3 Extraction Woes... any help?
 

Thursday I had a wisdom and molar(side by side) pulled and on the opposite side another molar extracted. All are upper. The two are healing fine but the one by itself is giving me trouble. The dentist had to use some lazer to break it into 3 pieces to get it out and cut my outer gumline up to my cheek. I had to have 2 stitches.
Now I cannot smile or talk for a long time with out a lot of pain and swelling on that side. Also, I have been eating nothing but soup because nothing can touch the area.
Anyone ever had anything near this happen and have any suggestions on how to get it to heal faster besides saltwater swishes and keeping my mouth clean. I have followed the directions to the "T" because I have had dry socket before and that is not fun.

Thanks ahead of time

post op pain from extractions
 

Hi mommyof3,

So sorry to hear that you are having such discomfort! There is probably a few reasons why this "one" particular area is so sore.

Evidently, the dentist had some difficulties removing that tooth for whatever reason. The lazer can be used to remove tissue and ligament below the gumline to help release the tooth from the bone. I'm assuming he used a drill to cut the tooth in pieces as this can make the removal easier. However, he probably still had to work at getting all of those pieces out. To get adequate access, he had to make an incision to see what he was doing. Two sutures is not a very big incision, but I have no doubt that it feels alot bigger than it is!

It would be common for that area to be sore for several days from the trauma that occured. The temporary inflammation will inhibit some movement of the muscle in that area thus it may feel tight or sore to smile or talk because as you do those things, you are pulling on that muscle. The incision generally heals pretty quickly but again, that too will be sore for a few days.

The best thing you can do it continue rinsing with warm salt water several times a day for the next 2 weeks or so. Eat soft foods that do not require alot of chewing and drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated. The more moist your mouth is the faster it will heal!

Have you tried any homeopathy for the pain? Arnica pellets under the tongue several times a day work great!

A dry socket usually becomes apparent about the 3rd-4th day after the extraction. The pain is throbbing and does not subside with meds. There is usually a foul breath odor and the person feels a bit under the weather. If you feel that you are having any of those symptoms, then please do not wait to see your dentist.

I hope I answered your questions. Please let us know how you're doing!
Bryanna