DRY SOCKET INFECTION- HELP ME!!!

[katieeeeeeee]

I had both my bottom wisdom teeth out last Thursday. Very difficult extractions, it took over an hour and a half to get them out. My right one had a small root fracture but it was too close to the nerve to retrieve.

I have dry socket in both of them. Have had them packed and have been on amoxicillin for a week now. Ended up in urgent care centre yesterday with a 40 degree fever and I passed out. They wouldn’t do anything because they thought it was tooth related. Back to the dentist I went and had them repacked and prescribed metronidazole (haven’t started yet- terrified of side effects. Due to start Monday) fever has now gone though!

I am still in a lot of pain. I have the most rancid, foul taste in my mouth coming from the sockets. It tastes like rotten flesh 🤢. It was packed with that tobacco looking stuff- the clove oil packing. What I’m tasting is NOT the clove oil this is not how it tasted when it was put in. Have I got food stuck in there? Or is this the potential infection?! Or is this how the packing ends up tasting when you need it changed? Saltwater rinses are making it more painful although I am doing them as well as corsodyl. Please someone help me my dentist isn’t open until Monday and 111 can’t send me anywhere 😭😭😭

Start the metronidazole stat.

Start your metronidazole - loads of people don’t get horrible side effects. I didn’t. Just don’t drink any alcohol, at all! Why would you put off something that could help you?

@WingBingoi was told to finish the amoxicillin first, which finishes Sunday night :(

Oh you poor thing this sound horrendous, I’ve never had dry socket but I’ve heard it’s really painful.
Ive no advice but wanted to send solidarity, there’s nothing worse than toothache. Have 111 said they can’t do anything? Have you tried painkillers alongside the antibiotics?

It’s horrendous worse than childbirth imo. Take the drugs, take all painkillers and get some clove oil and dab it around to numb it as often as you need.

I have crippling emetophobia which makes me terrified of meds with vomiting as a side effect. I’m also breastfeeding my baby in the NICU and worried I’ll be too unwell to go and see her from side effects

It will pass, took about 10 days of antibiotics and ibroprofen at max dose before I was able to reduce pain killers. It is the most painful thing I’ve experienced, and I gave birth twice within any pain relief!!!

I would consider stopping the amoxicillin and going straight for the big guns. As long as you avoid alcohol, odds are in your favour re side effects.

Oh the dry socket I experienced was so painful, running around the house screaming! Packed with cloves should give some kind of relief and the antibiotics will kick in soon. Meanwhile painkillers, a hot wheat bag against your jaw, let the medicines do their magic. Xx

I had a tooth removed and ended up having metronidazole. It cleared up the infection in no time. Hope you feel better soon OP. It's horrendous.

Sending solidarity as I have had dry socket 3 times. Twice with wisdom teeth when the extractions were pretty traumatic and last week I had a back molar extracted and got dry socket. I followed the instructions to the letter too. My dentist packed it with the clove paste stuff and it's now OK.
Could you go back for them to apply more paste? My dentist said if I was still in pain to go back after a couple of days and he would put more stuff in the socket.
I had to have metronidazole with the wisdom teeth and whilst it wasn't great, it didn't make me sick.
Had amoxillin this time. I am surprised you haven't been advised to take the metronidazole straight away though.

Sounds horrendous.

I can’t help with the meds/etc all I can help with is the inevitable food bit. I had a double wisdom lower extraction last spring. I was paranoid about dry socket so when you do get sorted and are healing/trying to heal, maybe this will help a little. I had a large syringe (pharmacy gave me a pack) and I syringed smoothies and thick milkshake to the back of my tongue so I didn’t have to suck or chew. I also had mousse and angel delight (bleugh) and for savoury tepid miso soup. It was fairly grim but for 2-3 days I managed and it got healed well.

sorry you are going through this.

If they’ve given you a different antibiotic they’ve given it to you for a reason so you must take it - if you’re getting 40 degree fevers and passing out there’s a real risk of sepsis and believe me even with a fear of being sick you don’t want that. It’s much worse!

You’ll only have vomiting with metronidazole if you drink alcohol

Sympathies as I had this when I had my wisdom teeth removed. It was horrible, it was 2004 and I still remember it! I got through it by taking paracetamol then 2 hours later ibuprofen and then the cycle repeating 2 hours later. Plus either a hot water bottle or ice pack on my face to ease the pain as well.

The evil taste is the stitches rotting down. It is horrific. I had a grim wisdom tooth removal last year, I needed up taking the stitches out myself after about a week because it was so foul. I boiled a pair of tweezers, there were so many stitches.

It’s the worst pain, worst than childbirth! You have my sympathies.

That is really reassuring. I didn’t know if the taste is normal or not. Aside from the pain localised to just the tooth/jaw and taste- I have no other symptoms of infection anymore. I’m hesitant to take another course of antibiotics while breastfeeding and risk of side effects

Switch to the metronidazole. Stop doing the salt rinses as you may be dislodging the clot leading to dry socket worsening. Take the maximum pain relief you can on schedule/ maybe codeine? Dry socket is awful.

currently breastfeeding my 30 weeker preemie in the NICU. Can’t take anything stronger than paracetamol and ibuprofen! :(

Agree . Stop amoxicillin and start metronidazole. Do not drink alcohol!!

You'll only vomit if you have anything with alcohol in it. Just don't drink or use alcohol mouthwashes. Start them now I would.

The rancid taste is normal . That ghastly packing material ( alvogel ) helps a blood clot form in the socket by giving it a framework on which to form . A dry socket happens after a traumatic extraction when the initial blood clot breaks down , leaving bare bone in the socket .
We have a substance in our saliva which causes pain when it comes into contact with the pain receptors of bare bone so the packing material also aims to reduce that contact as much as possible.
I’m so very sorry you’re going through such a horrible experience .
Dry socket usually takes 10 days to fully resolve . The situation isn’t dangerous.It’s just really unpleasant.. Please rest as much as you can . An hour and a half of enduring wisdom teeth extractions is a really traumatic experience for you to have endured .

Oh lovely a prem baby and double dry socket. You are a seriously amazing woman. I'm so sorry this is happening to you.
Now is the time to get help from anyone you can, to cook, look after other kids, I would help if I knew you..

Oh god yes
Don't drink. I did 15 hours after the last pill, just a small beer. I vomited for hours.