I had tooth 2 extracted 7 days ago. The stitches were taken out today and the dentist said it's healing well. I went home and felt great but about an hour ago noticed a salty taste in my mouth. It wasn't from a salt water rinse because I hadn't done that for a few hours. Even when I was doing them, I didn't have this. I went home and looked at my saliva in a white tissue to see if there was any blood and there wasn't. The area where the clot is now has a white film over it so I know this is good but could this be causing the salty taste? The tooth did have an infection but I was on penicillin 500 mg for 5 days. Any idea why the salty taste? Could it be from the minute openings of where the stitches were removed, traces of blood I can't see? It tastes like blood. I have no pain.

Hi Sandy,

By any chance did the dentist irrigate the surgical area with a saline solution after he removed the sutures? If so, then that could be the salty taste you are experiencing.

Otherwise, a salty taste after a tooth has been extracted........ could mean a sinus perforation. Are you sure it is salty tasting because you also said it tasted like blood..?? Until the socket closes over completely with gum tissue, it is not unusual to have an odd taste as well as an odd mouth odor.

The white area in the extraction site is normal, do not try to remove it. Did you ask the dentist about a sinus perforation? I know it's hard sometimes to ask the dentist questions but in all honesty, it is usually the patients who ask the questions that recieve the best treatment. Why? Because questions actually keep the dentist on his toes and working at his best.......

How is that sore area around your nose feeling? What did the dentist say about that? In your other post you asked if a periapical xray could tell if there was a sinus perforation...... the answer is usually yes.

I would suggest that you keep rinsing with the warm salt water several times a day for the next 2 weeks and if all is healing well, you will notice a positive improvement every day. If by the end of next week you are still getting that salty taste, go back to the oral surgeon and have him take another look and an xray.

To answer your question about sinus repair surgery on the other post... to repair a sinus perforation that is large or is not healing on it's own, the oral surgeon would make a small incision in the area that the tooth was removed and go into the sinus from there. The opening would be cleaned out, irrigated with saline and an absorbable membrane patch would be placed over the opening of the sinus and then the gum tissue would be sutured closed. Generally, in healthy people who do not smoke......... a sinus perforation heals rather quickly either on it's own or once surgerized.

Please try not to worry about this. You will be fine..........

Please keep us posted on how things are going ~'.'~

Bryanna

He didn't irrigate it, just removed the stitches. I asked him if there was a perforation and he said no, that the tooth was not even near the sinus. I looked at the x-ray and being a layman, I am not sure which line is the bone and which is the sinus but the heavier line on the panorex seems like the sinus and is not right close to that tooth root. So hopefully it is not my sinus. He asked me if when I drink water, does it run out of my nose.

Could you please clarify this for me? My question is: if the clot is formed, how could the water go past that and up into my sinuses for the water to go up to my nose? The water doesn't even really touch that tooth when I drink, it just goes down my throat. I don't have fever, no nose dripping or color of mucus (just clear) and the pain is subsiding by my nose/cheek but not completely but far less than yesterday. It's just that lousy blood taste I had the first day. Maybe even minute amounts of blood can cause this. I am a nervous wreck, sorry, Brianna. Are you a dentist or tech/assistant? I am curious because you are so knowledgeable. Thanks so much again.

Hi Sandy...........

No, I am not a dentist but have vast experience (in particular oral surgery) from being a chairside assistant, radiographer and dental counselor...... going into my 31st year!

If your dentist had seen a sinus perf, he may not have mentioned it to you at the time of the extraction because it was very small, but he would have told you when you asked the question. So lets assume he didn't see one which is good!

Let me give you a brief description of the anatomy of the sinus cavity as it relates to the maxillary teeth. The roots of some molars (different in all people) can push up against or go directly into the sinus cavity because the sinus membrane that outlines the sinus cavity is very thin. This is not always a reason for concern...... only if there is infection present and the infection has perforated the thin membrane or if the membrane was torn/perforated during an extraction.

On an xray the outline of the sinus membrane is white in color and resembles the outline of a cloud. So picture the pointed tooth root up against the thin lining of the cloud. If the root of the tooth has not perforated the thin membrane but the infection has, then when the tooth is removed the membrane will be open similar to a deep cut in your finger. Depending on how deep or extensive the opening is determines if it needs any surgical intervention or not. Many times a slight perforation of the sinus will heal on it's own so long as the infection is no longer present.

The clot that forms inside the tooth socket is a combination of blood and tissue that your body produces all on it's own. This serves as a plug to keep the inside of the socket near the bone clear of food debris and also the clot nourishes the socket by keeping it moist while the bone is filling in. If the sinus were open or perforated, the clot would not form properly so there would be an opening in that socket allowing fluid and food debris to be inhaled through that opening into the sinus out through the nose. This is referred to as a "communication" between the sinus and the oral cavity.

So given all that has been discussed here, taking into consideration that the soreness you had yesterday is subsiding ....... it sounds like you are healing fairly well and may or may not have a small sinus perforation which at this stage you would most likely know if it were anything significant. The best thing to do is continue the rinsing, avoid eating on that side, keep your teeth and mouth very clean and let nature take it's course.

Keep in mind that a dry socket shows itself by the 3rd or 4th day after surgery and the pain increases with each day without a doubt. Your descriptions do not indicate a dry socket issue in the least.. :-))

I really think you are going to be ok!!
Let me know if you have any other questions....... I'm glad to help!!

Bryanna