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Anyone know anything about wisdom teeth? TMI warning

21 replies

mankytooth · 11/10/2021 09:16

I had my bottom right molar removed in April, dentist had a good go at the wisdom tooth beside it too but couldn’t get it out and said it would need a full surgical extraction .

Previous wisdom teeth I’ve had lower left out under max fax, upper left was taken out by dentist (but was relatively uncomplicated extraction), upper right has come in fully but on a bad angle .

Essentially I’ve been left by the dentist with a hole in my gum now about 1 cm deep - if I shine a torch I can see the wisdom tooth (I assume it’s tooth - solid yellow material, it’s either tooth or it’s bone but I’m guessing the former) . it’s growing at an awkward angle apparently so won’t come in straight . There’s now a tiny tiny (about 3mm) bit of what’s definitely tooth poking through my gum further up .

The hole isn’t painful - mostly - but it feels awful, the hole gets packed with food debris so I’m having to constantly clear it out with toothpicks . If I bite/chew on it too hard I do get a searing pain that lasts about an hour or so.

It smells vile, and I get a foul tasting discharge from it - I’m using cotton buds throughout the day to try and clear it, they’re covered in foul smelling brownish/green discharge each time . Sometimes blood stained .

Dentist said minimum 4 year wait for NHS to sort, or I can pay £300 for them to have another go but on the understanding they won’t be able to do as good a job as maxfax would and may have to abandon attempt - said they won’t know until they start if they can complete it . Also said they can’t guarantee they wouldn’t cause permanent nerve damage - said that might be less likely in hospital setting . In other words, better off waiting for surgical removal .

I’m guessing it isn’t solvable until the NHS can remove the tooth altogether but how can I prevent the discharge/taste and smell? It’s awful, I wake up in the morning gagging as it tastes rotten (probably what the problem is to be fair, tooth is probably decayed) . Just wondering if anyone has any ideas !!

OP posts:
longwayoff · 11/10/2021 09:22

I know nothing about dentistry or other medical matters but I would not put up with what you describe. It suggests infection and that you are at risk of sepsis. Seek medical treatment immediately.

mankytooth · 11/10/2021 09:28

That’s what I thought - its infected or on its way to it - but dentist is saying they won’t examine or treat unless in severe pain, fever, or swelling - said if that’s not happening I can manage it myself with hot salty water . Which isn’t really making any difference - the hole was created way back in mid May, I’ve been doing salt water rinses daily since then - so I’m losing any hope of it sorting itself out now sadly !!

OP posts:
HoneyDewMel · 11/10/2021 09:46

May. That's a very long time ago. It should have healed by now. Go to your GP and get some advice and hopefully antibiotics can clear it.

When I had a tooth pulled and a huge gap / hole was left it healed after a couple of weeks of not sooner.

Another time when I had an abscess in the bone of my tooth the dentist prescribed antibiotics which did nothing abs he wouldn't prescribe more Confused so I had to beg my GP for more because they don't like to interfere with the dentist but it was obvious my GP had to intervene with a stronger longer better course of decent antibiotics

Your gum is infected OP and you must get it dealt with ASAP

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HoneyDewMel · 11/10/2021 09:48

And yes as PP said you are very much at risk of sepsis

SGChome20 · 11/10/2021 10:06

The infection should definitely be treated immediately.

In terms of waiting for the NHS. I had a wisdom tooth that I needed extracted due to recurrent infections. It was a funny angle as well and near the nerve so dentist said they wouldn’t touch it. I paid to go to a private clinic that they recommend that could give sedation etc. Have they not mentioned anything like that? Or can you Google places in your area?

Grellbunt · 11/10/2021 10:24

You are in severe pain - a searing pain for an hour

mankytooth · 11/10/2021 13:48

Thanks, I’ll give the dentist a ring again - it’s the taste thats horrible, tastes almost faecal if that makes sense . Hopefully they can get it sorted quickly .

OP posts:
mankytooth · 11/10/2021 13:51

That’s the hole there…

OP posts:
cultkid · 11/10/2021 13:51

4 year wait on the nhs to have teeth out at hospital

What the fuck??

mankytooth · 11/10/2021 13:53

@cultkid

4 year wait on the nhs to have teeth out at hospital

What the fuck??

