[nukuspot]

I have never posted on this forum before but have read some posts here and found that Bryanna is a wealth of knowledge. I am struggling after my recent root canal molar extraction and was hoping to ask some questions for her or other knowledgeable members of this group.

I had a root canal on molar 19 for 2 decades. In the last year I started to get a lot of unexplained dental pain around that tooth. No evidence of anything awry on xray, 3d scan, saw many dentists for opinions. Since I tend to see holistic dentists they pretty much all said that while it looked radiographically fine, being a root canal tooth they are basically ticking time bombs anyway. I did much research and got some energy testing and decided to have it extracted. I had low grade pain in that area for 8 months and it seemed like the right thing to do.

I traveled many hours and stayed overnight to see a holistic dentist who did extractions, one of the few in my state. I did not want to just go to any oral surgeon, as I knew it was important to remove the periodontal ligament and clean the socket to prevent cavitations or trapped infection in the bone.

The extraction was a little over 3 days ago. I needed an extra shot of numbing and I still did not get totally numb, it was quite uncomfortable but I would bear the extraction. He cut the molar in half to extract each root at a time. He removed the periodontal ligament and used a curette type tool as well as a drill that had water coming out of the side (I think it's a low speed drill?) to remove bone. He talked as he worked which I appreciated and said that there was no sign of infection but there were shards of gutta percha all through the socket. He worked for what seemed like ages. Every time he thought he got it all he would find another one. Finally he said he could not go any deeper or he would cause damage. He placed clots in the socket which he had created using an LPRF machine, and injected homeopathic remedies which I did not fully understand called Sanum. He sewed the top clot to the socket which is his standard procedure to make a healing patch, he called it. I managed to ask if he got all the shards of gutta percha and he said yes. But then I was brought into another room to do payment and never saw him again. I asked his assistant how much bone he took out and she said "more than usual."

I was only given one gauze to bite on so I bit on it for about 15-20 minutes but then they wanted me to take post surgical homeopathics. So I had to spit out the gauze. I asked if I needed another and they said no. That was interesting because when I had gotten my wisdoms out I had a huge pack of gauze which I bit on for hours. The office closed and I left to the hotel, which I stayed overnight then went home in the morning.

I have many questions following that extraction and I have contacted the dentist a few times but am very very conscious that I do not want to be seen as a bothersome or problematic patient. I ask a lot of questions and some providers do not like that, I found over the years. So I have some more that I am hoping to ask on here.

1.) I usually do not take any pain medicine. For my wisdoms I only took one Motrin and that was the first night of surgery. However this time I simply cannot function without Motrin. I am taking 400mg every 6 hours around the clock, and have done since the night of surgery. I tried twice to go off and I cannot, the pain is too bad.

Should it still be this painful over 3 days since the extraction?

2.) I feel very flu like. Very lethargic, hot, muscle aches, slight headache. I have felt like this since the surgery but the feeling of being hot is more intense today. When I take my temp the few times I have gone off the Motrin I do have a low grade fever (between 99.0-99.7). When the Motrin kicks in it reduces the fever so it is hard to tell, on the Motrin I am at like 98.6-99.0.

Is this normal 3+ days after surgery to feel flu like or have a low grade fever? Could it be a sign of infection? Being a holistic dentist he does not prescribe antibiotics routinely.

3.) I simply feel that I cannot stand the feeling of my teeth/bite. As soon as the anesthetic wore off I felt panic. The tooth in back of the extraction site feels fine but the tooth in front (#20) feels awful in my mouth. It feels like my tongue is laying on top of the tooth and when I talk or swallow it feels like one of the cusps is slicing the side of it. I can't stop touching this tooth with my tongue and as a result have barely spoken since the surgery, it feels so awful. That tooth specifically was previously a little rotated towards my tongue but it feels now like it's basically impinging on where my tongue should sit. It feels so foreign like a big chewed lump of bubble gum stuck under my tongue.

Could this tooth have moved or rotated further during surgery to cause this feeling? Or is it simply my brain having a total freakout because my mouth is missing a tooth? Will I ever get used to this? Should I ask to have that tooth filed down? It is actually the worst part of the whole thing for me, even more than the pain and flu feeling.

I am sorry this is so long. I know I might sound very anxious but I truly am. I can honestly say that I never expected feeling like this after, and it has all thrown me for a loop. I thought I would get a root canal tooth out, be uncomfortable but feel really great because it was gone. I was very wrong. So I am pretty anxious.

