DRY SOCKET For 4 Weeks!!

[JoTown]

I am a healthy female aged 36. I do not smoke or drink (yes I know I am boring!!). I had a root filled tooth removed on 8th May this year (2nd to back lower molar) which turned into a dry socket. This lasted for about a week before I found out that the tooth next to it (back molar next to it) also had an abcess (abscess) on it and needed to come out (both extracted teeth had be root treated). When the 2nd tooth was removed it didnt bleed at all and consequently it turned into yet another dry socket!! I had this tooth out exactly 4 weeks ago tomorrow and still it is very painful and really throbs when I bend or lay down to sleep. My dentist has been excellent and packed it for me every other day, cleaning it out thoroughly first. Tomorrow I am having some x-rays to check everything is ok. Has anybody else experienced this problem for this long! I am getting so fed up now and have lost around 8 pounds because I cannot chew properly and the pain is affecting my apetite! I am like a bear with a sore head!! Any help would be appreciated!

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

This much pain for this length of time is very unusual.Have you seen an oral surgeon and gotten another opinion?

[mike1105]

i agree with the forum doc.. at this point I would definitely see an oral surgeon. sometimes the socket needs to be re-irritated so it bleeds and a clot can form corectly.

[JoTown]

Well, I went back to my dentist yesterday. He cleaned out the socket again and put more gel in it. I am having x-rays tomorrow so hope everything is ok. I think the pain is getting slightly less but unfortunately the dressing is being naturally pushed out by my socket after around 9 hours which I suppose is good new but on the other hand without anything in the socket the pain is worse. Is there any particular pain relief you would recommend? Do you think it would be ok for me to ask for some of the gel for me to insert at home until the pain totally subsides? My dentist has tried making the socket bleed a few times already (about 2 weeks ago) but this still didn't work! I'll see what happens tomorrow.

[mike1105]

have you taken the above advice and seen an oal sugeon?????

[JoTown]

Hi Mike. Please excuse my ignorance but at my dentists surgery in the UK my dentist's name is listed under "dental surgeon" - is that the same thing as an oral surgeon?? I had x-rays yesterday and everything is ok (even though socket remains very much open!). Pain has lessened slightly but still really throbs especially when I lay down/put my head down. Thanks so much for your advise - it is much appreciated!

[mike1105]

i do not know how dentists are labelled in the UK... In the US, an oral surgeon is one who specializes and has much extra training (4 extra years beyond dental school) n the extraction of teeth and other maxillofascial surgeries. good luck

[CAT BURD]

I have had a dry socket for one week, Wed my denstist scraped by jaw to make it bleed and took what ever tool and broke off a piece of necrotic bone all of this without any numbing.  I thought I would lose my mind.  I was so traumatized I went home and cried all afternoon.  At this time I am taking three advil and three extra strenght tylenol every three hours with minimal relief. He said he could scrape again or I could just let it heal on its own which would be about three weeks.

Any suggestions.

[CAT BURD]

I have had a dry socket for one week, Wed my denstist scraped by jaw to make it bleed and took what ever tool and broke off a piece of necrotic bone all of this without any numbing.  I thought I would lose my mind.  I was so traumatized I went home and cried all afternoon.  At this time I am taking three advil and three extra strenght tylenol every three hours with minimal relief. He said he could scrape again or I could just let it heal on its own which would be about three weeks.

Any suggestions.