I visited the dentist again today. Got more fillings. He looked at my x-rays again and starting talking about extracting my wisdom teeth. I have 2 impacted ones on the left side. They are not causing me any problems right now. I'm pretty sure they are not playing any role in my condition. If I do get them extracted, it will be because I want to avoid having problems in the future.
I want to know the pros and cons of doing the extraction. I'm not in any rush to decide. I want to take my time and make the right decision.
What do you guys think? Yay or nay and why?
Thanks.
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Need advice on wisdom teeth extraction
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dreamweaver
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halitosisux
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If you have even the slightest trace of odour coming from any of these teeth when you rub a finger around the gum margin then YAY.
If you dont then you probably still should follow your dentist's advice and get them out soon, because there is an optimal age regarding healing and potential complications for having these teeth out and it sounds as though your dentist is keen for good reason.
The fact is, if you intend to have them out, then for a person suffering with BB the sooner the better.
If you dont then you probably still should follow your dentist's advice and get them out soon, because there is an optimal age regarding healing and potential complications for having these teeth out and it sounds as though your dentist is keen for good reason.
The fact is, if you intend to have them out, then for a person suffering with BB the sooner the better.
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dreamweaver
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Thanks for the advice Hali.
I really don't have any bad smell coming from the teeth/gums.
I was a bit turned off by how the dentist approached the issue though. Last time I went to get my teeth checked out, the dentist I saw told me about the extra fillings I needed and said she would consult the more senior dentist in the office (he usually does the extractions) regarding the wisdom teeth and would let me know if I needed to get them extracted. I went a few days ago to get the fillings. Since they still needed to give me their opinion on the wisdom teeth, it wasn't yet decided whether I would give the go ahead to do the extraction. They did a pan x-ray of my teeth and then I went in to see the more senior dentist.
He showed me the x-rays and started explaining how he would do the extraction. But he was speaking as If I had already decided to do the extraction. He started writing the prescriptions I would need and asked me if I would like to get "gassed" in order to be more calm and relaxed during the procedure. Instead of asking me if I wanted to do the procedure, he made the assumption that I did want it. I felt like he was just too eager to do it and was only looking to make money. I said I still need to think about it and that I'm not in any rush to do it. That was the end of that.
So, I think I should get a second opinion and then make an informed decision.
I really don't have any bad smell coming from the teeth/gums.
I was a bit turned off by how the dentist approached the issue though. Last time I went to get my teeth checked out, the dentist I saw told me about the extra fillings I needed and said she would consult the more senior dentist in the office (he usually does the extractions) regarding the wisdom teeth and would let me know if I needed to get them extracted. I went a few days ago to get the fillings. Since they still needed to give me their opinion on the wisdom teeth, it wasn't yet decided whether I would give the go ahead to do the extraction. They did a pan x-ray of my teeth and then I went in to see the more senior dentist.
He showed me the x-rays and started explaining how he would do the extraction. But he was speaking as If I had already decided to do the extraction. He started writing the prescriptions I would need and asked me if I would like to get "gassed" in order to be more calm and relaxed during the procedure. Instead of asking me if I wanted to do the procedure, he made the assumption that I did want it. I felt like he was just too eager to do it and was only looking to make money. I said I still need to think about it and that I'm not in any rush to do it. That was the end of that.
So, I think I should get a second opinion and then make an informed decision.
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halitosisux
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Hi,
As i previously said, if you intend to have these teeth out eventually, and by the sound of it you do need to have them out - and you do have BB, then the sooner you have them out the better. You'll either find yourself cured, or you'll be able to rule them out and focus more clearly on other areas.
As i previously said, if you intend to have these teeth out eventually, and by the sound of it you do need to have them out - and you do have BB, then the sooner you have them out the better. You'll either find yourself cured, or you'll be able to rule them out and focus more clearly on other areas.
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dreamweaver
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Halitosisux,
I need some advice from you, since you're the expert on wisdom teeth and their complications.
