Fistula after wisdom tooth extraction
 

Hello everyone! I'm hoping to get some insight into what's going on. On 28th January, I had three wisdom teeth removed under local anesthetic. The procedure went well, although the bottom right wisdom tooth had very deep roots and required a lot of arm muscle from my oral surgeon. A few days after the procedure, I noticed the pain in said difficult extraction site was getting worse and that the blood clot was no logger there. My OS took a look, said that she suspected dry socket, but that the wound site was otherwise healing well. We packed it and I as told to ome back every couple of days for dressings to ease the discomfort.

It's been about a week and a half since I was last there and I have no more pain, thankfully. However, a fistula has formed on the extraction site (sort of on the inner wall of one side, obscuring the view of the hole) and it continually drains - the pres sure will build, the pus will come out, but within an hour it fills again. What sort of treatment am I looking at? Should I just continue with salt water rinses? Will it resolve on it's own?

Thanks so much for any information!

Hi Kait,

It would be best to go back and see the oral surgeon as anything that is associated with pus, especially something that keeps draining and filling up, is indicative of an infection that is not superficial.

Please don't try to take care of this yourself as there is an opening there that opens to the jaw bone and blood vessels. So it's easy to contaminate the site and further with bacteria that could intensify the infection already present.

Let us know how you are doing........
Bryanna

Thanks for the prompt reply, Bryanna ��. I called this afternoon and made an appointment for Thursday. Until then I will carry on with the salt water rinsing - the stiffness in my jaw seems a bit more noticable and there's a pressure in my war (like the feeling that precedes an ear infection) but it could just be borne form nervousness, now that I'm hyperaware of the party in the extraction site. I'll let you know how it goes!

Kait,

Yes, continue with the warm salt water rinses. If the pressure becomes worse or you develop fever, etc. don't wait til Thursday to see the oral surgeon.

Bryanna