Dry sockets?

[choccyface2006]

I had three teeth extracted last Thursday morning. I thought it would be more comfortable by now but its not. On the first day I spat lots of blood out of my mouth as it kept bleeding, something I now know I shouldn't have done.

I have a dental mirror and kept checking the sockets, especially after eating as bits of food kept going in them, then I noticed a grey plug in the sockets which I though was disgusting so I used an interdental brush to remove it and rinsed with salt warm water.

But my jaw still hurts and the pain has referred to my ear and head. I have been taking 3 ibuprofen every 4 hours but they sometimes take an hour and a half to take effect and even then it still throbs.

I get tonsillitus quite often and had an unused pack of Penicillin vk so I started to take them in case I have an infection, I assumed the grey soft was pus.

I have just looked up dry sockets and wonder if I have got them? Maybe I removed the blood clots protecting the sockets not just yukky gunk? I notice a funny smell in my mouth too. Is this why I am still in pain?

I am seeing the dentist tommorrow afternoon for more extractions so at least he will be able to sort it out.

I didn't mean to do any harm, I just wanted to keep it as clean as possible :( I read my post extraction info but it never mentioned any of this.

I am also on the pill on my pill free week, I believe that doesn't help :( At least I dont smoke though.

Sarah

[shelly]

Iv'e had quite a few extractions over the years and have always been told never to poke about in the holes, leave them well alone. After extractions Iv'e always rinsed my mouth out with salt water a few times a day, especially after eating, until they have more or less healed over. Iv'e only had a problem once with an infection in a hole, a symptom of which was smelly breath. I called my dentist and I went in the next day and he filled the hole with some antibiotic stuff and it worked a treat.

[choccyface2006]

Thanks Shelly, I just wish I knew about not poking about in the holes before, it didn't say on my leaflet. It said a clean mouth will heal better than an unclean one so I thought I was doing the best thing by cleaning it up.

I have been rinsing out with salty water and cleaning my teeth after every meal but I think the damage has been done and no doubt I will get a telling off tomorrow :(

Sarah

[Toothsmith]

CF,

You have had something pulled out of your bone!

I know people think of tooth extractions as quite minor things, and true enough, they are routine.

BUT

Having anything yanked out of your bone is not going to feel fine three days later - particularly if you've had more than one, and if they've been difficult. It's not like getting a splinter out.

They grey stuff is most likely clot.

If your blood clots anywhere else, it goes reddy/black & hard. In the wet environment of your mouth, it's just grey and jelly like.

The fact there's still a bit of bleeding is probably because there are still roots in there. The healing is slower if there are still bits in the socket.

Bottom line - DON'T PANIC!

You've been doing all the right things so far. DON'T self medicate with penicillin. No antibiotic is much use for dry sockets - the fact they are there is due to poor blood supply. What takes antibiotic to the site of infection? - The blood! No blood - no antibiotics. Dry sockets sort themselves out after a few days whether the patient is on antibiotics or not.

Yours does not sound like a dry socket though.

[shelly]

Thanks Shelly, I just wish I knew about not poking about in the holes before, it didn't say on my leaflet. It said a clean mouth will heal better than an unclean one so I thought I was doing the best thing by cleaning it up.

I have been rinsing out with salty water and cleaning my teeth after every meal but I think the damage has been done and no doubt I will get a telling off tomorrow :(

Sarah


No problem. If I were you I would point out to the dentist that maybe they should add more Do's and Dont's to their patient leaflets in the future.

Hope you get on ok.

[choccyface2006]

Thank you toothsmith, you have put my mind at rest and I will not bother with the antibiotics anymore if they are unlikly to make any differance.

I'll just carry on with the salty rinses and see what the dentist says later.

Thanks again.

Sarah

[Toothsmith]

No problem. If I were you I would point out to the dentist that maybe they should add more Do's and Dont's to their patient leaflets in the future.

Hope you get on ok.

I only have 5 on mine!!!!! I think it gets a bit silly if there's too many!

But one of them is the instruction to call if there's a problem!

[choccyface2006]

Do you advise your patients not to poke about in socket or spit because of the liklyhood of disturbing the clotting process?

I was horrified when I read that you shouldn't do this as I had been doing both without any idea I was doing more harm than good.

[Toothsmith]

I tell them not to rinse their mouth out for the first 24 hours for risk of disturbing the clot. Then lots of salty washes after 24 hours.

I didn't actually think anybody WOULD poke about with it!!!