Thank you so much in advance.

[nukuspot]

I also want to be clear that I think my extraction was a positive thing and the dentist, even though he was nor an oral surgeon, was very practiced in extracting root canals in a holistic manner. I just feel like I have so many unanswered questions, and being that his office is so far away, it's not like I can pop in there for a follow up. I have no other appointments scheduled with him at this time. My stitches are going to be removed by my general dentist but that isn't for 6 more days....So I am hoping for some guidance and reassurance until then

[Bryanna]

Hi nukuspot,

Thank you for the kind words

It sounds like you really did your homework and searched out a qualified dentist to remove your root canaled tooth. General dentists have limited oral surgery education compared to an oral surgeon. However, there are some general dentists who have deliberately continued their education to become skilled dental surgeons. This is not a common practice, but they are out there!

It is important to know that although your oral symptoms did not become evident until a year ago, your rc tooth had been infected for 2 decades. Those pieces of gutta percha material scattered in the bone were chronic irritants and bacteria festered around each piece like they were magnets. Your immune system was able to keep the oral symptoms at bay until it could no longer continue to do so. Based on that knowledge and your detailed description of your present symptoms, it is possible that the removal of that tooth and the thorough debridement of the bone has woken your immune system and it's doing it's job to deal with the changes that are occurring. Based on your overall health and the overall health of your immune system, it may or may not be able to deal with this issue on it's own. Meaning you may or may not need antibiotics. That is a judgement call made by the dentist.

I am unsure as to why they only gave you one piece of gauze but evidently you did okay without it. Some people tend to overuse the gauze and they end up pulling out the clot. Because he placed the LPRF blood clots (leukocyte platelet rich fibrin centrifuged from your own blood) into the bony socket and tissue he did not want it to be disturbed. These clots are the first step of the healing process as they slowly release growth factors to encourage the formation of new bone. This healing process also stimulates your immune system to send out it's own healing cells. So for some people a low grade fever and some physical symptoms of feeling unwell may be a normal part of this cycle of healing.

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

<<1.) I usually do not take any pain medicine. For my wisdoms I only took one Motrin and that was the first night of surgery. However this time I simply cannot function without Motrin. I am taking 400mg every 6 hours around the clock, and have done since the night of surgery. I tried twice to go off and I cannot, the pain is too bad. >>

YOU HAVE A LOT MORE GOING ON WITH THIS SURGERY THAN YOU DID WITH YOUR WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL. YOU HAD A LONG TERM INFECTION THAT HAS NOW BEEN DISTURBED (FOR THE BETTER!) AND THERE IS A LOT OF INFLAMMATORY FACTORS COMING TO THE RESCUE WHICH WILL SIGNAL PAIN CELLS FROM THE BRAIN. ARE YOU TAKING ANY HOMEOPATHICS REMEDIES?

<<Should it still be this painful over 3 days since the extraction?>>

IT WOULD NOT BE UNUSUAL GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE PAIN SHOULD START TO SUBSIDE AFTER THE 4TH/5TH DAY AND SLOWLY IMPROVE WITH EACH DAY. IF THE PAIN DOES NOT SUBSIDE OR GETS WORSE, THEN CALL THE DENTIST. SHOULD THE PAIN SUBSIDE AND THEN COME BACK, THAT MAY INDICATE A PROBLEM SO CALL THE DENTIST.

<<2.) I feel very flu like. Very lethargic, hot, muscle aches, slight headache. I have felt like this since the surgery but the feeling of being hot is more intense today. When I take my temp the few times I have gone off the Motrin I do have a low grade fever (between 99.0-99.7). When the Motrin kicks in it reduces the fever so it is hard to tell, on the Motrin I am at like 98.6-99.0.>>

A LOW GRADE FEVER INDICATES THAT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS WORKING TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION. FEELING FLU LIKE, ETC. COULD BE HOW YOUR BODY RESPONDS TO THE STIMULATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IT COULD ALSO BE FROM THE OUT PUT OF CORTISOL WHICH IS A HORMONE RELEASED BY THE ADRENAL GLANDS IN RESPONSE TO STRESS. IF EVERYTHING IS HEALING NORMALLY, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THE ADRENAL GLANDS WILL CALM DOWN.

