I need help. I don't know what to do following upper wisdom tooth removal. I have pain in my ear and the dentist sent me antibiotic prescription.

[fml88]

I had my upper right wisdom tooth removed on the 26th, it was rotting, it had a hole and there was a sharp part poking my cheek and making it bleed, the tooth also hurt and the pain was spreading to my ear. The dentist took an xray, said there was no infection but that she should remove it. It took less than a minute. After that she put a gauze in my mouth but I started gagging, almost throwing up and she removed it, no gauze after that, she just gave me an ice pack that I held to my face until it got warm. Her instructions were to not spit, that I could brush my teeth normally, to eat soft, cold foods only, to keep my head elevated during sleep and when I asked about mouth wash she told me it wasn't really necessary to rinse with anything. I went home and the first two days were fine, I would feel some discomfort in the area and sharp pain now and then and it would spread to my ear but that was only on day 1, hours after having it removed. I had no pain on day 2 and I didn't even take pain medication. On day three I woke up with discomfort in the socket that was spreading to my ear and I felt a weird taste in my mouth. My first thought was dry socket even though I followed all the instructions. This was last saturday, I called the office, it's far from where I live, but only the reception was open. I explained the situation to the ladyon the phone and she said she would call the dentist to see if she could prescribe something. Hours later I receive a prescription of azithromycin on my phone to take for 5 days. At this point I had been washing my mouth, not rinsing, with warm salt water for two days because I read online it was good, i never rinsed, still don't, i just let the water sit in my mouth, do some really gentle motions so it moves a little and then open my mouth so it falls off instead of spitting. It's day three of azythromycin and lucky me I got sick two days ago, sore throat, fever, runny nose, cough so I feel like hell but I haven't been having any pain on the socket or my ear, maybe some discomfort now and then that spreads to the ear but that's it but in the last hour I've been having the pain in my ear but I don't feel anything in my socket besides mild discomfort. I'm on paracetamol for my fever and have been for two days every 6 hours. Could this be nerve pain? Could it be caused by all the coughing and being sick in general mixed with the tooth extraction? Should I properly rinse with warm salt water, keep doing what I'm doing or not rinse at all? I wanted the teeth out because of the pain and because I couldn't eat but here I am, still starving.

 

[Dr M]

There is a chance that it could be a mixed situation. You can consider going to your doctor, if it is nearer to your house. If you did have a dry socket,it is usually a self limiting disease, which means it would have cleared up by itself. If the pain is not that bad in the socket area, I would suggest finishing the course of antibiotics, and maybe consider taking some ibuprofen as well. Drink lots of fluids. If there is no improvement after the antibiotics is finished, you might have a viral infection, and need to see your medical doctor.

 

[MattKW]

Sounds like you may have had a dry socket. They are not caused by spitting or rinsing, nor are they improved by the use of antibiotics. However, they are self-limiting so I think you are past the dry socket stage and whatever illness you are having now would be unrelated. Rinse all you like - upper wisdoms removed in a minute usually heal very nicely anyway.