I think it’s one of these things where covid’s made an already bad situation terrible .
OP posts:
SirenSays · 11/10/2021 13:54

💐 This sounds awful. It definitely sounds infected to me, I'd be worried about infection or abscess in your jawbone.

TankFlyBoss · 11/10/2021 13:58

I had an awful situation with wisdom teeth during the first lockdown. They were impacted and infected and I had them removed surgically by a max fax surgeon in the dentists surgery. I understand it was a bit of a job and I was quite sore and bruisers afterwards but they are out and healed. It cost me £2500 including all x rays CT scans, IV sedation, follow ups and prescriptions afterwards. I would do the same thing again and again and I can tell you if I had had to wait 4 years on the NHS in that pain and distress I would have ended my life. It took me to a very bad place very quickly. Wishing you lots of love.

Sunshinegirl82 · 11/10/2021 13:59

Can you see a different dentist?! I think I'd want a second opinion. On the basis it seems to be oozing pus I wouldn't be happy about a 4 year wait with no proposals at all for management in the interim.

I'm assuming you don't have any private healthcare through work? I hadn't realised that mine covered dental surgery until a colleague told me, had all of mine out at a private hospital.

CarrotSticks23 · 11/10/2021 14:20

You need to go back to your dentist

You are not at risk of sepsis at this stage. Its possible it's the wisdom tooth poking it's head through, or it's possible it's a poorly healing socket/infected area of bone. Either way the dentist needs to see it and treat it. From your side yes you can wash it out regularly with salt water mouthrinses but the dentist needs to actually confirm whats going on.

Where are you in the country? 4 year wait sounds ridiculous. Most places have around a year to 18month for NHS dental hospital treatment, however its possible you do not need a maxfacs surgeon in hospital and an oral surgeon in practice can do it, the wait is normally a lot quicker

Whatever you do, don't accept the dentists offer of 300 for another go. Are you NHS? If so, and the dentist is capable they should do it on the NHS or if not, refer you on the NHS. They are absolutely taking the piss to say they will charge you 300 to have another go, and they are backing you into a corner by giving you the 4 year wait list figure. If you are going to pay privately at least pay someone who can do the job

Timeforwinterclothes · 11/10/2021 14:24

Constant infection in your mouth can affect your heart and there's been reports of this making COVID worse. If you have an infection in the bone, you need seeing at once.

cultkid · 11/10/2021 14:30

Get bennenden and see if they can take it out xx you poor love

cultkid · 11/10/2021 14:30

Use Ultradex and xylitol xx

longwayoff · 11/10/2021 16:40

I've just re read you OP. Are you in UK? If so that's just criminal behaviour by your 'dentist' if that's what he is. Write him off, find another dentist, and meanwhile go to your GP or A&E if possible. Don't allow him to 'treat' you again.

LadyJaye · 11/10/2021 16:54

Do you have a dental hospital in your city, or relatively close by, that you could consult?

I would certainly be asking for a second opinion - I'm not a dentist or HCP, but that seems to be verging on negligence. Unless you have a chronic condition that affects healing, I would expect a four-month old wound to have at least mostly healed by now.

CarrotSticks23 · 11/10/2021 18:06

Really do not go to A&E fgs! Or your GP. Your GP can do bugger all and it's waste of everyone's time.

It will need treating depending on what it is, and you need to see a dentist in person to get them to diagnose and treat

It could just be an exposed corner of wisdom tooth. Essentially that does just need salt water irrigation and extraction. The gum is unlikely to heal back over the wisdom tooth. Nothing has gone wrong, it's just how the body heals. Bad taste, gunk most likely food packing.

It could be an area of infected or slow healing bone, where the socket has failed to heal. This can happen for many reasons, again nothing has been done wrong, sometimes this happens. If this has happened you will again need to irrigate with salt water/corsodyl and you may need antibiotics. (May - not always, again will need clinical assessment)

There's a lot of panicking on this thread. You are not at risk of sepsis, it's not going to cause harm to your heart. Its unlikely to cause you any real harm bar being unpleasant and painful. However it does need seeing by a dentist for xrays, treatment and you need a plan for this wisdom tooth regardless.

postitnot · 11/10/2021 22:01

Agree with carrotsticks

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