Tooth Exraction Recovery

[cyclinglady]

Ugh!  I am here to just simply vent.

Six weeks ago I experienced facial swelling, but no pain.  I conducted a Google search and made an appointment with my dentist and a medical doctor.  My dentist suspected a root canal gone bad (had one 20 years prior) and referred me to an Endodontist.  The MD confirmed the diagnosis and added a sinus infection.  Went on gluten-free antibiotics.  The Endodontist attempted a re-treatment, but the root was cracked (blame celiac disease?). The tooth needed to be extracted.  Then I got the flu (probably by going to see the MD).  Six days of fever and I recovered.  Had a appliance made to keep my teeth in alignment for a partial or implant after complete recovery (up to a year).  

My extraction went well.  Bone grafting was done.  A tough recovery because I could not take pain medications as I am allergic to them all (eye, face and throat swelling).  I followed all follow-up care to the letter despite lots of pain.    Infection set in.  Am back on a third roundof antibiotics and now I have a cold.  

I am discouraged, to say the least.  I am tired of pain and inflammation and not feeling good.  The antibiotics are slowly doing their job.  I am sure I will heal, but like healing from celiac disease, I am impatient.  This is going to take months.  

Anyone else have tooth extraction issues?

[squirmingitch]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww cyclinglady I am so sorry you're going through this!!!! 

As to tooth extraction issues, I've had a couple wisdom teeth pulled pre diagnosis & no problems thankfully. The last wisdom tooth was a bear for the dentist. He had to practically sit on me to pull the darn thing out! He was literally sweating and I , who am normally absolutely calm during that kind of thing came very close to saying let me out of this chair NOW! A bit of tooth even broke off & is still in there somewhere. He said it would eventually work it's way out but that was around 8 years ago & it's never come to the surface. 

I'm lucky!

[GFinDC]

Hmm, not extraction issues, but I did have a crown that cracked shortly after being installed.  It caused me problems for years afterwards until I finally had it replaced.  The first dentist I went to tried to remove it but couldn't get it out.  She did try though.  Tugged mightily and all that.  She made a few grunting noises and such while pulling but eventually gave up.  It was a valiant effort.

My sister is big on vitamin K2 these days.  K-2 is supposed to influence the proper use of calcium in your bones and hard spots.  Help to get the calcium used in the right place (bones) vs wrong place (blood vessels).  So maybe it would help with healing.  The story is vitamin K-2 and vitamin D have to work together to get the calcium where it should go.  I am not sure how true all this is but my sister will beat you up if you disagree.  So maybe there's a grain of truth in it somewhere.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

 

[cyclinglady]

29 minutes ago, GFinDC said:

Hmm, not extraction issues, but I did have a crown that cracked shortly after being installed.  It caused me problems for years afterwards until I finally had it replaced.  The first dentist I went to tried to remove it but couldn't get it out.  She did try though.  Tugged mightily and all that.  She made a few grunting noises and such while pulling but eventually gave up.  It was a valiant effort.

My sister is big on vitamin K2 these days.  K-2 is supposed to influence the proper use of calcium in your bones and hard spots.  Help to get the calcium used in the right place (bones) vs wrong place (blood vessels).  So maybe it would help with healing.  The story is vitamin K-2 and vitamin D have to work together to get the calcium where it should go.  I am not sure how true all this is but my sister will beat you up if you disagree.  So maybe there's a grain of truth in it somewhere.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

 

Thanks.  My vitamin K levels are normal.  My GI tested them during my last visit.  Plus, I eat a diet rich in dairy, meat and cheese.   As long as I do not get glutened, I  am absorbing all my minerals and vitamins without any supplements from a good Whole Foods diet based on lab results.  

I just need to tough this out, I guess.  

[cyclinglady]

1 hour ago, squirmingitch said:

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww cyclinglady I am so sorry you're going through this!!!! 

As to tooth extraction issues, I've had a couple wisdom teeth pulled pre diagnosis & no problems thankfully. The last wisdom tooth was a bear for the dentist. He had to practically sit on me to pull the darn thing out! He was literally sweating and I , who am normally absolutely calm during that kind of thing came very close to saying let me out of this chair NOW! A bit of tooth even broke off & is still in there somewhere. He said it would eventually work it's way out but that was around 8 years ago & it's never come to the surface. 

I'm lucky!

Thanks!  Like so many people this winter, I am tired of being sick!  Just a bad year for me.  I have gone years and years avoiding colds and flu.   It finally caught up.  Maybe all the "colder" rain we finally have been getting in California is to blame.  My garden is happy though!   

[icelandgirl]

Hi cyclinglady...I'm so sorry you're going through this! ((((Hugs))))

I got an infection when I had my wisdom teeth out.  I only had 2 wisdom teeth, which is odd anyway.  But one got infected after removal and it was terrible.  I remember the pain...it felt like someone was hammering inside my head.   They had me on antibiotics and had to put in a drain to get it all better.  I was able to take ibuprofen thankfully.  I can't believe you have to tough this out.