I'm getting my wisdom teeth extracted next Friday. I want to get your feedback on the following:
1. I think you've stated in various places that you had a pocket where food debris and bacteria would collect. I'm assuming this pocket fixed itself once your wisdom teeth were extracted? How long did it take for the pocket to disappear/heal?
2. Did you take any antibiotics prior to or after the extraction. If so, what did you take and for how long?
3. How long was it before you noticed that there was no more smell coming from the areas (s) where there was a smell before?
Thanks.
I need some advice from you, since you're the expert on wisdom teeth and their complications.
I'm getting my wisdom teeth extracted next Friday. I want to get your feedback on the following:
1. I think you've stated in various places that you had a pocket where food debris and bacteria would collect. I'm assuming this pocket fixed itself once your wisdom teeth were extracted? How long did it take for the pocket to disappear/heal?
2. Did you take any antibiotics prior to or after the extraction. If so, what did you take and for how long?
3. How long was it before you noticed that there was no more smell coming from the areas (s) where there was a smell before?
Thanks.
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halitosisux
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- Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:29 pm
Good timing dreamweaver, not been around for a while this forum has lost the plot, all its doing is feeding beliefs of hopelessness and despair. Cynicism turning into arrogance.
Anyway, I came on to mention something about my sister's BB but first i'll try to answer your question.
Normally a gum pocket is a breach of the "seal" where the gum adheres to the teeth and there is normally about 1 or 2mm which remains unattached at the gum margin. If you pull any area of gum with a dry finger you can see this unattached area and its perfectly normal even a 3mm depth. Dentist check this depth with a special probe to detect for potential breaches that might be forming which will eventually go much deeper and invade gum teeth and bone. This defensive seal is very important as it is a boundary between the inside and the outside of the body. Certain situations (like tartar buildup) can allow this seal to break down leading to gum disease/tooth loss etc. A typical sitaution like this can lead to BB because, like any other open "wound", germs will cause rotting etc which smells or makes the rest of the mouth smell.
The best way to describe my situation is to understand that where gum attaches to teeth is *never* to the white enamel part but to the rough bony coloured area of the tooth. So imagine a tooth which hasnt grown correctly, and because the gum cannot adhere to this white enamel area, any submerged or hidden part of this enamel becomes a perfect anaerobic breeding ground against the tissues around it. Bacteria, with the help of saliva, will always find their way into such areas and multiply exponentially. Food and other nutrients will also just as easily become trapped in there too. You then have all the ingredients for a foul discharge to ooze into the mouth and infest it, much like a tiny stink bomb will do to an entire building because of the potency of the chemicals produced. My jaw just had too many teeth on it, and from the moment this particular wisdom tooth started to emerge (about 15) it was growing into the far back of the tissues at the back of my mouth almost half-submerged into it. When i'd move my jaw this tooth would move against this tissue pumping debris in and out like a shit factory. I have a photo if it helps to explain. The tooth was about 80% erupted from the gum but about 40% was buried into the rear of my mouth
I was given amoxicillin a few days before the extraction but i didnt take them. I had no complications with any of the three wisdom teeth i've had removed (upper 2 were about 15 years ago) i still have one bottom left completely submerged horizontally impacted tooth which needs extracting in hospital. As soon as this offending tooth came out, even with all the blood and healing processes, i couldnt taste the shit anymore, i knew i'd cracked it. My brother confirmed about a week later that my breath smelled of "nothing", but for about a week smelled like decaying blood, but he said immediately the foulness he was used to smelling had gone.
My sister has always had good breath, no matter what i can never recall ever detecting anything with her. In the last couple of years or so, she has developed a potent mothball smelling breath. Sometimes, even after she has just finished eating, she can talk and i can smell it strongly. I have never dared tell her about it because she is completely oblivious to it so i've tried to hold on until some opportunity to discuss it indirectly came up. I knew she had one molar which had a root canal and had given her ongoing problems requiring ongoing attention by her $$$ dentist. She's very shy about talking about her teeth for some reason, but the other day she told me that the gum along her bottom right is inflamed. She said her dentist told her to ignore it because its GENETIC. WTF!! I feel certain this is where her BB is coming from, and in due course i'll try to find a way to help her deal with it.
