Sensitive tooth after extraction impacted wisdom tooth
 

Hi Bryanna,

While searching for an answer to my questions, I stumbled upon this website & found your posts to be really detailed & insightful.
I hope you can help me.
About two months ago I had 2 impacted lower wisdom teeth removed under general anesthesia. I experienced a lot of pain the first few weeks after surgery.
Fortunately, things are a lot better now. However, I still have some pain on the right side (surgeon said that the tooth on this side was the most difficult one to remove). The gums are still sore & especially the adjacent second molar is playing up.
It's sensitive to touch. I have no problems with hot or cold foods/drinks. Breathing in cold air can be a litte sensitive, but nothing too serious.
The thing that bothers me most is the fact that chewing is sensitive. It's not like a sharp or excrutiating pain, but still sensitive. Even when I touch the entire tooth with my fingernail it feels sensitive.
Is all of this normal? Even 2 months after surgery?

I'm a little worried because everytime I try to look something up on google, I read about "cracked tooth syndrome" & stuff like that. However, I find that the tooth in question never caused problems before. It has a small filling, but that's it. It never had a root canal or anything else.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Kind regards

Frederique

Welcome Frederique1. :Wave-Hello:

Hi Frederique,

Welcome and thank you for the positive comments!

It is normal for the adjacent tooth to be sensitive after the wisdom tooth is removed. Sometimes the wisdom tooth was in close proximity to the second molar and once the wisdom tooth is removed that portion of second molar that was covered by the wisdom tooth is now exposed. Sometimes a very small area of the jaw bone that covered a portion of the second molar was removed because it was attached to the wisdom tooth or it splintered off during the removal and that could result in some gum recession exposing a tiny bit of the root surface of the second molar.

Generally as the bone and gum tissue heal, the sensitivity goes away. But sometimes the gum recedes in that spot more than normal and the tooth remains a bit sensitive to cold air or the bristle of your tooth brush or the scraping of your fingernail.

It is truly best to have your general dentist examine that area to be sure that the second molar in not cracked, that the filling in that tooth is still intact and to monitor the recession in that area. He should also check the depth of the pocket around that entire tooth to be sure it is within normal limits.

I would also advise that you not chew on that area until the soreness subsides.

Hope you find this information helpful. Check back and let us know how you are doing!
Bryanna

Thank you, Bryanna!
I have an appointment with my regular dentist tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

Frederique

Hi Bryanna,

I went to see my regular dentist yesterday and he told me not to worry. According to him it was perfectly normal for my second molar to still feel sensitive. Even after 2 months.
However, he also mentioned that there was a tiny piece of filling missing in that particular tooth, but that it was nothing urgent. But what does that mean?
Since my former dentist (unfortunately) retired, this was only my second appointment with my new dentist & I never heard a thing like this before.
Normally, when part of a filling goes missing, don't they set another appointment straight away?
Also, I don't feel like anything is missing, nor is the tooth abnormally sensitive to cold air.
He also took a look at an x-ray that was taken last April (by another dentist in the office, who at the time said that everything looked fine) & he began talking about taking out several amalgam fillings & having them replaced. He said nothing was really wrong with them, but "just in case". It was up to me he said.
Now this I completely don't understand! Those fillings can't be older than 10 years & I take good care of my teeth. Now why would he suggest a thing like that? I'm kinda losing faith in my new dentist.

Thank you so much for all your help.

Frederique

Hi Frederique,

Sometimes a piece of a filling has come out or broken off and we are unable to see it in the mirror. However, even something really tiny but deep could cause discomfort.

Regarding mercury fillings...... two things:

1) All mercury fillings are highly toxic. Mercury in every form in every application is toxic and can cause or contribute to a slew of health problems. Mercury is not a safe material to use in our teeth and many countries are making it illegal to use it. Mercury is affected by temperature and pressure. Meaning every time you chew, every time you eat or drink something warm or hot, every time you brush your teeth, you release mercury from those fillings into your oral tissue and beyond. The vapors are toxic and never dissipate. This is something the dentist who placed them, should have informed you of.

