Wisdom teeth surgery and dry sockets

[MamaLema]

I need advice please. I am in unbearable pain. Today is day 8 after my wisdom teeth surgery. A few days ago, I developed a dry socket and I am just so miserable. My go to the dentist once or twice a day so he can but a medical dressing into the hole, but since the dry socket is on the upper side, the dressing keeps falling out because of gravity, I guess.

My question is : Have you ever had a dry socket complication after wisdom teeth surgery? How long did it take to heal? How long before you felt like yourself again in terms of driving or just feeling good enough to take a walk around the block.

I would love to hear your experiences

 

[Disney Ella]

I am sorry to hear about your dry socket. I had one too when I had my wisdom teeth out and it is painful. From what I remember, the worst pain lasted 3 or 4 days. I didn't have much vacation time then, so I just kept going to work. I lived for going to the dentist to get some pain relief. I would have thought they would have some home treatment you could do now for it, instead of having to make a trip to the dentist. I hope you start feeling better.

 

[Principessa1284]

Well.. I don't think I'll be of much comfort. I had 4(!) dry sockets and it was awful. What's worse is one of them i had for over 3 months and didn't know about it until I went to the dentist for a regular cleaning. She prescribed me an anti-biotic and then it finally went away. I didn't eat anything not in liquid form for almost 2 weeks, and even then, I could only chew with my front teeth (which is rather awkword, let me tell you). In those 2 weeks, I lost almost 15 lbs, lol, from just not eating and the pain meds making me nauseous.

In conclusion, it was horrible and my mother tells me she had a similar experience and would rather give birth to another child without any medication that go through that again. I can only offer some sympathy - it's no fun!

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm so sorry -- I'm cringing remembering. I've had three of them, and no, I didn't smoke or use straws -- I'm apparently just prone to the dang things. The only solution is narcotics, I'm afraid -- lots o' narcotics for about a week.

My oral surgeon put a stitch across the dressings on the top teeth to hold them in place. With the amount of pain you're already in, having a stitch over your gums really doesn't add much to it, and it helps prevent infection.

 

[sparkyboy]

sorry, just the mention makes me cringe again. Had 4 dry sockets-was on antibiotics for nearly 2 months with the last one. Oral surgeon had to keep draining the two lower ones. Pain meds made me sick -liquid diet and nothing too cold.

 

[suejai]

Well.. I don't think I'll be of much comfort. I had 4(!) dry sockets and it was awful. What's worse is one of them i had for over 3 months and didn't know about it until I went to the dentist for a regular cleaning. She prescribed me an anti-biotic and then it finally went away. I didn't eat anything not in liquid form for almost 2 weeks, and even then, I could only chew with my front teeth (which is rather awkword, let me tell you). In those 2 weeks, I lost almost 15 lbs, lol, from just not eating and the pain meds making me nauseous.

In conclusion, it was horrible and my mother tells me she had a similar experience and would rather give birth to another child without any medication that go through that again. I can only offer some sympathy - it's no fun!

I agree with your mom !!

I also had multiple dry sockets, I couldn't eat and the clove oil they put on the dressing nauseated me so I kept throwing up. It was nasty. It took about a week for the nausea to go away and once the dressings were in the pain went away.

DSS17 just had his wisdoms and got dry socket. The dentist put in a dissovable dressing but he was in pain and not quite himself for about a week. Poor guy he got so tired of eating soup and watching us eat.

OP hang in there, it does go away eventually. Just remember not to suck anything and if you smoke just take soft puffs not long drags.

 

[C.Ann]

Did your dentist offer you narcotic pain medication? If there is no reason that you are unable to take it, I would insist on it.. If you are afraid of it making you sick to your stomach, request a prescription for phenagren or Zofran to take with it.. The Zofran will work much better, but is very, very expensive.. For some people, the phenagren works well enough..

It seems odd to me that he is having you come in once or twice a day and that's the best he can do.. I would question that - and insist on a short term script for the pain medication..

I'm so sorry you are in so much pain and not feeling well.. I hope things improve SOON!!

 

[mjkacmom]

I lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks thank to my dry socket, and I wasn't overweight to start with! I went into the dentist at least once a day for 2 weeks - I think I was good to go after 3. Ask for stronger pain meds - I wanted to be put in a medically induced coma! I've had 5 kids, 2 abdominal surgeries, and NOTHING compared to a dry socket!

 

[squirrlygirl]

I think stitches were put over my clove dressings on the top, too. I had one on the bottom that didn't close up for months, but the pain lasted about two weeks IIRC (the clove dressing took away the worse of it).

If you're seeing a dentist, try going to an oral surgeon maybe?

 

[AmazingGrace]

When do the dry sockets tend to happen. My son had his out this past friday and i'm amazed by hos normal he is. he's had almost no pain. I keep warning him to take it easy and not push things. if he's doing well at this point, are we out of the woods?

 

[missypie]

I was in my 40s when I got mine, and the oral surgeon said, "Well, you're not 16" (meaning older people heal slower). I should have bitten him.

