tooth pulled and 5mm hole in sinus cavity
 

The beginning of August I was told I needed #3 and #2 tooth pulled because of a cavity. Stupid me went to the dental practice at the mall. The dentist was rougher than I have ever experienced and I felt like i was on an assembly line. I was not told that she had created a hole in the sinus cavity. I came back in a week and was then told that i had a hole. Of course I already knew this because when I drank anything it would pour out my nose. For the next 3 weeks I keep going back for appointments and she would try to pack the hole. Of course nothing would stay in the hole as it was so large. She then decided to do a bone graft which absolutely did not work and was nothing like the bone graft that my oral surgeon did. The packing again came out on the way home. She tried to fill it with the packing again but of course it did not work. She then suggested I go to an oral surgeon which I did. He was horrified after looking at it and told me the problem should have been taken care of when the tooth was pulled. He told me that after surgery, it would take 9 months to heal. I have been living on hydrocodone for the last month for pain and sinus headaches. The tooth next to the hole hurt and can be wiggled. I was told the hole was 5mm. Fortunately My oral surgeon knows what he is doing and I am slowly getting better but I am angry with the first dentist. She should have sent me to to an oral surgeon to have the extractions done as they were the last 2 teeth in my upper jaw. Then after the extractions she messed it all up. To me this is not good dentistry. Is this what you would call a good standard of dentistry? :( :mad:

Briana
 

I forgot to say that the oral surgeon said that he had never seen a hole so big. It was the size of 2 teeth. Also the original tooth had a root canal. Shouldn't I have been sent to an oral surgeon for the extraction. BTW the dentis has only had her license for 4 years. Thanks.

Hi smeggy,

I'm sorry you are enduring such a painful ordeal. There is no law that says a dentist has to refer a patient to an oral surgeon. However, there is a scope of expertise that every dentist, in good conscience, should adhere to. Unfortunately, it often takes time for a dentists to recognize the importance of that. Meaning every dentist should be keenly aware of their strong as well as their weak traits and never hesitate to refer to specialists if there is any doubt about performing the procedure.

The dentist that removed your teeth may have been over zealous in her abilities to remove your teeth. Meaning she may or may not have realized until after she had begun the extractions that she was in over her head. Some dentists in that situation will stop the procedure and make arrangements to get the patient in to an oral surgeon asap. Others in that situation may be hesitant to do that for a variety of reasons.... such as shame of failure, back lash from their employer of the clinic/practice they work in, financial reasons, they may want to gain the experience and the patient is literally the guinea pig, or perhaps it's just plain Ego. Whatever the reason, you were fortunate to find an oral surgeon who recognized the problem and is trying to repair the sinus.

Again I am sorry for what you have experienced. Hopefully you will heal okay from this point forward and in the future please don't hesitate to see an oral surgeon for tooth extractions.

Wish you the best...
Bryanna

Brianna again
 

Brianna,

I made a mistake when I said the hole was 5 mm. It is actually 30mm x 15mm. Isn't that a little big for a regular dentist to take care of? The tooth came out in pieces. I would have thought that at the time of the extraction (#2 and #3) she should have referred me to a oral surgeon or stopped in the middle of the extraction when she saw she was having trouble. I was told that normally an oral surgeon would have stretched skin from the buckle and covered the hole. Here it is more than 4 months and my new dentist/oral surgeon is having a difficult time getting it closed. Thanks.

Mary :(

Hi Mary,


Yes that is a large area and usually more than a general dentist can handle unless they have extensive training in oral surgery.

There are different methods used to attempt at least primary closure on a hole of that size and the ideal time to perform the closure is at the time of the extractions. Oral tissue recedes after any tooth extraction which can be problematic if trying to close up the wound at a later date. Also the more diseased the tissue is or the more tissue that is removed during the surgery, the less there will be to suture closed. So between the recession, the infection and the traumatic surgery..... this oral surgeon has a difficult task to perform.

What is the current status of the opening in the sinus?

Bryanna

That is how big the hole still is. The used something new (something made from placenta) for the bone graft today so it should help it stay packed.

Hi Mary,

The hole into the sinus is 30 x 15? Is the extraction site that large as well?

Bryanna

Yes the hole into the sinus is 30 x15. I don't know if the extraction site on the gum is that size or what size it is.

Thanks so much Bryanna

Mary,

When you look in your mouth at that area is there a huge hole or is it sutured closed? Are you still getting drainage from your sinus into your mouth or vice versa?

Bryanna

It is all sutured up right now. A placenta processed, dehydrated and sterilized graft of amnion and chorion tissue was placed in and sutured. If this does not last I will be going to the University of New Mexico for help.
I got the notes from the original doctor's extraction and the x-rays. She never mentioned the sinus hole.
This is driving me crazy.