I had 3 wisdom teeth removed about 2 1/2 months ago. I had all sorts of problems from dry socket and infection to numbness and continual swelling. I still have partial numbness on the left side of my face...I have seen Dr. Mason, the oral surgen that extracted my teeth, three times since and he keeps telling me to wait a little longer for things to heal, I'm not as concerned with the numbness as I am with the knot on my gum. I have a pea sized lump on the gum under the tooth next to the one I had removed. It is painfull and does not seem to be going away, in fact I think it is getting bigger and more tender. I asked Dr. Mason and he didn't seem to be worried about it. I don't really want to make another trip out there for him to tell me to wait a little longer for it to go away. I've long since finished my antibiotics and pain medication and feel no real reason to take more. The lump only causes pain when touched so I don't think it is an infection. I don't have any other symptoms that would point to infection. Does anyone have any idea what this might be?

Aaron

there is an infection there but he doesn't want to take the blame. When you have swelling, pain and redness it's an infection or absess.
I had this happen to me after a root canal. The dentist wanted to do gum surgery but I declined and have gotten it almost normal with a dental irrigator. Like a water pik.
The very best thing you can do is rinse with hot salt water 3X a day. I doubt that dentist will do anything for you now. I cannot believe he didn't suggest the salt water rinse.

Can an infection stay there for 2 months without spreading to a larger area? At first I thought that maybe he had broken a piece of my jaw bone and it was lodged into the gum of the tooth next to it but I quickly dismissed that idea. The lump didn't respond to the antibiotics I had to take for a month, I've been doing a salt rinse myself and it isn't going away. I almost called Dr. Mason back today but I think I'm actually going to go visit my regualr dentist instead to see what he says. Most likely he won't be able to help me. I have to go back to Dr. Mason Nov. 15 for a follow up on my facial numbness I'll inquire again about the lump and if he isn't concerned then I will take it up with my physician.

[QUOTE=aarony02]Can an infection stay there for 2 months without spreading to a larger area? At first I thought that maybe he had broken a piece of my jaw bone and it was lodged into the gum of the tooth next to it but I quickly dismissed that idea. The lump didn't respond to the antibiotics I had to take for a month.

An absess can stay there for a LONG time, untreated. It gets worse which shows by it's increase in size OUTWARDS on the gum. Like it can't go sideways for some reason so it goes out or up. I am surprised the antibiotics didn't have Any effect on it, though. :confused: It honestly took me a couple of MONTHS, not weeks, for my lump to go down using the water pik and saltwater. The redness went quickly; the lump took several extra weeks.
For any competent dentist, this is not rocket science. If they know each other they will often act stupid, not wanting to get the other in "trouble" with the patient. If you could go to a dentist you've Never been to before and not mention the perpertrator of this thing you could get results. For instance, when we first moved here I could say anything I wanted to about my other dentists with no problems. Why? Because they were 500 miles away from each other :D

I will look into seeing a different dentist for this, I'm really tired of all the run around I'm getting anyway. I felt bad at first to even bring it up with Dr. Mason because the first thing they told me pre surgery was that they had an outstanding record with no complications. My mind was put at ease then. They have been rather nice with not charging me for the many office visits I have. I hate to think that I'm making something of nothing even though I know it is somthing. But there is always that doubt or hope that it is nothing.

they are "being nice" so you will hesitate to drop them as professionals.
This is Business; not friendship. I know how it feels to "know" a dentist and you want to be friendly; but when it comes to Money that's what pulls their chain.
You must be a $$ valuable patient to them that they're afraid of losing. Plus, their reputation is involved.
As I said before, any competent dentist who is told the history of that tooth (and isn't buddies w/the guilty party) will diagnose you quickly and be paid to cure your problem!! That's what they supposedly learned to do in dental school. Is this guy in his twenties??