Length bone infection

[Jerene]

How long has infection been manifesting in the tooth and bone before the pathway finds itself manifesting on your gum displaying itself in a pus pocket visually in your mouth?

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

It varies.  I can't say for sure how long.  It can happen quite rapidly or it can take years to develop.  It depends on how aggressive the infection is and what path it takes.  Unfortunately, it usually takes the path of least resistance so it can spread quite rapidly once it goes through the jaw bone.  

It can potentially not develop this pus pocket and go straight into the sinus/head or it can travel down the neck depending on the tooth.  If you are concerned about a possible infection, it would be best to address the issue sooner than later.

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Well, I would recommend you discuss this specifically with your old doctor since he/she was able to give you a complete exam and checkup and provide you with some explanation as to your continued care.  If the antibiotics relieved the symptoms of pain and "waxiness" from the TMJ, then it would be logical for the completion of your antibiotics to help fully resolve the issue.  Sometimes TMJ symptoms such as "stuffy" ear can be related to trauma or difficulty with the extraction but in your case, it seems that you said it came out easy.  So I would recommend being patient and as long as the symptoms are improving, then you should just take a wait and see approach and let your body naturally heal.  You may want to try some warm compresses and stretches of your TMJ to see if that may help relieve the symptoms a bit too.

[willowwillow]

I had a loose wisdom tooth pulled on the top left side, it was starting to bother me, so I had it pulled, it came out like a piece of cake...lucky me, but she noticed when the tooth came out there was no blood and so she scratched the gum beside the hole and drew blood to the wisdom hole.  Now this is new dentist and her normal proceedure is to put a piece of clove soaked in oil in the hole where the tooth was removed...never lat that happen again the taste made me sick. A week later I had 2 units of cleaning.   I'm in the progess of having my upper right wisdom pulled which is cracked and seeping out **** that tasts nasty.  Now after having the top left wisom pulled I got bad pressure pain in my left ear I felt like I had wax build up in my ear  and  very strong pain in one area bottom two teeth beside center teeth,  I called my dentist right away and they put me on an antibiotic and gave me t3's and that was on a Friday, well the T3's were not cutting it and the only thing that was giving me relief was Motrin 200mg of iveprofin  I was popping 2 every two hours ( 12 in one day ), then I starting taking 3 at a time 3 times a day over the course of Saturday and Sunday I had consumed 30 Motrin, I called my dentist first thing Monday moring and asked that they call in a scrip to my pharmacy for an anti inflamitory, which they did I was on Ketorolac Tromethamine  10mg and I had to take with food and only max 4 times a day.  Well I took them for about 3 days and then got off them and was down to 4 Motrin a day but my ear was driving me nuts, felt like I needed to dig out wax.  I finally walked into a doctor  - walk in clinic here in Canada where I live.  I asked him to check all around for any wax build up, he saw nothing but did say my ear was a bit red on the back...probley from me digging.
I told what had lead up to this situation and he perscibed a new antbiotic Clarithromycin 500 mg for 7 days.  Well my usage of Motrin as dropped down to 2 Motrin per day after taking the Clarithromycin for 3 days, on the 4th day there was no more need for Motrin.  I went back to my dentist to discuss my cracked wisdom and informed her about my ear, she felt there was no reason for my ear to paining, I also requested a full set of x rays as she was going off year old x rays and prior to those x rays I had not seen a dentist in 4 years now that dentist took those x rays before I had 4 sets of 4 unit deep scale cleaning, so these xrays got handed onto my new dentist which showed alot of infection.

My new dentist informed that the all of my upper teeth had to be removed re infection, now all the teeth that had deep pockets on my lower right side have been all removed wisdom and 12 year old moler, my alarms really went off when it was Jan 9th and I would be finishing my Clarithromycin on the 12th and the closes date to pull that tooth was Jan 26th.  I thought long and hard and ignored what was thinking, but by Saturday the 10th I called my old old old dentist that knew me the best and was the best and still is to see me.  Man they took right away gave me full set if x rays and two bite plate x rays...well guess what none of my upper teeth have to be removed I guess those deep scale cleaning helped.  I will be having that cracked wisdom removed tomorrow Monday the 12th.  and I will never leave my old old old dentist again I don't care how far I have to travel.  my ear still has it's acting up moments off and on about 4 times a day where I really want to scratch and dig, and I'm finally getting some fluid to the ear that has been so dry inside.  My xray shows the jaw looks like it is fine and you can see some gum desease but nothing that they cannot get a handle on with my help, and yes I floss after every meal now and bush up and down 10 sweeps maybe more for a good clean.  How long is this ear that bugs me going to last and yes I still have center tooth pain but it does not last and very rarely but mt right ear will start up for a brief time maybe once every 3 days.  Will this get better after this cracked wisdom has been pulled how long should I go for before going to my reg doctor and seeing a TMJ person or a throat noise and ear spec.  Looking for your wait time would be greatly appricated.  PS sorry this story has been long

Thanks Lenore  

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

Sure thing, anytime!  

[Jerene]

Thank you for your wisdom!