I had a rather difficult extraction of my lower right (second molar?) tooth that was located next to where the wisdom tooth used to be. I knew the extraction would most likely be hard because part of the tooth broke off the night before I went in.

When he started the extraction the tooth began to break, so he had to use a combination of several different instruments, including a drill. He took a couple of xrays during this to make sure he got it all, but at the end he told me it was difficult to tell if there was a tooth fragment left. He said if there was, it would work its way out.

He ended up giving me sutures (dissolvable) because I had trouble with bleeding. He asked if I was a smoker, and I said no. I don't take blood thinning meds either, so I don't know why this was an issue. I do, however, use an oral steroid (Advair) for my asthma, so perhaps this is why that happened. Don't know. The procedure ended at around 12:15 Tuesday afternoon and I had some bleeding (not heavy) until around 9pm that evening.

When he sutured me, he didn't go all the way across the extraction site, just one end of it and towards the middle.

I had a low-grade fever two nights ago that has since cleared up. I doubt there's an infection, but he did put me on amoxicillin which I have been taking faithfully, and I started the salt water rinses yesterday like I was told to.

So why am I still having bad pain? He gave me the antibiotic, not because I had an infection but as a precaution. The pain felt like it lessened considerably this afternoon (Friday) but once I got up and moved around and started running errands, it got worse. I read somewhere that one shouldn't exercise after an extraction - but I wouldn't call what I was doing "exercise."

Sometimes the pain radiates across my bottom right jaw towards the center and sometimes it goes away completely and then comes back. I realize this was a difficult extraction and that the recovery process wouldn't be a piece of cake. Even so, it seems worse then when I had my wisdom teeth out!

How long will this pain last? I don't have the signs of an infection. That fever was only for one night and was very low. I don't have bad breath or a bad taste in my mouth, and the swelling has gone down considerably. I just wish this pain would go away and I hope that I won't be told to come back to his office because I don't have the money.

Thoughts, anyone? Should I just try to sit this out a bit longer? Can difficult extractions take awhile for the post-op pain to lessen to the point where its tolerable? I am even scared of eating because I don't want to screw up anything. Help! Thanks!