can anyone explain the complications? dry sockets = ?... -_-

# post operative infection – bacteria are a normal part of every mouth and they can cause an infection after wisdom tooth surgery. Antibiotics are always prescribed and good oral hygiene will help prevent this. Despite this, surgery sites can become infected in a small number of patients. Swelling, pain and limited jaw opening lasting more than 7 days may signal the presence of an infection. # dry socket formation – a dry socket is post extraction syndrome in which the blood clot in the tooth socket is lost. The symptoms include severe unrelenting pain usually commencing on the second or third day after a tooth is removed. It is NOT an infection, and is easily treated. Cigarette smoking is one suspected cause. # jaw joint dysfunction – occasionally the ligaments of the jaw joint become stretched as a result of having the mouth opened widely during surgery. A patient may experience some discomfort in and around the jaw joints and this may be relieved by applying heat (with a hot pack or water bottle) over the joint for 15 to 20 minutes twice daily. For more effective relief of discomfort, a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (soluble aspirin or Nurofen) may be used. Symptoms should resolve within 7 to 10 days. # nerve damage – an impacted wisdom tooth in the lower jaw is often very close to two nerves – the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves. The inferior alveolar nerve provides sensation to the lower lip and chin, and the lingual nerve provides sensation to the front part of the tongue on each side. Due to the close proximity of lower wisdom teeth to these nerves, they are occasionally injured during the removal of lower wisdom teeth – despite every precaution being taken to protect them during surgery. Bleeding in the area may also compress these nerves. Injury to these nerves may cause some numbness or tingling in the lip, chin or tongue after the local anaesthetic wears off. This numbness may take some weeks or months to resolve, and in a small number of cases it may be permanent. Your oral surgeon should be able, with the aid of your x-ray, to give you an indication if nerve damage is likely. # sinus opening – because the sinuses in the upper jaw are closely associated with the upper wisdom teeth, there is a small chance that when a wisdom tooth is removed, an opening into the sinus may be created. If this occurs and does not heal spontaneously, a second procedure may be necessary to close it. # bleeding – it is normal for there to be some residual oozing of blood from the surgery site for some hours after removal of wisdom teeth. If bleeding persists, pressure with gauze packs over the surgery site for about 1 hour may stop it. If it does not, you should contact your oral surgeon for advice

@21: Sure here they are: Paresthesia: Wisdom teeth positioned close to nerves can result in paresthesia. A complication that can be associated with the removal of wisdom teeth is that of "paresthesia." Wisdom teeth can be positioned in the jaw in a manner in which they lie in close proximity to nerves. Sometimes during the process of extracting a wisdom tooth these nerves can be bruised or damaged. As a result, numbness of the tongue, lip, or chin may occur. Dry Sockets: One of the most common complications experienced in association with wisdom tooth extractions is that of developing a "dry socket". Dry sockets occur when either an adequate blood clot has failed to form in the extracted tooth's socket or the blood clot that did form has been dislodged and lost. Since the formation of a blood clot is an important part of the healing process, the healing of the tooth socket becomes delayed. And also, there can be infections where bacteria gets into the gum. Hope this helped! :)

Basically you can't talk, there is blood and pain, and your face swells up...bottom line, it sucks.

Wow I feel so lucky. I once had to get 7 teeth removed at once and I didn't get any of those complications.

that sums it up

I had parasthesia. Bad stuff.

wow 23 ar you a doctor/dentist? I hope you used a computer not iPod touch/ iPhone...

why did u take all that time to post this?

omg I got dry socket! and an infection!!! it was pussing. like every three seconds! so ******* sick. fyl op!!!

to help people...

happened to me. it's the worst pain in the world. I also had nerve damage and an allergic reaction to the antibiotics I was prescribed.

damn 23 went all out

Ouch, that sucks. Never had my wisdom teeth removed but im sure that when i do, i'll be in that small percentage with you. I have NO luck, hah :) Hang in there, OP.

wow 23.. nice!

Sorry, OP; I feel ya. They messed me up really badly when mine got pulled, and I'll actually have this problem for the rest of my life. (I even had to move to warmer climates because the cold exacerbates the pain so much.)

lol when I was in secound grade I had seven teeth filled because of cavites lol it was like three weeks after halloween too and they didn't numb the pain it sucked but I didn't have complications whith it.

advil liquigels! :). your new best friend for the next 2 weeks

I have 9-12 teeth out at once, twice. asleep both times. only complication was needing stitches second time

#23... w.o.w... are you a dentist? That's... a lot of stuff?... And ACK, OP.

I had a couple comlications too when I got mine out.

@70 that's NO good...lol

Thank you for posting it. I'm having two wisdom teeth and two other teeth removed in a months time, and even though i'm a bit nervous, i honestly do feel a LOT better knowing what the worst case scenarios are. I can prepare in advance now! Just in case.

Enough said. :)

All these complaints about wisdom teeth... I'm afraid to get mine pulled.

ha!

No. My friend had these symptoms- removal of the genitallia; eyeball enlargement; Hilary Clinton shaped growths on the jugular. And you get an odd fascination of trees and place a Morgan Freeman poster on your wall. he is so inspiring! He can almost convince me to stop farting in church- but he is not that strong.....

He's not you assuming bitch. Think before you post asshole.

Wow... that really sucks OP. I might have to get two of mine removed this summer and I'm not looking forward to it :-( On the good side, you have an excuse to eat yummy soft foods such as jello :-P whoops...didn't intend that to be a reply... hey Monika lol

haha! Hello D. :) and yeah, I agree with the Soft Foods bit. All the mashed potatoes, jello, pudding, and stuff that you could ever want!

I would definitely not describe wisdom teeth as "the worst." I've had upper and lower jaw surgery along with my wisdom teeth removed, all in one go. Now THAT is the worst haha.

@63.... yeah, that IS the worst. FYL, 63. :) Lol

If everything goes smoothly with wisdom teeth surgery, then it's not so bad. But the OP had complications which makes everything soooo much worse...

lol that really sucks

Definately! I was only 12 when I got my bottom ones removed and it hurt for a month. As of now I don't need my top ones removed :) FYL OP!!!

im 15 and have to get mine removed soon...12 is plausible.

I had mine removed when I was 16. They started causing me pain roughly around 10, so 12 isn't impossible.

12 is definitely not improbable. mine were well formed by 12 years old, as the xrays showed.

Bone fragments hurt the worst. Trust me. D:

you've never had your teeth removed have you? that sucks OP, I just got my 4 wisdom teeth removed too and it hurts like hell without complications :S get better

Agreed, it's awful even when everything goes fine.

10 Calvin and Hobbes win.

yes I have