Posted by writeradmin
I had a dental emergency when one of my wisdom teeth was completely infected. I don’t have a regular dentist, so I went to an emergency dentist. He suggested I just have all of them out at the same time, which I did. However, the one that was infected still has this pocket that is filled with bacteria. It smells awful, which makes my breath smell bad, too. When I poke at it, green ooze comes out of it and the smell is even worse. Listerine isn’t working. What else should I be doing?
Dennis
Dear Dennis,
While the dentist who treated your dental emergency was correct in suggesting that you have the remainder of your wisdom teeth out at the same time. However, I wish he would have followed up with you after your treatment. This pocket of bacteria means there is a still an infection there.
I would take care of this with a dual attack. First, ask the dentist to give you a prescription of Clindamycin, a minimum of 150 mg four times per day for ten days. This will deal with the infection that has made it into your blood stream. Second, make up a solution of hydrogen peroxide and salt. Ask your emergency dentist to provide you with an irrigating needle. After each meal, gently poke this into the socket and irrigate it.
You mentioned that you didn’t have a regular dentist. I have often found that this happens to patients with dental anxiety, who have had traumatic experiences at the dentist. If that is you, I want to make sure you know about sedation dental care. If you see a sedation dentist, they can provide you with a medication before your appointment that will completely relax you, giving you an anxiety-free and pain-free dental appointment.
This blog is brought to you by Lafayette, LA Dentist Dr. John Theriot.