.

Second, I think you should see a different oral surgeon for a proper evaluation as soon as you can get in. Based on the description that you have given here, the dentist who removed your teeth is not someone I would feel comfortable going to or recommending to anyone. I am concerned about her surgical skills and think you need to have the sites evaluated by a surgeon with more experience to rule out injury or infection.

Be careful with what you are eating as you should only be eating soft foods that do not require a lot of chewing. Nothing sharp or spicy or hot temperature. Avoid sugary foods, soda and alcohol as all of those things can slow down the healing response from your immune system. Avoid smoking, if you smoke, as the chemicals in the tobacco are toxic to the open wounds and can prevent them from healing completely.

Please let us know how you're doing.
Bryanna

Bryanna, thank you for your response. I think you are right that I need to see someone else. I went in tonight to the same office as they are open late hours. I had excruciating pain that brought me to tears and was worried about infection. The assistant took an x-Ray which involved jamming a hard plastic piece directly into the painful site. Then the surgeon who was on duty came in the room with gloves on. He looked into my mouth with the overhead light from a foot away and said there was no problem. He said he couldn't touch me because his hands were dirty. The x-Ray showed no infection, but I still would have liked a closer inspection... He was extremely dismissive. When I pressed him with questions he brushed each one off. I asked why is my bone exposed and causing me pain- he said it will go away with time. I asked why the pain has suddenly gotten worse after feeling better and he said these things go through cycles. I asked why the site looks inflamed compared to the others and he said different extractions heal differently and that tooth was more impacted. I feel so stupid for even going in and wasting my time. I realize maybe there is nothing wrong and I just need to ride out this painful healing process, but I would be more reassured by a thorough evaluation and some detailed information. I am thankful there is no infection, but still wonder why the pain is so severe if everything is "fine". If it does not improve over this week I will find another dental practice to go to because this one is awful.

Welcome Memphis13.

Hi Memphis,

The actions of the dental office that you keep going back to are unethical and irresponsible. They are giving you a bunch of BS and are not taking care of you properly as they cover up for one another.

First of all, an xray of that area at this stage of post op would most likely be inconclusive regarding pathology for an infection. An xray would be helpful if looking for a bone chip or fractured root tip that was not removed.

You should not "develop" increasing pain during the second week of post op. Unless there is an abnormal healing response occuring. You generally would not have bone exposed unless the dentist who extracted the tooth was too aggressive with the removal and/or the formation of the clot was inferior.

The pain is most likely due to that exposed bone which is alive and full of nerve endings. That needs to be further evaluated and monitored closely during the healing. Yes, this sometimes happens... but it should not be disregarded as "just a cycle of normal healing" because it is not.

I would suggest that you get all of your xrays, both pre and post op. Go to a private practice oral surgeon, not one who just services insurance patients. The xrays will give him the history of those teeth which will tell him the angulation of how the teeth were positioned in the jaw prior to the removal. He can then visualize the surgery that was needed to remove them properly. Then upon evaluating the surgical sites, he can get a better idea of what has happened and what is happening now.

There may not be anything that can be done at this stage and you may have to wait it out. However, because of the exposed bone, you now run the risk of having or developing what is called a cavitation in the bone which is an area of bone that does not heal properly even after the gum tissue closes over it. Cavitations can become a chronic source of a neurological type pain and infection. This is why the removal of teeth has to be done properly and immediate follow up care of any unusual problem needs to be effective.

I am so sorry you are going through this. Please see if you can get in to see a private practicing oral surgeon this week.

Bryanna

Thank you so much for the information and support. I called an oral surgeon who was recommended to me today and the receptionist told me he does not like to "step on toes" and I should continue to pursue treatment with the surgeon who removed the teeth. She also said the bone is probably dry socket and said they should have packed it and if I am really unhappy to call the insurance. The problem is I do not trust the dentists at my practice and I am genuinely anxious. The failed attempt at a second opinion was pretty discouraging though and even a family member thinks I could be overthinking it, so I don't know. I feel paranoid! Thankfully the pain today has not been excruciating, just a steady pain through my jaw. I'm going to be a weirdo and post a couple pictures. Maybe you will be able to tell me something from them Bryanna? The lower left socket is a big hole, very deep and hard to clean out but not too painful anymore. The lower right socket seems almost closed but tender to the touch and painful, with bone visible. The socket where the tooth came out is actually below where the bone is, behind the molar.

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Hi Memphis,

Thanks for posting the photos.