2) Removing mercury fillings should only be done by someone who takes this toxicity seriously and follows the proper removal protocol. Otherwise, the removal of those fillings can be irreversibly toxic to you.

This is the proper removal protocol:
http://iaomt.org/safe-removal-amalgam-fillings/

Regarding the urgency of repairing the broken filling in that second molar, the dentist may feel that it is best to allow that surgical area to heal a bit more before he goes near there with an air powered drill. Simply because the air from the drill can throw bacteria into an open area of a recently surgerized area that could result in a problem.

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

About 2 weeks ago, I came down with pain & swelling in the wisdom tooth extraction site on the lower right side.
I also had a very bad taste in my mouth. I went to see my dentist & he told me I had an abscess & that I had to make an appointment with the surgeon to have a "debridement" (when they open up the wound/extraction site & clean it). He also put me on antibiotics (amoxicillin 1000 mg, 20 caps).
I went to see the surgeon on Wednesday to have the debridement under local anesthesia. It didn't really hurt, but I could feel him scraping & pulling. Afterwards it hurt like hell! Really, I didn't have this much pain after my wisdom tooth extraction!

He also took an x-ray (total, where the machine moves around your head) & the assistant told me that you could clearly see that the extraction area hadn't healed the way it should've after 3 months.

Now, my question is: is it normal for the adjacent molar to still feel sensitive after all this time? It's not sensitive to cold or heat, but only when I touch it or bite down on it.
The surgeon told me this was normal & that it could last for a couple of weeks.
But how do you explain the fact that it's been this way for the past few months? Could this have to do with the infection being present all this time? I had a bad taste in my mouth even before I developed the swelling in my cheek (abscess), but my dentist didn't see anything wrong with the extraction site when I told him about this in early December.
If there was something wrong with the adjacent molar, would they have seen it on the x-ray?
And also: do they touch the adjacent molar (roots or bone) when they do the debridement? Because it really felt like they did.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Kind regards

Frederique

Hi Frederique,

Okay, so that right side ended up being abscessed. Yes, the post op pain from the type of surgical debridement that you had cone can be a bit.... ouchy :/ It's not always but sometimes it is.

The fact that the post op panorex x-ray showed unfavorable post op healing from the extraction of the wisdom tooth indicates that there was more going on in that area of bone than originally known and/or the surgeon was not thorough enough with the debridement at the time of the extraction and/or the blood clot did not form properly and allowed bacteria to get in the socket. It would have been helpful if your general dentist had taken an xray of that area when you went in to see him about the pain in the second molar as this infection would have more than likely shown up then.

When a surgical debridement is done in a partially healed extraction site the adjacent teeth can become "upset" with all the "commotion" going on with the scraping. After all, the blood cells have already begun the healing process and now that is all being disturbed. The second molar shares bone, nerves and muscle fibers with that wisdom tooth site, so the molar can feel a bit sensitive or even painful until the inflammation of the surgery subsides. If the healing of this surgery goes uneventfully..... then this area should be monitored with a periapical (single) x-ray in about a month and then followed with another one about 3-4 months later. Just to be sure that the healing is going along as it should be.

I hope you start to feel better soon. Enough of this tooth stuff already!!
Bryanna

Again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. You've been a great help! I hope everything settles down now. Cross your fingers. :)

Kind regards

Frederique

Frederique,

You are welcome!
Fingers crossed :)

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

Once again I would like your advice on something.
Since my last post I had another 2 appointments with the surgeon who performed my wisdom teeth surgery & debridement. I'm experiencing pain in the extraction site on the right side of my mouth. I was sure that it was the second molar causing problems, but upon examining my dentist said the tooth is perfectly healthy.

The pain I'm feeling is located in the back, but it radiates towards the front of my mouth (lower front teeth). The surgeon, as well as my regular dentist, keep saying that I'm experiencing "nerve pain". They've given me antibiotics (just to be sure - because there's no sign of infection, no pus or anything like that) & painkillers (Zaldiar). The painkillers help, but I don't want it to become a habit. They're very strong & I feel a bit drowsy when I take them.
I also have a feeling that the pain tends to get worse when I'm experiencing a lot of stress at work (not enough sleep, long hours, ...).
Also, when I have to talk a lot, I feel pain. Chewing is also a problem. I don't have severe pain while chewing, but mostly afterwards. (No real sensitivity to hot/cold.) Why is that? Does it have to do with my jaw or the nerves?