<<3.) I simply feel that I cannot stand the feeling of my teeth/bite. As soon as the anesthetic wore off I felt panic. The tooth in back of the extraction site feels fine but the tooth in front (#20) feels awful in my mouth. It feels like my tongue is laying on top of the tooth and when I talk or swallow it feels like one of the cusps is slicing the side of it. I can't stop touching this tooth with my tongue and as a result have barely spoken since the surgery, it feels so awful. That tooth specifically was previously a little rotated towards my tongue but it feels now like it's basically impinging on where my tongue should sit. It feels so foreign like a big chewed lump of bubble gum stuck under my tongue.>>

IT IS NORMAL TO HAVE ODD SENSATIONS WITH YOUR TONGUE AGAINST OTHER TEETH AFTER A TOOTH IS REMOVED. THE TONGUE IS A MUSCLE AND IT IS USE TO BEING IN A CERTAIN RESTING POSITION AGAINST YOUR TEETH. IN SOME PEOPLE THE SLIGHTEST CHANGE IN THE POSITION OF THE TEETH OR WHEN A TOOTH IS REMOVED CAUSES THE TONGUE TO TAKE NOTICE AND NOW IT'S TRYING TO FIND A NEW RESTING POSITION. THIS IS TEMPORARY, IT WILL ADJUST TO THE NEW SURROUNDINGS. IT IS BEST TO TRY AND IGNORE IT AND NOT KEEP TOUCHING IT AS THAT JUST STIMULATES IT ALL THE MORE. YOU MAY ALSO HAVE SOME INFLAMMATION IN THE BONE AROUND THAT TOOTH (NORMAL AFTER AN EXTRACTION) AND IT MAY BE A BIT OUT OF IT'S NORMAL SPOT WHICH YOUR TONGUE IS PICKING UP ON. ONCE THE INFLAMMATION SUBSIDES AND YOUR BODY CALMS DOWN, THINGS WILL SETTLE DOWN.

<<Or is it simply my brain having a total freakout because my mouth is missing a tooth?>>

IT IS YOUR TONGUE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS MISSING. YOUR BRAIN IS STIMULATING THE TONGUE TO BEHAVE THAT WAY AND IT WILL CALM DOWN WHEN ALL ELSE CALMS DOWN

<<I can honestly say that I never expected feeling like this after, and it has all thrown me for a loop.>>

TRULY THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY THROUGH THIS HEALING PROCESS. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT REMOVING THIS TOOTH WAS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL TO YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. BUT IN THE LONG RUN, YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WILL THANK YOU

Besides the motrin, what else are you taking? What are you rinsing with?

[nukuspot]

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi nukuspot,

Thank you for the kind words

It sounds like you really did your homework and searched out a qualified dentist to remove your root canaled tooth. General dentists have limited oral surgery education compared to an oral surgeon. However, there are some general dentists who have deliberately continued their education to become skilled dental surgeons. This is not a common practice, but they are out there!

It is important to know that although your oral symptoms did not become evident until a year ago, your rc tooth had been infected for 2 decades. Those pieces of gutta percha material scattered in the bone were chronic irritants and bacteria festered around each piece like they were magnets. Your immune system was able to keep the oral symptoms at bay until it could no longer continue to do so. Based on that knowledge and your detailed description of your present symptoms, it is possible that the removal of that tooth and the thorough debridement of the bone has woken your immune system and it's doing it's job to deal with the changes that are occurring. Based on your overall health and the overall health of your immune system, it may or may not be able to deal with this issue on it's own. Meaning you may or may not need antibiotics. That is a judgement call made by the dentist.

I am unsure as to why they only gave you one piece of gauze but evidently you did okay without it. Some people tend to overuse the gauze and they end up pulling out the clot. Because he placed the LPRF blood clots (leukocyte platelet rich fibrin centrifuged from your own blood) into the bony socket and tissue he did not want it to be disturbed. These clots are the first step of the healing process as they slowly release growth factors to encourage the formation of new bone. This healing process also stimulates your immune system to send out it's own healing cells. So for some people a low grade fever and some physical symptoms of feeling unwell may be a normal part of this cycle of healing.

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

<<1.) I usually do not take any pain medicine. For my wisdoms I only took one Motrin and that was the first night of surgery. However this time I simply cannot function without Motrin. I am taking 400mg every 6 hours around the clock, and have done since the night of surgery. I tried twice to go off and I cannot, the pain is too bad. >>

YOU HAVE A LOT MORE GOING ON WITH THIS SURGERY THAN YOU DID WITH YOUR WISDOM TEETH REMOVAL. YOU HAD A LONG TERM INFECTION THAT HAS NOW BEEN DISTURBED (FOR THE BETTER!) AND THERE IS A LOT OF INFLAMMATORY FACTORS COMING TO THE RESCUE WHICH WILL SIGNAL PAIN CELLS FROM THE BRAIN. ARE YOU TAKING ANY HOMEOPATHICS REMEDIES?

