SK's 2 month pics 23/10 - 1st adjustment and lowers on!

Message

#16 Post by **sksk11** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:06 pm

Thanks Nikki,

I know what you mean about not knowing where to put my tongue!! I have a slight tongue thrust too, so swallowing is a challenge as I kept wanting to push my tongue into the new gap! I managed to come up with a way of tilting my head to the left and kind of 'sucking' the spit to the back of my mouth - think Hannibal Lectar in Silence of the Lambs, that's the attractive noise I made! I also found it nice to keep the gauze in place, as at least I could swallow properly without worrying about the clot dislodging.

I have now managed to have a cool cup of tea, though I'm obsessed with checking that I haven't washed away the clot after every swallow! I'm now about to brave some 'warm' soup as I'm hungry (I did want mashed potato with baked beans squidged into it, but my boyf has persuaded me to go with the easiest option and save the potato for tomorrow

)

I hope my extraction sites heal as well as yours have. I pity you having all 4 done at once - I thought it would be the easier option, but I don't think I would have been able to swallow or control my drooling if both sides of my face had been numb!

SK

#17 Post by **sksk11** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:55 pm

Here they are!

Note the bend on the left one - that was the stubborn bottom one!

#18 Post by **catfish** » Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:20 pm

How cool you kept the teeth! I'm glad your procedure wasn't painful. Extractions sound like they should hurt, but they usually don't. I've had five, and none of them were too bad. Well, except that I didn't know the last one was coming, so I was pretty unhappy about it!

I went in for osseous surgery and came out minus a tooth! I asked to see it too, and they wouldn't show me. They said the root had fractured, and it came out in pieces.

Good luck with your next round, and I hope it goes smoothly as well!

#19 Post by **dance2trance** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:57 am

Sounds like you got half your mouth to chew with comfortably. Hopefully by the time u get the other 2 teeth out, you're able to chew on the side which you got your first extractions done!

Glad that the first extractions went quite smoothly. The bleeding sucks, i agree. By now i guess the bleeding has stopped? It won't be much longer if it hasn't yet.

What i hated most was waking up with a bloody taste in the mouth. Yuck.

Good luck to you for the 22nd!

#20 Post by **sksk11** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:24 pm

So, 2 days since extractions, and I wonder....

"am I being over-paranoid about the extraction sites"?

Both holes have a dark clot in them, and haven't bled since the day they were done. I have been chewing on the other side of my mouth, trying to keep food away from the sites. I'm brushing very carefully, and doing salt water rinses three times a day.

Today I noticed that the gum above the top extraction looked pale, which concerned me as it looked like i didn't have good circulation. When I touched it, I realised there was a 'film' of yukky slime on it which was causing the colour - eeeewwwwwww! I couldn't wait to get home to brush my teeth! I also used a cotton bud and toothpaste to wash carefully round the gum near the extractions.

Now I'm a bit worried that my teeth and gums are suffering because I can't keep them as clean as I normally would. The last thing I need in the run up to getting braced is a cavity

The dentist told me to rinse with salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash - I chose salt water as 1) it's free, and 2) Lots of people on this site talk about it's use in healing a sore mouth. But tonight I bought some mouthwash (Corsodyl) to try to ensure the rest of my teeth and gums stay healthy.

What are your opinions on all of this? How long should I wait before I can brush my teeth more normally?

The other thing I've noticed tonight is that my teeth on that side feel a bit achy (a different ache from the original pain I felt following the actual extractions). Should I be worried about this? Could it be a sign of infection despite all the efforts above to keep the area clean? Or is it a normal pain, and could it be due to the relief of the crowding on that side?

Help please!

#21 Post by **BracedVeryLate** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:10 pm

hi SKS
I was a big chicken, I didn't brush over my extraction sites for a while. I used some gentle flossing around the edges of the teeth on either side, and I have used a little dental scraping tool to clean around the teeth.
I know what you mean about the layer of something whitish, I had that too and I was sure my extraction site was infected... but, it wasn't of course -- just paranoia....
I think the pain you are feeling around the site is normal - others will probably chime in and agree.
good luck with the second set of extractions and i hope the root stays intact this time,
take care
patricia

#22 Post by **Memran** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:48 am

Your extractions still look very fresh! But they do look clean. Mine were a bit nasty, since the dentist had to chip away and dig for my roots, so I was left with large cuts from the extraction sites extending upwards.

