Wisdom teeth stitches out...now what?

I survived the week long drama of having my impacted wisdom teeth removed and now that my stitches are out I have some questions. My oral surgeon was a jerk so I don't want to call him and ask anything uneccessary so please help!


1. The 2 major holes that are left for me to clean out now...what are they supposed to look like inside? Grayish black?





2. How long will these take to close up? I HATE eating now because it is such a process.





3. What happens if I don't get every spec of food out of these craters?





PLEASE HELP ME!

Wisdom teeth stitches out...now what?
After I got my stitches out, I was pretty concerned about those holes.





1. They can range anywhere from pinkish(meaning the hole is completely empty), a blackish color from the remaining blood clot or because there's just open space. Like our mouth, somtimes holes can look black just because there is no light in there. If you shine a flashlight in there and it's still black, then it is most likely the remaining blood clot. If you see white, you should call your OS because a piece of bone may have gotten through there, which is no big deal because they can remove it.





2.For me, I only had to worry about food in there for a littttle over a week. From the day I got my stitches out to the day I actually stopped caring about my holes (about 9 days) I rinsed gently with warm salt water, which usually removed any food.





3.It's actually okay if you cannot get every spec of food out of these holes. Most likely, they will dislodge on their own as the hole closes. Sometimes though, if it is stuck under the gum or deeeeep in the hole, infection can result(I really do not mean to scare you). So, if you're concerned about left over food in there, go to your dentist or OS and have them check you out and see what they can do. If you cannot get food out right after you have eaten, don't worry because most likely it will come out over time from brushing and eating and drinking and rinsing.





After about two and a half weeks for me, food stopped getting stuck in the holes because my gum was beg. to close. When this happens, you'll forget the hole is even there and you'll be filled with joy. Check the holes periodically with a flashlight. If you notice anything unusual, make an appointment for your dentist. Good luck!
Reply:I am not sure, however, if you call any dentist the office may be able to give you some general information, without seeing you - if their malpractice insurance allows.





Do you have insurance? If so, does your insurance have a question and answer line for medical questions? That may be a good place to call also.
Reply:Gargle often, with salt water. You can get something called dry socket. Like the "hole" gets infected %26amp; it hurts like he**, %26amp; tastes even worse, I was told to rinse my mouth out, many times a day. The "holes " will get smaller as they heal. Good Luck!!
Reply:The holes may or may not collect food- after the sutures are removed, usually there is still a little clot/tissue left inside and that can look dark. GENTLY rinse your mouth to dislodge any food particles, you can use either a salt water or hydrogen peroxide and water solution. I find patients like the hydrogen peroxide and water rinse better because it takes care of the bad odor you can get. (2 teaspoons hydrogen peroxide in a 1/2 glass of warm water). The holes will take up to 6 weeks to close, keeping them clean will speed it up. Food will naturally dislodge from the holes because it is an irritant, you can try getting an irrigator which is sold in drugstores, it is a syringe that you can fill with water and squirt back there to rinse out the areas until they heal. I'm sorrythey weren't nice at the Oral Surgeons, our office always tries to be nice to patients because we know it isn't fun to go through this kind of thing! Good Luck.



auto financing