I took arnica 200k before the extraction and 1k potency right after, then more 200k as needed for the first 3 days (this was that my ND gave me to take, she had the same extraction and that was what she used.) The holistic dentist also gave me two other homeopathics to take, both blends with many many ingredients which I faithfully took for the first 2 days but kept getting really really nauseous after taking them. They were in an ethanol base (they were liquid) and I think my body was getting ill because of the taste of the alcohol? Not sure. So at this time I am not taking any more homeopathics but I was for about 3 days after the extraction.

<<Should it still be this painful over 3 days since the extraction?>>

IT WOULD NOT BE UNUSUAL GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE PAIN SHOULD START TO SUBSIDE AFTER THE 4TH/5TH DAY AND SLOWLY IMPROVE WITH EACH DAY. IF THE PAIN DOES NOT SUBSIDE OR GETS WORSE, THEN CALL THE DENTIST. SHOULD THE PAIN SUBSIDE AND THEN COME BACK, THAT MAY INDICATE A PROBLEM SO CALL THE DENTIST.

Thank you, this has been worrisome to me. The sheet they gave me said that the pain should get progressively better after the 3rd day and since today is day 4 and it is unchanged I was getting worried. I do not think it's a dry socket as I can still see the PRF clots in the socket (I think, they are a weird off white color) and the pain is not excruciating like I hear dry socket is. When I take the Motrin it doesn't go away but it is manageable. It is not manageable without Motrin still on day 4. I think yesterday was the worst pain and today is the same as yesterday. You say day 4/5 it should start subsiding so that makes me feel better. The sheet worried me because it said day 3 for it to get better and it was not the case. I am wondering if I am also having a reaction to the stitches. He didn't stitch the socket closed, he stitched the clot to the socket so it wouldn't fall out, and sometimes I feel a LOT of itching in the pain so I wonder if the stitches are bothersome. I also have a small canker sore like ulcer next to the site which I imagine was from the pressure of a tool Also the gums all around the extraction site and the teeth next to it look like they have a layer of white on them which I imagine is a little dead skin or something?.

<<2.) I feel very flu like. Very lethargic, hot, muscle aches, slight headache. I have felt like this since the surgery but the feeling of being hot is more intense today. When I take my temp the few times I have gone off the Motrin I do have a low grade fever (between 99.0-99.7). When the Motrin kicks in it reduces the fever so it is hard to tell, on the Motrin I am at like 98.6-99.0.>>

A LOW GRADE FEVER INDICATES THAT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS WORKING TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION. FEELING FLU LIKE, ETC. COULD BE HOW YOUR BODY RESPONDS TO THE STIMULATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND IT COULD ALSO BE FROM THE OUT PUT OF CORTISOL WHICH IS A HORMONE RELEASED BY THE ADRENAL GLANDS IN RESPONSE TO STRESS. IF EVERYTHING IS HEALING NORMALLY, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM AND THE ADRENAL GLANDS WILL CALM DOWN.

Thank you again. The good news is that even though the pain is still the same, I don't seem to have the low grade fever anymore this morning.

<<3.) I simply feel that I cannot stand the feeling of my teeth/bite. As soon as the anesthetic wore off I felt panic. The tooth in back of the extraction site feels fine but the tooth in front (#20) feels awful in my mouth. It feels like my tongue is laying on top of the tooth and when I talk or swallow it feels like one of the cusps is slicing the side of it. I can't stop touching this tooth with my tongue and as a result have barely spoken since the surgery, it feels so awful. That tooth specifically was previously a little rotated towards my tongue but it feels now like it's basically impinging on where my tongue should sit. It feels so foreign like a big chewed lump of bubble gum stuck under my tongue.>>