If it helps at all...I got the flu in October and have had 2 bad colds.  Totally stinks.  I feel you.

I hope you feel better soon!

[cyclinglady]

2 hours ago, icelandgirl said:

Hi cyclinglady...I'm so sorry you're going through this! ((((Hugs))))

I got an infection when I had my wisdom teeth out.  I only had 2 wisdom teeth, which is odd anyway.  But one got infected after removal and it was terrible.  I remember the pain...it felt like someone was hammering inside my head.   They had me on antibiotics and had to put in a drain to get it all better.  I was able to take ibuprofen thankfully.  I can't believe you have to tough this out.

If it helps at all...I got the flu in October and have had 2 bad colds.  Totally stinks.  I feel you.

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks!  

[GFinDC]

5 hours ago, cyclinglady said:

Thanks.  My vitamin K levels are normal.  My GI tested them during my last visit.  Plus, I eat a diet rich in dairy, meat and cheese.   As long as I do not get glutened, I  am absorbing all my minerals and vitamins without any supplements from a good Whole Foods diet based on lab results.  

I just need to tough this out, I guess.  

Well that's good your K is ok.  I doubt they tested you for K-2 though.  See my big doubty face?

K has several different versions, like 7 or 9 flavors of vitamin K.  So you were probably tested for K-1, not K-2.  Anyhow, if you are getting eggs and cheese you are probably ok with K-2 from that.

It seems like there were some old timey pain treatments for tooth pain.   Like clove oil and whiskey if you are out West.  I hope you feel better soon CL!

[ravenwoodglass]

So sorry you are having such a cascade of issues and are in so much pain. Before I was finally diagnosed in desperation I went to an acupuncturist. I was disbelieving but figured I had nothing to lose at that point. To my surprise it helped.  I later found a book on accupressure and used those points myself after I was diagnosed to fight off pain from teeth that were very bad (dental phobia-eventually had them pulled). While it didn't get rid of the pain completely it did make it bearable.  Perhaps you might want to look for a practitioner near you. It wouldn't hurt and might help.  I hope you get some relief soon.

[cyclinglady]

Wow, I used an acupuncturist years ago for a shoulder injury.  Why didn't I think if that?  Thanks Raven!  

[kareng]

On 3/5/2017 at 10:42 AM, cyclinglady said:

Ugh!  I am here to just simply vent.

Six weeks ago I experienced facial swelling, but no pain.  I conducted a Google search and made an appointment with my dentist and a medical doctor.  My dentist suspected a root canal gone bad (had one 20 years prior) and referred me to an Endodontist.  The MD confirmed the diagnosis and added a sinus infection.  Went on gluten-free antibiotics.  The Endodontist attempted a re-treatment, but the root was cracked (blame celiac disease?). The tooth needed to be extracted.  Then I got the flu (probably by going to see the MD).  Six days of fever and I recovered.  Had a appliance made to keep my teeth in alignment for a partial or implant after complete recovery (up to a year).  

My extraction went well.  Bone grafting was done.  A tough recovery because I could not take pain medications as I am allergic to them all (eye, face and throat swelling).  I followed all follow-up care to the letter despite lots of pain.    Infection set in.  Am back on a third roundof antibiotics and now I have a cold.  

I am discouraged, to say the least.  I am tired of pain and inflammation and not feeling good.  The antibiotics are slowly doing their job.  I am sure I will heal, but like healing from celiac disease, I am impatient.  This is going to take months.  

Anyone else have tooth extraction issues?

Bummer!  Sorry this is happening to you!

[Gemini]

I am so sorry to hear of your suffering, cyclinglady.  As the recipient of 4 extractions and dental implants myself, I know exactly how you feel.  It is a long, drawn out process to fix this but I can tell you that I am completely satisfied and happy with all my fake teeth!  It's great....they do not decay! 

One thing that may have zapped you is that no dental work should ever be done within a 2 week period of someone being sick with anything respiratory related. When you have germs in your lungs or respiratory tract, they are in your mouth. They then wreak havoc with dental work and cause infections. It doesn't matter if you are on antibiotics or not because so many are resistant now, they may not work well enough to keep the infection at bay.......which is what you experienced. I know sometimes it cannot be helped though and the tooth has to come out.  I doubt the crack had anything to do with anything other than aging. We are challenged enough and then you throw in the aging thing and teeth are far more likely to fail.  But there are implants now and I highly recommend them.

Did you say they were going to wait a year before doing anything?  If you decide on an implant, a year may be too long to wait.  There is a window with an implant and if you wait too long, then the bone becomes too hard and they won't be able to seat the implant fully in your jaw. Then you have to start all over again. That is what happened to me on one of the implants so it took longer to accomplish successfully. They usually do them 6 months after bone grafting for fast healers and up to 9 months for slower healers. Make sure to have an x-ray at the 6 month point to make sure. You exercise so you may heal faster than you think. In fact, healing went a lot faster for me once I started working out in the gym.  Can't beat that increased circulation!

