Hi Bryanna,

Thanks for your advice. I heard back from the dental clinic today and am told the oral surgeon (who performed the extractions) will call me by the end of day. She is travelling at the moment and I have made the necessary arrangements for the shows I have to do.

I used the waterpik at my own accord, and am right now quite mad with myself for doing so. Kicking myself hard for this. I had become so paranoid about having food stuck in the wounds because i felt bits in the holes after a meal that I overdid the cleaning. It now seems like there are perforations in both upper left and right extraction sites (though the left feels larger).

I am hoping that the surgeon can have it treated/sealed as soon as possible as I also have to fly on 7 Dec.

Hi MJ,

You need to have the oral surgeon do an xray and clinical evaluation. She cannot determine anything without doing those things. So if she can not get you in asap, then is it possible to see a different oral surgeon? Flying with a maxillary sinus perforation is not a good idea especially if there is any chance of an infection. Please discuss this in detail with your oral surgeon.

The treatment for a sinus perf depends on the location, size and depth of the perforation and if there is any suspected infection. Sometimes small perfs in healthy sinus will heal on their own. But flying or playing your horn instrument could worsen a small perf. So it's best to have it clinically evaluated asap.

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

Thanks for letting me know! I spoke with the oral surgeon who performed the extractions. The earliest appointment I can make with her is well into my travel dates so she has suggested that she does the procedure after I return, which is in January, by which she hopes they might close on their own.

She also said that if the procedure is done before flying the holes might open up again. Instead, she is prescribing an antibiotics refill and another antibiotic specific to sinus infections for me to take (in case I need to) when I am travelling. She has given me her personal number and ask that I get in touch if I have any concerns. But other than that, she said barring playing the trombone, sucking on straws, and vigorous rinsing, I should be able to do everything else normally, including exercise.

I hope she is confident and right in her assessment.

Hi Bryanna,

My next question is if another surgeon can seal it up before I fly (I have to fly, can't cancel), would that be more preferable to have the hole(s) sealed up before, or leave them as it is as suggested by the current surgeon?

Thank you for being so helpful and patient with my queries. Turns out looking for subs to gigs is the least of this problem.

Hi MJ,

Here's the problem.... she has no idea how large the openings are so how can she determine if they need intervention before you fly? The prescriptions are not going to help close the perforations. In fact, taking antibiotics that you do not need can cause you to become ill because they severely disrupt the balance of the intestinal bacteria. In many people this could leave them with little to no healthy bacteria which would lead to all sorts of problems. Antibiotics are only intended to be used when necessary.

It is important to have a clinical and radio-graphic evaluation before you fly. She is OBLIGATED to see you and not put this off. If she won't, then it would be wise to consult with a different oral surgeon. However, most surgeons are going to be reluctant to surgically intervene where another surgeon has just performed surgery. She should be getting you in asap for an evaluation, period. She cannot make a determination based on just your symptoms over the phone and giving unnecessary antibiotics is not ethical.

Also, a side note about exercise.... it is not wise to perform any cardio exercise or anything similar that increases your BP or heart rate until the perforations are healed. There is a direct correlation between an elevation in BP and the maxillary sinus. She should have told you about that.

Bryanna