IT IS NORMAL TO HAVE ODD SENSATIONS WITH YOUR TONGUE AGAINST OTHER TEETH AFTER A TOOTH IS REMOVED. THE TONGUE IS A MUSCLE AND IT IS USE TO BEING IN A CERTAIN RESTING POSITION AGAINST YOUR TEETH. IN SOME PEOPLE THE SLIGHTEST CHANGE IN THE POSITION OF THE TEETH OR WHEN A TOOTH IS REMOVED CAUSES THE TONGUE TO TAKE NOTICE AND NOW IT'S TRYING TO FIND A NEW RESTING POSITION. THIS IS TEMPORARY, IT WILL ADJUST TO THE NEW SURROUNDINGS. IT IS BEST TO TRY AND IGNORE IT AND NOT KEEP TOUCHING IT AS THAT JUST STIMULATES IT ALL THE MORE. YOU MAY ALSO HAVE SOME INFLAMMATION IN THE BONE AROUND THAT TOOTH (NORMAL AFTER AN EXTRACTION) AND IT MAY BE A BIT OUT OF IT'S NORMAL SPOT WHICH YOUR TONGUE IS PICKING UP ON. ONCE THE INFLAMMATION SUBSIDES AND YOUR BODY CALMS DOWN, THINGS WILL SETTLE DOWN.

Thank you for explaining. However it is still driving me absolutely crazy. It feels like #20 is sitting UNDER my tongue and pressing up on it with it's cusp. It is way way worse when I talk so I have tried to keep talking to a minimum but that is hard being a mom of two young kids. Do you have any idea how long it takes to get used to this feeling?

<<Or is it simply my brain having a total freakout because my mouth is missing a tooth?>>

IT IS YOUR TONGUE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS MISSING. YOUR BRAIN IS STIMULATING THE TONGUE TO BEHAVE THAT WAY AND IT WILL CALM DOWN WHEN ALL ELSE CALMS DOWN

I will keep hoping this happens but so far it's driving me nuts! Is there any chance the tooth #20 could have been permanently knocked out of position by the extraction? For some reason, over the last few years ONLY that tooth has been slowly rotating inwards to have the top point facing more towards the tongue than straight up to the palate. I never knew why, and it has always just been that one tooth that was moving. When I asked dentists they always said "teeth move as you age" but I never knew why it was just that ONE tooth. However the feeling never bothered me before the extraction, it was just cosmetic before.

<<I can honestly say that I never expected feeling like this after, and it has all thrown me for a loop.>>

TRULY THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS KEEP YOURSELF HEALTHY THROUGH THIS HEALING PROCESS. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR YOU TO KNOW THAT REMOVING THIS TOOTH WAS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL TO YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM. BUT IN THE LONG RUN, YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WILL THANK YOU

I really hope so and I hope that I made a good decision. It is just the start of a long road ahead, 6

months of healing then 6 months of implant prep (I have been advised to get a zirconia implant since my two teeth on either side are healthy and they don't want to sacrifice them for a bridge. And the only other option left is a flipper/false tooth which since I am only 35 isn't really a great long term option....

Besides the motrin, what else are you taking? What are you rinsing with?

I am taking my normal probiotic, normal supplements (Vitamin D3, magnesium) I stopped my fish oil because I didn't want to have blood issues to affect the clot. I am taking extra vitamin C for healing. I am following the directions on the sheet given to rinse with 1 tsp sea salt to 8oz warm water after every meal (which all my meals are still liquid at this point but I am faithfully doing the salt water rinses.) And then the 400mg Motrin every 6 hours which is really really hurting my stomach but I can't seem to go off of it, pain is too bad without it. (I have tried skipping a dose 3 times so far with no success.) Thank you SO much Bryanna. I can't even tell you what a great service you do being on here and answering these questions for people.

[nukuspot]

Oh! Also one last question that I have been really puzzled about...How did the gutta percha fragments get in the bone in the first place? The dentist said they migrate over time in certain cases but I never had time to ask how or why. The RCT was awfully done. It was done by a family member when I was 15 and had no say in the matter. He was a sloppy general dentist but free so that is where my family took me. It was not even needed, he only did it because I had pain after a deep filling. There was no infection and the tooth was vital. I am still angry about that. I found out during all of this that he also fractured a dental file in my tooth but never told me. It was picked up on xray 8 months ago when I kept having pain and they did multiple xrays of the tooth. It never showed any signs of infection which was commented on as unusual being it has a dental instrument in it. But you can see why I elected to get it removed....I always thought that when it was removed the dentist would see a granuloma or a sign of long term infection but he said he saw nothing to indicate the infection, just many shards of gutta percha very deep in the socket/bone.

That is why I went to a holistic dentist instead of an oral surgeon, because I imagine many oral surgeons would just have popped the tooth out and left the gutta percha shards! I am very glad they are gone but I guess I want to know how they got there in the first place. Is it common with old RCT over time and they all have them or was it yet another part of the bad RCT job done in the first place?

