DESPERATE from prolonged wisdom tooth extraction pain - Dental Health Message Board

larkj · 05-22-2004, 11:20 AM

I was doing some research on the net today as I am DESPERATE for some answers. On the old Healthboards.com there was a post by a DANA that described EXACTLY the problem I am having, but there were no responses. But at least I now know I'm not the only one this has happened to. I REALLY need some answers!

I was having pain from my impacted upper wisdom teeth. I hated to have them out, but I couldn't sleep anymore. Only now it's WORSE! The left one healed right up, zip zip zip, and I can't even tell I had surgery there. But the right one has given me NOTHING but trouble! At the time, the doc commented on how it was the largest third molar he'd ever seen and had to cut into bone. He had admitted at the time it was a bad extraction, and I've been through three scrips of pain meds. But now it's not "appropriate" to continue them, but it's the only thing that helps at night. I can't take large doses of ibuprofen or NSAIDS because of gastric problems. I'm doing the extra strength tylenol, and that's just not cutting it at night. They've packed the socket a few times, and I get 12-17 hours of reduced pain. Then I can get through the days just fine with tylenol. But the nights are bad. Now it's two weeks after extraction, I'm not getting any lessening pain. The swelling/inflammation has gone down, and they can't "see" anything wrong. Thus the implication is I'm somehow making this up or have a "low threshold for discomfort." But I've been through multiple surgeries in my life, including spinal decompression and re-learning how to walk. I KNOW pain. And having had it, I can tell this is nerve pain, radiating under my cheekbone toward my ear. The only things that dull that are blocks (at least they can do them for the spine), whatever is in the packing, and pain meds. But they also don't want to keep packing because they say that can lead to infection, and they can't "see" a reason for the pain. So, I'm left with no options for pain control, and a doc who won't listen to me because this "shouldn't" be happening. But it is. Any ideas?

Lark

ysco · 05-22-2004, 02:02 PM

What you are describing sounds like complications from your wisdom teeth extraction, possibly dry socket or even jaw fracture.

The first is relatively common and should heal over time, so this may be the source of your prolonged agony. If that's the case the dentist may be able to accelerate the healing process by "packing" the socket repeatedly. This should relieve the pain.
The lattar is uncommon and may be treated in various ways depending how severe the fracture is. You should consult your dentist.

If this dentist does not listen to you, you should definitely consider seeing another dentist. Dentists should NOT underestimate or disregard their patients' complaints.

Good luck

larkj · 05-22-2004, 04:42 PM

Thanks for answering. The more I've read, with the pain radiating back to the ear, I think that's got to be the answer. And the packing, when it has been done, has given some relief, although it seems to wear off quicker than some guidelines suggest. But the doc admitted that because it's a hard site to get into, that at least one of the days it wasn't as far in as they would have liked. I'm wondering if packing skill is maybe an issue, as two days it seemed to work much better than others. But, when I went in for my fifth packing, they said that if they keep doing it then they'll increase the likelihood of infection, that it doesn't help healing, just kills or reduces pain, and that I shouldn't be having pain, so shouldn't need more packing anyway. I HATE it when docs say it shouldn't happen, so it's not. I've had that happen before, but I've yet to have any problem for which a clear medical explanation wasn't found once I hit the right specialist, and the right treatment for the right diagnosis resolved things. The only thing I don't know is once you've had a surgery by a doc, if you can change doctors, if another doc would listen since this one says everything is fine...but clearly isn't or I wouldn't feel this!

martid · 05-22-2004, 11:14 PM

Hi, sorry about all that pain. Could you maybe ask you dentist to refer you to an oral surgeon, just to make sure nothing is fractured ??. Or is he an oral surgeon ??. That just seems so cruel that a doctor would leave his patient in such pain for so long. Good luck to you and I hope you feel better soon Marti

larkj · 05-23-2004, 08:20 AM

Thanks, Marti. He is an oral surgeon, as the impaction was to the point a regular dentist couldn't happen. But I think he's one of those "old-school" doctors, as he's older and likes to throw around what he has and hasn't seen in thirty years of practice. I had very bad lower cheek and chin bruising that he said he'd never seen, but when the visible bruises were there, he seemed to at least be able to "see" that things were still tough. But it wasn't until all the bruising and swelling went away after a week that the pain was focused enough for me to be able to trace the path through the extraction site, under the cheekbone, to the ear. I thought that was fairly indicative there's still a problem of pain from the extraction site, but because everything now "looks good," I'm not supposed to have it, as I said. But the more I've read, the more I've found that this can happen when a third molar is particularly large and difficult to extract, especially in women in their thirties (hey, I'll cop to my age), even an upper one. I'm pretty sure he'll just blow me off at the appointment tomorrow, so I was hoping to be able to find some info or journal articles to show him. I did find one article that studied how well patients did after extractions for two weeks, and the finding was the more difficult the extraction, the older the woman, the longer healing, more pain, and more lifestyle impact. But it was very short instead of detailed, and stopped at two weeks, which I've now reached.