The left side looks like it's healing in spite of the huge hole which I'm sure extends more than you can see on the photo.

The right side looks angry and I think you have developed some canker sores which would contribute to some of the tenderness that you are having there. I also see the exposed bone.

You could see how it goes over the next 2 days and if the pain does not continue to diminish or you develop other symptoms.... get in to see an oral surgeon. I would not suggest that you go back to the original dentist office as they did not treat you properly.

If you end up having to call a new oral surgeon, just tell the receptionist that you need a consult with the dentist for "lower wisdom tooth pain". Give as little information as possible. The goal is to get an appointment.

For what it's worth.... that receptionist should not have turned you away. Legally she cannot do that. If she worked under my supervision, she would be fired.

I think you will continue to have tenderness and soreness for quite some time. But the deep pain should lessen every day if the sight is healing.

I'm sorry you are going through this..... hang in there.

Keep us posted.
Bryanna

Hello Bryanna, I wanted to post an update, now almost 4 weeks after my wisdom teeth extractions. The pain of my extraction sites has lessened tremendously and the gums have healed over the exposed bone on the right side. However, I have still been experiencing considerable jaw pain. Particularly on the right side, it is tender to the touch on the outside of my teeth, I cannot open my mouth wide, and the pain seems to be both in the muscle/tendons and in the bone. It seems to feel somewhat better in the morning and worsens as the day goes on. By evening my jaw is throbbing and I have been having horrible headaches and pain in that ear. My lower molars are sensitive to cold and hurt to chew or bite down. If I chew or talk too much throughout the day the nightly pain is worse. I finally saw an oral surgeon in the same office I had the extractions and he recommended I wear a night guard, suggesting the pain is due to me clenching my teeth at night.
By strange coincidence, I ran into the resident who assisted with my surgery while at college. Before I even told her of my difficult recovery she told me she felt so bad for me that day because the doctor was too rushed and rough on me. She told me that the dentist has lawsuits out against her and she does shoddy work. She asked about me getting my stitches out and was surprised that they fell out, because the dentist used silk stitches that would have had to be removed. This made me think back to the surgery and that sharp intense pain I felt when she first attempted to pull the lower right wisdom tooth. I had thought that she maybe forgot to numb me, but I realize now that she had cut opened my gums and drilled through the jaw bone without me feeling any sensation. I felt the pain only when she pulled the tooth and the site was immediately throbbing afterward, through the novacaine. And that is where I have had the most pain and trouble through my recovery and continue to have pain there now almost a month later. So I have become concerned again that some injury occurred during the extraction.. maybe a small fracture or injury to the joint? I also feel that the dentist may have realized this and deliberately misled or misinformed me, due to some strange behavior from her at my follow-ups.
Today I picked up copies of all my x-rays and I have an appointment on Monday with a private oral surgeon. I just requested a consultation for jaw pain and didn't give any more details over the phone. Hopefully I will get a thorough examination and can finally put my mind at ease as to whether or not what I am going through is normal. I am attaching before and after panorama x-rays... I haven't spotted anything on them myself but I also don't know what to look for. The side that is bothering me is the one with a filling that shows on the x-ray. If you want to look at them or give me any more feedback/advice it would be much appreciated! Thanks Bryanna

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	AfterPano.jpg (51.6 KB, 386 views)

**Two more "after" x-rays..

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Hi Memphis,

Thanks for posting all of the xrays!

First thing I would suggest is that you stick with a soft food diet. I know it's tempting to eat regular food, but you really shouldn't at this point. You have a huge void in the bone on both lower wisdom teeth sites but more so on the right side. These areas will fill in slowly. Hopefully completely. But for now your jaw bone needs a rest because it is in a fragile state. Chewing puts so much force on the lower jaw and the TMJ joint that holds the upper and lower jaw together. Less chewing, less stress on the jaw.

I am glad that you are seeing a private OS on monday. Be sure to take all of these radio graphs with you and tell him the post op pain that you have had. Best to write it all down so you don't miss anything during the consult.

I am so sorry that you have had this experience. Sounds like the dentist who did your extractions, should not be performing oral surgery. Make sure you keep good records of everything just in case you have complications or in case you find yourself in a situation where you need to take action against her. Do not mention any of that to your new oral surgeon as he will be reluctant to get involved. Just ask him for his professional opinion on the whole situation and the status of your surgical sites.

Please keep us posted.... and eat soft nutritious foods

Bryanna