Dental experts? Does it sound like my tooth extraction is infected?

[Nightfall1983]

Just after a bit of advise really. I had my upper back molar removed on Tuesday, it was a difficult, messy extraction performed by a specialist due to its position/proximity to my sinus cavity. Don't know if this is relevant to whether its infected but it took about 20 mins to get it out, she had to cut my gum and I had several (dissolvable) stitches. The dentist warned me that it's a big hole, it would be painful for several days but should start to feel a little better "before the bank holiday weekend".

Actually it was no where near as painful as I'd feared however it started to get more painful yesterday and today :( I do also have a cold so am not sure what is tooth pain and what is sinus pain if you know what I mean.

The pain is not agonising, more achy and distracting. I have earache (ear feels quite blocked - could be my cold). There is white stuff in the extraction hole which was concerning me but from googling it seems normal.

My main worry is that if it's infected and I leave it till normal office hours on Tuesday the infection will be quite established and will take a lot of antibiotics to shift - I hate ABs, they make me feel ill at the best of times. However nor I want to demand an emergency apt (on a bank holiday weekend) if its not infected...

No temp, no swelling that I can see. No blood. Any help?

Hi, sorry not an expert but did used to work on reception in a dental surgery so dealt with many queries. Extractions can take up to an hour so 20 mins sounds like it was a fairly easy procedure. They do tend to get worse/ ache more before they get better. We usually made people wait a week and then call again if they were still in pain. We're you advised on painkillers? You can mix paracetamol for pain, with ibruprofen for swelling (assuming no allergies) Are you washing well With salt water? A lot of people don't rinse for anywhere near long enough to keep the area clean.

If it's really bad you can go to a&e and dental experts are usually available...

I had a messy extraction last year. Sounds like you could have a dry socket - is v. Painful but does eventually go. Clove oil on a cotton bud was the only thing that made it bearable for me.

If it gets very bad please don't go to A and E. please call your dental surgery who will have an emergency phone number on their answerphone and go to see them.

If could be a dry socket which is exceedingly painful but can be treated with packing. I wouldn't poke at it or put anything on it yourself.

The guideline we go by is that pain should be slowly resolving and if it gets very sore and goes in the other direction then we will see you.

the other thing is sinus pain and tooth pain are very hard to tell apart, so if you have a cold it could definitely be causing the pain, I would try a decongestant or nasal spray.

Ok, thanks all. It's actually a little better now, it was (as someone said) hard to tell if it was my tooth or sinus that was hurting but the tooth pain has eased off so I think it's mostly my cold now. I don't think it's infected but if its not feeling better in a couple of days I will asked to be checked out... (I wouldn't go to a&e for tooth pain, I don't imagine there is much they could do anyway)

Hopefully it was just really bad timing with the cold and it will continue to ease now :)

Dry socket is unimaginably painful. You wouldn't be describing it as 'not agonising', believe you me.

Glad it's resolving. Agree with Allie - keep on doing the salt water bathing, no vigorous sloshing, for a week. That's what my instructions said. And try to keep bitty food away from it - grains of rice, crumbs etc.