It was just terrible. I can only take pain meds for about a day before they upset my stomach.

Just to share a "misery loves company" story: During the worst of it, DD had a swim meet...so I was outdoors, in July, in the Texas heat, for 5 hours, with a dry socket. TERRIBLE.

Many hugs to you!

 

[Gina]

Dear lord, just the memory makes me shudder. I'm another one of those people who seem to be prone to dry sockets, no matter what precautions are taken. All 4 of my wisdom teeth were impacted, and I had dry socket with all 4. I couldn't eat solid food for literally a month. I was in so much pain, I don't even *remember* much of that month, other than blinding pain. And I was 16!! If we heal so much slower now (I'm 42) then I can't imagine what it would be like.

When I had DS, I was in labor for 20 hours, endured a medically-induced contraction that they couldn't stop, had an emergency c-section, and had my incision open up 2 weeks later, 4 inches wide and 4 inches deep, that had to be stuffed with iodoform gauze (with a pointy stick!) twice a day for almost a month. Given the choice, I'd still go through all that 10 times again before I'd go through the wisdom tooth thing.

OP, I sure hope you are feeling better VERY soon!!!!

 

[lsyorke]

When do the dry sockets tend to happen. My son had his out this past friday and i'm amazed by hos normal he is. he's had almost no pain. I keep warning him to take it easy and not push things. if he's doing well at this point, are we out of the woods?

They usually start 3-5 days after the extraction. If you're past that time period, all is well!

 

[MamaLema]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their replies, they really did help me. I went back to the dentist and got some strong narcotics, so I am not feeling much pain, but am a little loopy

Although I am sorry those who posted experienced this, it is nice to know that other people have been through it and lived to tell the tale!

 

[Maridw]

FYI for any others who are going to have their wisdom teeth out or have kids that will have their wisdom teeth out.

After they have soaked throught the initial gauze, replace them with wet tea bags. Take a regular tea bag and get it wet and use that in place of gauze pads. This does a couple things. It helps to prevent dry socket, plus it helps speed up the healing process.

My exDH used them on the advice of my mother and when he went back for his followup visit, the dentist asked what he had been doing. Ex-DH told him and the dentist said he was further along in the healing process than most people. This dentist looked it up and found that there are healing qualities in tea. (He had his wisdom teeth out in 1987). I used them for my DD and she had not problems. I recommend it to anyone I know that is having the wisdom teeth out.

You could try this now and see if it will help.

 

[CptJackSparrowsGirl]

Oh great I got something to look forward to
I have to get mine top ones removed :'(

 

[Linda31]

i had a dry socket and the pain was unbelievable, my heart goes out for everyone going through it. ibuprofein and paracetamol didnt help, but codeine did, so ask your doctor to prescribe that, it helped immediately, i felt the most immense relief and gratitude after that. also, go to the dentist, so they can cause a bleeding to the dry socket so that a new blood clot will form. i did that plus the codeine and the healing started. i also took homeopathy and natural remedies to aid and help with the healing:ruta graveolans for the healing of the dry socket (100 c every hour/few hours) and hypericum 100c (every hour) for the nervous pain. healing started the next day after i started taking these....noni juice and 3000 mg of vitamin c (lots of noni juice i took) and natures antibiotics to prevent an infection (olive leaf extract, grapeseed oil and oregano oil) . i also put extra virgin coconut oil on the dry socket at least once an hour to help fight off and prevent infection and help the healing. probiotics help fighting off infection as well, i took plenty of them as well. all these together and a week and and a half of terrible pain started healing in one/two days.

 

[gwynne]

i had a dry socket and the pain was unbelievable, my heart goes out for everyone going through it. ibuprofein and paracetamol didnt help, but codeine did, so ask your doctor to prescribe that, it helped immediately, i felt the most immense relief and gratitude after that. also, go to the dentist, so they can cause a bleeding to the dry socket so that a new blood clot will form. i did that plus the codeine and the healing started. i also took homeopathy and natural remedies to aid and help with the healing:ruta graveolans for the healing of the dry socket (100 c every hour/few hours) and hypericum 100c (every hour) for the nervous pain. healing started the next day after i started taking these....noni juice and 3000 mg of vitamin c (lots of noni juice i took) and natures antibiotics to prevent an infection (olive leaf extract, grapeseed oil and oregano oil) . i also put extra virgin coconut oil on the dry socket at least once an hour to help fight off and prevent infection and help the healing. probiotics help fighting off infection as well, i took plenty of them as well. all these together and a week and and a half of terrible pain started healing in one/two days.

2009 Zombie thread... bump and very first DIS post.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

2009 Zombie thread... bump and very first DIS post.

There's been a lot of zombie threads popping up on several boards that I frequent. I'm guessing that the newbies are searching first, but not paying attention to the dates of the threads they are hitting on.

 

[shortbun]

Although this is a zombie thread, it was exactly what I needed. My son is getting all the wisdom teeth extracted on Friday and I've been worried about dry sockets.