Just goes to show!!! :D

[choccyface2006]

An update.

I haven't had the other extractions as my dentist wants to wait until my others are on the mend. He packed the sockets with a numbing gauze and gave me a precription for metronidazole so I guess they weren't healing as they should.

Broken roots are still in, I have been x-rayed and my dentist will send the to my consultant to see if he thinks they need to come out, if they do then he will need to refer me somewhere else as he isn't able to do it. This could delay my brace going on :(

Sarah

[trinnylilac]

I had my burried roots out last Friday and I was given milton fluid ( to be very diluted ) to place in my mouth ( told not to swill around ) and then spit out. My consultant says it cleans but doesn't disrupt the wound.

Also given metronidazole, still really sore and face is swollen. but he did warn that for 3/4 days the pain will get worse and then it starts easing up..

[choccyface2006]

Never thought about Milton, I did think about crushing asprin in warm (previosly bolied) water to ease the discomfort but although it would work okay with the gap at the bottom, I'd have to be upside down to get it to stay in the ones in the top without swilling it round! LOL

It will be a nice feeling when it starts healing up I guess!

Good luck with your own dental pain!

[Toothsmith]

I had my burried roots out last Friday and I was given milton fluid ( to be very diluted ) to place in my mouth ( told not to swill around ) and then spit out. My consultant says it cleans but doesn't disrupt the wound.

Also given metronidazole, still really sore and face is swollen. but he did warn that for 3/4 days the pain will get worse and then it starts easing up..


Are you SURE it was Milton?

Or was it just a flud that tasted a bit chlorine - y ?

I would never recommend anyone to put Milton fluid in their mouth - and unless you know for sure that's what it was, and the exact dilution used, I wouldn't pass on that recommendation to anyone else!

It could end up doing more harm than good.

There would be the pain from the tooth sockets and the pain from the chemical burns all over the mouth.

[Toothsmith]

Never thought about Milton, I did think about crushing asprin in warm (previosly bolied) water to ease the discomfort but although it would work okay with the gap at the bottom, I'd have to be upside down to get it to stay in the ones in the top without swilling it round! LOL

It will be a nice feeling when it starts healing up I guess!

Good luck with your own dental pain!

Stop thinking about it!!

Aspirin is a good idea, but it is a pain killer, designed to go into the body and work on the brain.

It does not have any local effect, and being acidic, it too could leave you with nasty chemical burns.

Do just what your dentist has recommended and it will get better (eventually)

[trinnylilac]

Yes definatly milton and was perscribed to me by an oral surgeon 2.5 ml's in a glass of water ( so very,very diluted).. It came in a hospital bottle and labled as Milton. I have three stiches holding the gum together and he has said to do this 4 times a day

But please only do what your consultant or dentist tell you as I am sure everyone has diferent circumstances

[Toothsmith]

Fair enough then Trinny! That is pretty dilute.

I would be surprised if it was any more effective than simple salty water though.

[Nurse_Bambi]

oh cripes dry sockets! I ended up with dry sockets a couple of months ago after having my wisdom teeth removed under GA. I think they came out when I vomitted and gently swilled my mouth out to get rid of the taste and sick. It was horrible, (swollen face, drugs knocked me out completely) I was in agony and I ended up having to go back to the surgeon 4 days later to have the sockets dressed. Then 2 days later I had to go into A&E at night coz the pain was just unbearable and I was in danger of overdosing on the painkillers!.... of course I had an infection. .only then was I given more antibiotics (metronidazole)

Then... oh yes it goes on.... two weeks later I had to go to the dentist to get one socket redressed as I was experienceing extreme sensitivity when I ate and drank.. only now 2 months later am I able to chew without pain. (its still a bit tender if I chew on muesli!!)

I really didn't expect things to be so bad but despite all that I'm glad I had them out!

hang in there everyone!

[choccyface2006]

Oh dear Bambi. I'm glad that you feel better now though!

Most of the dressing came out of two out of my three sockets before I even got home from my appointment but theres still a tiny bit in one of them. It felt very soothing although it tastes unpleasent so I would have them dressed again now if I could because they are still painful.

I worry about overdosing on painkillers too, I'm taking Paramol every 4 hours and Ibuprofen every 4 hours but I am alternating them so I don't go more than 2 hours without something. I am writing down what I've taken and what time. I have been taking metronidazole for 24 hours now so hopfully I will feel an improvement soon. I probably rattle when I walk!

Got to go through it all again next month :( At least I now know how to avoid it again.
Sarah