Good luck with your extractions dreamweaver.
Anyway, I came on to mention something about my sister's BB but first i'll try to answer your question.
Normally a gum pocket is a breach of the "seal" where the gum adheres to the teeth and there is normally about 1 or 2mm which remains unattached at the gum margin. If you pull any area of gum with a dry finger you can see this unattached area and its perfectly normal even a 3mm depth. Dentist check this depth with a special probe to detect for potential breaches that might be forming which will eventually go much deeper and invade gum teeth and bone. This defensive seal is very important as it is a boundary between the inside and the outside of the body. Certain situations (like tartar buildup) can allow this seal to break down leading to gum disease/tooth loss etc. A typical sitaution like this can lead to BB because, like any other open "wound", germs will cause rotting etc which smells or makes the rest of the mouth smell.
The best way to describe my situation is to understand that where gum attaches to teeth is *never* to the white enamel part but to the rough bony coloured area of the tooth. So imagine a tooth which hasnt grown correctly, and because the gum cannot adhere to this white enamel area, any submerged or hidden part of this enamel becomes a perfect anaerobic breeding ground against the tissues around it. Bacteria, with the help of saliva, will always find their way into such areas and multiply exponentially. Food and other nutrients will also just as easily become trapped in there too. You then have all the ingredients for a foul discharge to ooze into the mouth and infest it, much like a tiny stink bomb will do to an entire building because of the potency of the chemicals produced. My jaw just had too many teeth on it, and from the moment this particular wisdom tooth started to emerge (about 15) it was growing into the far back of the tissues at the back of my mouth almost half-submerged into it. When i'd move my jaw this tooth would move against this tissue pumping debris in and out like a shit factory. I have a photo if it helps to explain. The tooth was about 80% erupted from the gum but about 40% was buried into the rear of my mouth
I was given amoxicillin a few days before the extraction but i didnt take them. I had no complications with any of the three wisdom teeth i've had removed (upper 2 were about 15 years ago) i still have one bottom left completely submerged horizontally impacted tooth which needs extracting in hospital. As soon as this offending tooth came out, even with all the blood and healing processes, i couldnt taste the shit anymore, i knew i'd cracked it. My brother confirmed about a week later that my breath smelled of "nothing", but for about a week smelled like decaying blood, but he said immediately the foulness he was used to smelling had gone.
My sister has always had good breath, no matter what i can never recall ever detecting anything with her. In the last couple of years or so, she has developed a potent mothball smelling breath. Sometimes, even after she has just finished eating, she can talk and i can smell it strongly. I have never dared tell her about it because she is completely oblivious to it so i've tried to hold on until some opportunity to discuss it indirectly came up. I knew she had one molar which had a root canal and had given her ongoing problems requiring ongoing attention by her $$$ dentist. She's very shy about talking about her teeth for some reason, but the other day she told me that the gum along her bottom right is inflamed. She said her dentist told her to ignore it because its GENETIC. WTF!! I feel certain this is where her BB is coming from, and in due course i'll try to find a way to help her deal with it.
Good luck with your extractions dreamweaver.
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dreamweaver
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dreamweaver
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Ok guys, I've done it. I've had my wisdom teeth extracted. Happened on Friday.
All was ok, until Sunday when I started getting massive swelling on the left side and also started bleeding again. I kept using ice packs and kept taking advil and percocet for pain.
Then I started getting this really foul smell. I put gauze on the wound to try to stop the bleeding, but it really wasn't helping. When I smelled the blood on the cause, man was it bad. It actually reminded me of the smell from the tonsil stones I had when I had my tonsils.
I also had a fever, which basically meant that I had an infection. Well, all of Monday passed this way in the hope that it would get better on its own. Nope, wasn't working. Swelling kept increasing, there was major pain, had a hard time sleeping.
Went to the dentist this morning and he said I need to be put on a strong dose of antiobiotics. He prescribed Clindamycin which I have started taking.