Do you think all of this is normal? The surgeon says I can call him anytime, but he's hesitant to do another debridement, because he thinks he won't find anything new.
When can I expect this "nerve pain" to go away? Should I just be patient? Am I being too anxious?

Thanks a lot for your input, Bryanna!

Kind regards

Frederique

Hi Frederique,

Has the pain been present since the second debridement? Or did it calm down and now come back again? Is the pain the same type of pain that you had with the original abscess or is it in a different area?

You say you have pain when your stressed, talking a lot and after chewing, this sounds like it could be muscle pain. When we're stressed or over tired its common to clench our teeth together. If you do this long enough and often enough, the muscle will get tight and inflamed. The nerves in the jaw can also become irritated and inflamed which can cause referred pain to occur in other areas of the mouth and even other teeth.

Some things that need to be determined before someone can tell you your pain is nerve related are ...... is there a cavitation in the jaw bone at the wisdom tooth site .... do you have muscle tenderness in the jaw/and tmj area.... are you clenching or grinding your teeth .... and your occlusion (bite) needs to be checked to see if you are hitting against a tooth or teeth unnecessarily hard when you chew. Not all dentists can diagnose a cavitation in the bone. Oral surgeons know what to look for but there is no guarantee they will diagnose it. Biological dentists usually know what to look for and tend to be more inclined to diagnose these areas but there is no guarantee there either. Your general dentist can check your bite ... and check for abnormal wear on your teeth indicating a clenching or grinding habit.

I think something is not right as it has been many months since the extractions and you should be fine by now.

Has the dentist taken any post op xrays of that area? If you want, you can have them emailed to you and post them here if you are comfortable doing that.

Bryanna

Hi Bryanna,

Yes, the pain did calm down after the debridement in January. It flared back up in March, that's when they put me on another round of antibiotics and painkillers. That's also when they insured me that it had nothing to do with my second molar.
The pain eventually subsided again, but came back in September. The oral surgeon finds this very weird because he can't see any swelling or signs of an infection. I also don't have a bad taste in my mouth or anything like that.

The pain is usually much better in the morning, when I wake up. It gets worse during the day (talking, eating, ...).
Another (weird) thing I've noticed is that whenever I touch the back of my mouth (inside, with my tongue or finger - extraction area & second molar), I can feel it in my front bottom teeth. Not all of them, but a few on the right side. Like it radiates to the front of my mouth.

I don't have a problem with cold or hot drinks/foods.
However, I do feel pain in my jaw/the back of my mouth after a meal that included a lot of chewing. Also, something very cold (like ice cream) can also cause an intense pain. It goes away after a few minutes. I have a sortlike pain when I have to walk outside & there's an icy wind blowing.
Is it normal for muscle pain or jaw pain to actually feel like toothache?

Thanks for your help, Bryanna.
I'll try to get a hold of my x-rays.

Frederique

Hi Frederique,

Yes, jaw or muscle pain can mimic toothache pain. I am curious to see the xrays of that area. I hope you can get them.

Bryanna

Please advise someone in similar situation
 

Hi Frederique,

I know it's been a long time since this was going on but i think I'm going through something similar and I'd appreciate any advice. I recently had 2 wisdom teeth out after a bad year of infections. The area healed fine actually - it's been 11 days and the gums look fine, extraction was pretty straightforward - it did have to happen 4 days after a new infection started but I was on 7 days of metronidazole and seemed to be ok - again, the sites are happy. However I have VERY similar symptoms to what you're describing. I wake up and I'm ok - temperature not too much of an issue but chewing/talking seems to aggravate the tooth that is next to extraction site - in my case a root canal tooth. I have been scared it's an infection but the gums around it seem happy enough - it's more a pressure on the area and like you it can radiate to front teeth. It's not like I can't live with it - if you said this was your typical day now I could deal but I'm scared it's indicative of something more sinister abc worry what could be going on below. How are things now? Any help greatly appreciated