[nukuspot]

just an update: Here I am at day 5 and things are exactly the same! Pain not better or worse, just the same as day 3. Which is frustrating. I have tried and am unable to stop taking Motrin. Without Motrin I get frantic because of the pain. On Motrin I still feel pain, it's just less and so I can function.

I called dentist yesterday to ask if this was normal---was not able to speak to dentist (I doubted he would be available) but the assistant who was at my surgery called me back. She said most people are in less pain at day 4 but some have pain 5-7 days. She asked if I thought it was an emergency type pain, I said no but I have no reference, really. The fact that Motrin helps about 50-70% with pain makes me think it's not dry socket....She asked me if I still see the LPRF clots in the socket, they look white. I do but they have shrunk, they are filling up like 2/3 of the socket now. Maybe that's normal? I could not ask her because I could only look after I hung up. I also notice a huge sore (cankersore type?) below the extraction site. It is really swollen and red around it. I think that is where he did the injection for numbing? I also got a mirror and can see two other small sores right on the socket itself. They all look like canker sores (which I am prone to.)

I just thought I would be getting better each day by now so it's frustrating and scary. The dentist who took out the tooth is a 3 hour drive so I can't just pop into him to have him look. Even my general dentist is 1.5-2 hours away (I have no holistic dentists in my town). I see my general dentist on Friday to remove the stitches but I am worried that if something is wrong that is still 3 more days.

Since I did not get antibiotics, how would I tell if my pain is due to an infection?

I am going to try to assume it's normal pain for a cavitation type extraction of a RCT but I admit I am worried. I was like 100% better at day 5 when I had my wisdoms out a few years ago (by a normal OS not a holistic one).

Also I still cannot get used to the feeling of the tooth in front of it!!! It still drives me bonkers. I am still on a liquid diet (organic, homemade) but it's so boring. I can't even try to chew it hurts too much on the extraction side and the crazy tooth that is next to the site which feels like 100 times bigger than it used to hurts too, I hit it with a spoon last night and saw stars.

[nukuspot]

day 7, pain exactly the same. Saw a local dentist, he said no infection looking areas but he was worried about dry socket. He can't see in hole because the sutures are still and the hole is so deep he cant see to the bottom. He didn't want to mess with it because he wasn't sure what an LPRF procedure would look like and he didn't want to mistake it for dry socket or something.

I drive to my normal dentist in the big city 2 hours north tomorrow for suture removal and post-op.

I have NO bad taste or odor at all. Can I have dry socket without it? If it is not dry socket I don't get the pain at all. It is about a 8-9 on a 1/10 pain scale without Motrin, about a 4/5 with 400mg Motrin. Which I can't take forever....Saw my ND, she used a UV healing laser and gave me homeopathics. They did not change it.

[nukuspot]

I am just going to keep updating even if I get no replies. LOL.

Day 8. Saw my usual general dentist who is IAOMT holistic one. I felt like he was in a rush from the moment he saw me which drives me crazy about him, otherwise I like him a lot.

He removed sutures. Said he thought the socket was OK. He did not think dry socket. Thought pain this much/long was normal. I said the dentist who extracted it did not agree but he didn't really say much after that.

He did not think I needed to do anything else and the pain would just go away now that the sutures were out.

I am trying SO HARD to not take pain meds but the pain is awful in the ear on the extraction side. Like the worst ear infection ever. Very sharp. My cheekbone also hurts badly. Still cannot eat solid foods, but at least sutures are out.

What could this be?? The ear/face near the cheekbone/ear hurt SO much. I am going to have to take Motrin soon or I am going to freak out.

Could it be nerve or TMJ? Or could he have been wrong and it is a dry socket because I know they cause ear pain like this?

If it is dry socket but undiagnosed so I never get the medicated clove dressings, will it still go away by itself?

Anyone welcome to answer me but I am still hoping Bryanna returns

[Lara]

I hear you.

Personally I'd take some Motrin if that brings the pain level down. If you don't want to keep taking that, then try something that's not NSAID. If I was in that much pain I'd probably ask the pharmacist for Panadeine (with the codeine), but that's just me. Having pain in the mouth/ear like that is just awful.
I can't help with your other questions but just wanted to post to say that I read it and that I'm sorry you're still in so much pain. I really hope that settles now that the sutures are out.

take care there.

[Cleo]

You need a xray and oral surgeon advice!