I think its pretty common to have an ache after an extraction, I did too. I believe its likely that your teeth are slowly adjusting into their new-found free space. Its not pain raelly, its just a weird feeling.

For a couple of days after my extractions, I did not brush at all or even use mouthwash. I only did some warm salty rinses, since my gums were pretty tender, and my teeth didn't suffer and ill-effects because of this.

I too had an area of white gooey stuff running along the cuts at my extraction sites, and since I was paranoid about it, I started thinking it was an infection. So I made a check-up appointment with my dentist, who told me it was nothing to worry about. It didn't hurt so he was probably right.

It only takes a few days to be able to be able to brush without worrying about it.

Things will improve - fast

#23 Post by **elpi** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 10:24 am

When I had my extractions I worried *way* too much! In case this helps here's some info I found useful (some of which I wish I'd found earlier than I did)

* Infections are really rare, especially in pre-molar extractions
* Peroxyl mouthwash is great because it gently fizzes and so cleans things very gently
* You might get weird aches that come and go, one of my sites was more painful a few days after but it setlled down, the teeth around the site do move a bit I reckon so you might get a little discomfort from that.
* I bought a soft kids toothbrush to clean the area better than I could with a normal one. If you do get some plaque / tartar from not being able to clean properly it's nothing a hygienist couldn't fix at a later date.
*When you see things healing up it's fantastic

#24 Post by **sksk11** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:08 pm

Thanks for the reassurances everybody. I'm still being very careful around the sites, and I am now noticing that the gum seems to be moving in over the top of the holes (I'm hoping this is a sure sign of healing).

I used the Corsydol last night - YUK!

It had such a bitter after-taste, and this morning, the end of my tongue felt numb as if I had burnt it. Might give it one more try tonight, but if I have the same symptoms again I will probably stop using it.

BracedVeryLate I have been managing to brush my teeth quite well with my electric toothbrush - I put the small head on it so that I can carefully brush the teeth beside the extraction sites.

Elpi I couldn't really decide on the best mouthwash to get, and price was also a factor in my choice. Is Peroxyl a brand or a type of mouthwash? How are your teeth coming along by the way?

I know the dentist said no hot drinks or food for the first 24 hours, but I have been letting my drinks cool more than normal before drinking them, and then trying to keep the fluid out of the right side of my mouth. I'm not sure whether it would be harmful to let fluid run over the sites when I'm drinking - I know I don't really like the feeling of it at the moment.

Here's to the next set on Tuesday!

#25 Post by **elpi** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 2:41 am

Hi, yeah my teeth are doing really well, tbh I forget I've got braces 98% of the time

I've had the more wowee! movement and now entering a more boring phase, but it's all good.

I really recommend peroxyl, it's made by colgate I think. You can by it from larger boots shops and usually your dentist too. It has the huge advantage of tasting relatively pleasant too

I wouldn't use it as a daily mouthwash ordinarily but it's great after the extractions or if you get mouth ulcers or that kind of thing. It was the mouthwash my dentist specifically told me to use.

Good luck with round two!

#26 Post by **sksk11** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:16 pm

OUCH!

Since my previous questions about the extraction sites, I have calmed down and accepted that they are healing up nicely. But now I have a new grumble...

The discomfort I was feeling in the area is now quite a bit worse. It's a very strange feeling, like a niggling 'fidgety' pain, which makes me want to get up and move about. Does that sound wierd? It's very difficult to describe

It kind of feels better when I put pressure on the teeth beside the extraction sites, which makes me wonder if it is something to do with the roots of the teeth? This means that I spend a lot of my time biting on my tongue on that side as it feels comforting on those teeth. I have also found a very tender spot below the lower extraction site, but then this was the more difficult tooth to get out, so I wonder if it's just coincidence.

I know some of you have already replied to me with your accounts of post-extraction pain, and thank you for that. But does anybody have any idea what this new pain might be? I know it's not dry socket - there is still a clot in each hole. I have read something about phantom tooth pain - could this be it?

Grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble......

#27 Post by **ckrobyn** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 4:36 pm

sksk11 wrote:OUCH!

Since my previous questions about the extraction sites, I have calmed down and accepted that they are healing up nicely. But now I have a new grumble...

The discomfort I was feeling in the area is now quite a bit worse. It's a very strange feeling, like a niggling 'fidgety' pain, which makes me want to get up and move about. Does that sound wierd? It's very difficult to describe It kind of feels better when I put pressure on the teeth beside the extraction sites, which makes me wonder if it is something to do with the roots of the teeth? This means that I spend a lot of my time biting on my tongue on that side as it feels comforting on those teeth. I have also found a very tender spot below the lower extraction site, but then this was the more difficult tooth to get out, so I wonder if it's just coincidence.

I know some of you have already replied to me with your accounts of post-extraction pain, and thank you for that. But does anybody have any idea what this new pain might be? I know it's not dry socket - there is still a clot in each hole. I have read something about phantom tooth pain - could this be it?

Grumble, grumble, grumble, grumble......

I had 2 wisdom teeth out this past October and I had a weird pain.....maybe something like yours? It was more of a dull ache. I did ask the oral surgeon about it and he said that the bone around the tooth is affected whenever there is an extraction (wisdom or otherwise) and it takes time for the bone to settle. Not sure if this is the case with you? Thought I would add it to the list of possibilities anyways

I have been following your story, and many others over the past month or so. I got my full braces top and bottom on July 9th and I am obsessed with all things teeth.

Hang in there!

#28 Post by **sksk11** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 12:54 am

Uh-oh.....

Not sure if I may have a partial dry socket

After my confidence that the clots were intact etc, I had a good ol' inspection after cleaning my teeth last night, and noticed a little pale spot in the centre of the bottom clot. Out comes the torch, and indeed, there appears to be what looks like a tiny hole in the clot.

The top has a similar appearance, but with about 3 of these areas! I can't be fully sure if it is dry socket, or whether it is maybe a bit of gum where the healing is taking place kind of under the clot? My first thought was that it might have a shard of tooth from where the root broke on the bottom extraction, but my dentist was pretty confident he got that out.

Thanks for all your replies to my various queries. My mouth is definitely more comfortable this morning - the pain seems to get worse in the evenings.

#29 Post by **elpi** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:59 am

The appearance of the clots do change, mine seemed to get a white film over them and then it would go again, was never sure if it was stop, start healing or just food debris. They will also shrink in size but I'm sure this is quite normal. If you're in the kind of pain that OTC painkillers don't affect then think about seeing the dentist ASAP. Otherwise your dentist will check over the old ones and can reassure you they are healing okay before he takes out the next ones in a couple of days

#30 Post by **sksk11** » Sun Jul 20, 2008 2:25 pm

Thanks Ken and Elpi for putting up with my grumbles and offering your words of wisdom

I am now happy that I don't have dry socket - I read quite a few things on various websites which say that the pain of dry socket is unbearable, and makes you feel.... (and I quote).... "like you are dying"!! At this point, I realised my meer tooth ache was slightly insignificant!

Elpi - You have really put my mind at ease about the appearance of the clots. My top extraction site does indeed have a whitish 'crust' on it, and looks nice and healthy.

I was a little taken aback earlier today to find that my lower extraction site had a green dot in it. After a couple of minutes puzzling, I realised it was a tiny piece of broccoli!

That darned thing refused to be flushed out, but a sterilised needle hooked it out in a jiffy

My teeth still ache more as the day goes on. I think I have now worked out that some of the discomfort is being caused by my cheek resting against the surfaces of the teeth that weren't exposed before (i.e. When they were jammed up next to other teeth). It feels better when I hold my cheek away from the teeth, though my boyfriend's jibes of 'Bubba Gump' (as in Forest Gump) soon put an end to this.

Ken - Not really sure what to do with the teeth! I was intrigued to see them, and I may well keep them as a reminder of what I've been through on my journey to straight teeth!

Thanks again guys. Look for the next update on Tuesday