I think I should have been more proactive in going to see the dentist yesterday. I mean, the infection can be serious and can lead to other complications. But, what's done is done.
I think it would have been even better if I had taken antibiotics before and then rite after the procedure. But I guess the dentist thought it wouldn't be necessary.
So, that's the update.
Hali, how long did you swelling/pain last? How long was it before your stitches came out?
All was ok, until Sunday when I started getting massive swelling on the left side and also started bleeding again. I kept using ice packs and kept taking advil and percocet for pain.
Then I started getting this really foul smell. I put gauze on the wound to try to stop the bleeding, but it really wasn't helping. When I smelled the blood on the cause, man was it bad. It actually reminded me of the smell from the tonsil stones I had when I had my tonsils.
I also had a fever, which basically meant that I had an infection. Well, all of Monday passed this way in the hope that it would get better on its own. Nope, wasn't working. Swelling kept increasing, there was major pain, had a hard time sleeping.
Went to the dentist this morning and he said I need to be put on a strong dose of antiobiotics. He prescribed Clindamycin which I have started taking.
I think I should have been more proactive in going to see the dentist yesterday. I mean, the infection can be serious and can lead to other complications. But, what's done is done.
I think it would have been even better if I had taken antibiotics before and then rite after the procedure. But I guess the dentist thought it wouldn't be necessary.
So, that's the update.
Hali, how long did you swelling/pain last? How long was it before your stitches came out?
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halitosisux
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hey dreamweaver, well done for taking this important step, i hope it works. Sorry to hear ur getting so much grief, it could mean you had some infection all along buried deep inside or ur just unfortunate that an infection has started from the extraction, but the antibiotics should see to that. I was lucky i didnt have any complications at all. In general the older u are the less smooth the recovery.
I had some fever and aches for a few days but no bad smells.
As i've said i was given amoxicillin prior to the extraction but i didnt take them, but if i had to do it again i probably would do, but i just wanted to keep the tablets incase i needed them for some other approach to dealing with my BB. I was like that with everything, even if i was in agony i'd avoid the doctor and dentist unless it was to try to solve my BB.
I never had any stitching because the tooth wasnt buried deep inside my gum itself, but the tissues right at the back of my mouth. I think the swelling is just the infection.
Anyway, keeping fingers crossed here please keep us informed of your progress, good luck!!
I had some fever and aches for a few days but no bad smells.
As i've said i was given amoxicillin prior to the extraction but i didnt take them, but if i had to do it again i probably would do, but i just wanted to keep the tablets incase i needed them for some other approach to dealing with my BB. I was like that with everything, even if i was in agony i'd avoid the doctor and dentist unless it was to try to solve my BB.
I never had any stitching because the tooth wasnt buried deep inside my gum itself, but the tissues right at the back of my mouth. I think the swelling is just the infection.
Anyway, keeping fingers crossed here please keep us informed of your progress, good luck!!
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dreamweaver
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Okay guys, it's been a month and a half since my wisdom teeth extraction and I thought it was important for me to provide an update at this point.
I've had a very difficult recovery after the extraction. As mentioned in my earlier post that I got an infection 2 days after the extraction. The dentist prescribed Clindamycin for it. This is where the nightmare begins.
While I was taking the medicine, it wasn't really too bad. I had somewhat of an upset stomach, but nothing serious. A few days after finishing the course is when problems started. I started getting diarrhea. But, that's not all. I was going several times during the day. I lost my appetite. Starting dropping serious lbs. This continued for several days, up to a week and was not getting better.
I googled side effects of Clindamycin and was shocked at what I discovered. This medicine is notorious for causing something called pseudomembranous colitis. This is when as a result of taking some antiobiotic, you kill the good bacteria in your colon which allows the bad bacteria to take control and wreak havoc on your system. One of the most dangerous of these bacteria is C. dificile or C. diff for short. This bacteria causes inflammation of the colon which leads to indigestion, diarrhea, blood in the stool, nausea, vomiting, etc. Fortunately, I did not have some of the serious symptoms.
