extraction site pain 3 weeks out
 

I have been in dental pain since March of this year. Two extractions, three fillings, one crown, one resorption, one abscess and two implants later (yes, all in the last 6 months), I am still in pain. Oh, and 7 antibiotic prescriptions.

The last on my agenda was #31. A root canaled tooth that was recrowned became abscessed within 5 days. It was a traumatic extraction, so I took 2 weeks of amoxicillin, probably also due to the fact that I had an implant in front of that tooth at the same time. The implant is doing well, but a piece of jawbone is exposed at the extraction site (tongue side/lingual), but since the gum looks good, they left it alone. Two days ago (1 week after finishing antibiotic and 3 weeks after extraction, the other side of the extraction site starts hurting and under my chin hurts. I also have intermittent ear pain and shoulder pain. It is constant. Why in the world would it hurt more now than a week ago? I went back to the perio who pulled it and he said the implant had plaque on it (he leaves the post exposed) and that was the reason for my pain. He seemed to ignore the fact that the pain is at the extraction site and not the implant site (probably because it looks good). He said I need to brush the implant site harder and that would get rid of my pain.

So here I am the next day and it's getting worse. There seems to be a blue color under the gum, but that's not the major source of pain. You can see where the bone sticks out but it hurts more a few mm below as if the ridge of the jaw is sharp. It feels like cut glass. It should not hurt me so I have constant pain to the point I can't breath comfortably.

Has anyone else encountered this? I am trying to find a way to take a picture...

Hi jennyct,

A picture may be helpful if you can take one and post it here.

However, it would be best to consult with an oral surgeon, not a periodontist, to evaluate both the extraction and implant sites. You could be having pain due to several contributing factors .... but the pain under the chin may be a sign of further infection. Your shoulder and ear pain are not from the plaque around the implant. Rinsing with warm salt water several times a day may be helpful in keeping the implant collar clean, but the areas really need to be re evaluated by a new set of eyes... preferably an oral surgeon.

Let us know how things are going..
Bryanna

new development
 

Now I decided to use the water pick and hit that area hard, especially since I was accused of not cleaning the post vigorously enough. Well a piece or bone or plaque came off the exposed area and it started bleeding. It may have been a scab, but obviously it was irritating me. It appeared to heal up a little, and all was well for a day, but I must have hit the area again and it hurts a lot. I believe the extraction made jagged edges and the gum is just unhappy. I know it's supposed to remodel, but gosh, how long will that be? It just hurts like heck, making my throat and ear sore.

Jennyct,

Did your dentist advise you to use the water pik on a hard setting? Usually, this is not a good idea because the hard setting can actually push bacteria under the gum tissue causing further infection.

It is best to have the site evaluated by an oral surgeon.

Bryanna

update
 

It felt great until last week. I had yet another tooth crack and I had to chew on this area where the piece of bone was. Well the jagged edge poked through the gum again! It hurts all the time even though its fairly small. They told me before that it would remodel or soften up, but it is now ten weeks. Do they have to snip or smoooth it? How long is a reasonable time to wait?

jennyct,

It would be best to consult with an oral surgeon.

Bryanna