I thought this was probably what was happening to me. So I went to my doc and sure enough, he suspected the same thing. He sent my blood and stool sample to the lab for testing, but it came back negative. This doesn't mean that it wasn't a C. diff infection b/c it's possible that it might not be detected. Anyways, so the doc gave me Flagyl (metronidazole) to get rid of the C. diff. I finished that course, but it did not help. A week passed by and I was not getting better. I had lost 10 lbs by this time, was eating very light and bland diet with a lot of yogurt, and things were not improving in the bathroom either.
So I went to Gastro this past Friday. He also confirmed that it's probably C. Diff. He prescribed Vancomycin (aka Vancocin), another antiobiotic to get rid of it. He also suggested I get a colonoscopy, which I'm getting this Friday.
I'm still not back to normal. Sometimes it seems things are improving, other times it seems they're not.
So, for those who are considering getting their wisdom teeth extracted, please make sure you understand the pros and cons. If you do end up getting an infection afterwards, please find out the side effects of the medicine you're prescribed. If in doubt, ask your primary care doc. Dentists might not be up to date with regard to medicines and their side effects. There are probably better alternatives to Clindamycin and related medicines.
Please be careful.
Good luck to all.
I've had a very difficult recovery after the extraction. As mentioned in my earlier post that I got an infection 2 days after the extraction. The dentist prescribed Clindamycin for it. This is where the nightmare begins.
While I was taking the medicine, it wasn't really too bad. I had somewhat of an upset stomach, but nothing serious. A few days after finishing the course is when problems started. I started getting diarrhea. But, that's not all. I was going several times during the day. I lost my appetite. Starting dropping serious lbs. This continued for several days, up to a week and was not getting better.
I googled side effects of Clindamycin and was shocked at what I discovered. This medicine is notorious for causing something called pseudomembranous colitis. This is when as a result of taking some antiobiotic, you kill the good bacteria in your colon which allows the bad bacteria to take control and wreak havoc on your system. One of the most dangerous of these bacteria is C. dificile or C. diff for short. This bacteria causes inflammation of the colon which leads to indigestion, diarrhea, blood in the stool, nausea, vomiting, etc. Fortunately, I did not have some of the serious symptoms.
I thought this was probably what was happening to me. So I went to my doc and sure enough, he suspected the same thing. He sent my blood and stool sample to the lab for testing, but it came back negative. This doesn't mean that it wasn't a C. diff infection b/c it's possible that it might not be detected. Anyways, so the doc gave me Flagyl (metronidazole) to get rid of the C. diff. I finished that course, but it did not help. A week passed by and I was not getting better. I had lost 10 lbs by this time, was eating very light and bland diet with a lot of yogurt, and things were not improving in the bathroom either.
So I went to Gastro this past Friday. He also confirmed that it's probably C. Diff. He prescribed Vancomycin (aka Vancocin), another antiobiotic to get rid of it. He also suggested I get a colonoscopy, which I'm getting this Friday.
I'm still not back to normal. Sometimes it seems things are improving, other times it seems they're not.
So, for those who are considering getting their wisdom teeth extracted, please make sure you understand the pros and cons. If you do end up getting an infection afterwards, please find out the side effects of the medicine you're prescribed. If in doubt, ask your primary care doc. Dentists might not be up to date with regard to medicines and their side effects. There are probably better alternatives to Clindamycin and related medicines.
Please be careful.
Good luck to all.
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halitosisux
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- Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:29 pm
ugggh sorry to hear, hope you are now feeling better. I think back in horror at times about the risks i've taken trying to arrive at a possible underlying cause. But had I not done so I'd still be here with my problem. Its hard to take but you have to look at every failure as a success, that you've eliminated a potential cause, because the only hope of dealing with BB is with this approach, thru trial and error. There's no other way.
Thanks a lot guys . I was having the same question in my mind as dreamweaver . But dreamweaver I do not feel any BB even after 3 years of my accident . But I am not sure for the future . Thats why I was asking the same question .
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