Can you take ibuprofen?  I find that works well reducing pain and swelling, sometimes better than pain meds.  But acupuncture is definitely a great way to go!  Take care and I hope you feel better soon. 

[cyclinglady]

@Gemini,

So happy to hear that someone with AI issues is doing well with implants.  You are right about the time frame. I was told I would have to wait six months depending on my healing time.  The way it is going, it will take a while.  There was a lot of damage to the bone, so re-growth is necessary.   I go back to the office at the end of the week.  I can see some improvement with the inflammation.  In the meantime, I have an appliance to wear to keep my teeth from shifting.   

This darn cold is clogging up my sinus cavities adding to the pressure.    Ugh!  Thankfully, I have a Nedi pot. 

No, ibuprofen, aspirin and now acetaminophen trigger allergic reactions in me.  I think there is another NSAID, but I am not willing to try it.  

Getting old is not for the faint of heart!  

[cyclinglady]

Thanks, Karen!  

 

[Stacy0w]

Last April I experienced awful pain in my face. Sent me to the ER. Absessed wisdom tooth. Awful pain. Pain meds didn't touch it. They tried three kinds. Antibiotic to kill the infection. Didn't help. Took three before it started helping. A week later I had them pulled at an oral surgeon office. Miserable. Antibiotics destroyed my stomach which probably made everything worse. Pain meds did more so I ditched those then took ibuprofen at bedtime to try to sleep. Then I got dry socket. They had to pack it. OW. Started feeling more human then I got the stomach flu. April was not kind to me.  I blamed the endless awfulness on my body being stressed and having a hard time recovering from everything. I survived though!  Hope the end is in sight for you!

[cristiana]

19 hours ago, Gemini said:

One thing that may have zapped you is that no dental work should ever be done within a 2 week period of someone being sick with anything respiratory related. When you have germs in your lungs or respiratory tract, they are in your mouth. They then wreak havoc with dental work and cause infections.

That's so interesting, Gemini. I had no idea.  I have had trigeminal pain and my dentist thought it might be a tooth so I got an appointment to have the tooth filled - thinking that the appointment would take weeks to come through, but I was given a cancellation.  I wasn't thinking straight - normally I wouldn't go to the dentists with a cold but I forgot I had one!  Without thinking I had the work done but got a soft tissue towards the front of my mouth.  The pain was dreadful - it felt like someone had lit a cigarette under my lip.  I felt sure it was another tooth playing up at the front but it was the infection.  It took a good week to clear.  So thanks, will avoid treatment with a cold if I can in future.  

And just to say cyclinglady I really do sympathise.  Sending hugs for a quick recovery.  I found canker sore losenges soothing for the tissue infection.  They tasted a bit of cloves so I think the old remedies must be best!

[Gemini]

I really worried at first about having a titanium post inserted into my jaw because maybe my immune system would not like it?  However, 4 implants later and everything is good.  No problems....yet.  I do worry about the future and aging issues but decided I can't go through life worrying about everything just because my immune system is more active than others.  I really believe that eating a strict diet with no cheating, ever, helps so much to calm the immune system down and keep it from mounting an attack on something else.  I know you and most everyone on this forum are the "good" Celiacs who go above and beyond the call of duty with this disease so don't sweat it.........I think it will all work out fine for you in the end. I will also add that the pain from the implant post is far less than the pain from an extraction and bone graft.  I only needed 1/2 of a painkiller after the procedure and the next day I only had to take a couple of ibuprofen and that was it!  It really is amazing when you consider what they are doing.

I also noticed that when I started to exercise in the gym, I developed bone faster than when I wasn't exercising. The first implant was done before I started to weight train. So, if you are good with the diet and keep on moving like you do, it helps tremendously. Or maybe because I am almost 58, I notice the benefits more. 

[Gemini]

36 minutes ago, cristiana said:

That's so interesting, Gemini. I had no idea.  I have had trigeminal pain and my dentist thought it might be a tooth so I got an appointment to have the tooth filled - thinking that the appointment would take weeks to come through, but I was given a cancellation.  I wasn't thinking straight - normally I wouldn't go to the dentists with a cold but I forgot I had one!  Without thinking I had the work done but got a soft tissue towards the front of my mouth.  The pain was dreadful - it felt like someone had lit a cigarette under my lip.  I felt sure it was another tooth playing up at the front but it was the infection.  It took a good week to clear.  So thanks, will avoid treatment with a cold if I can in future.  

And just to say cyclinglady I really do sympathise.  Sending hugs for a quick recovery.  I found canker sore losenges soothing for the tissue infection.  They tasted a bit of cloves so I think the old remedies must be best!

 My boss had an implant done right after he had pneumonia.  I thought that was a bad idea but didn't say anything because many times, people don't like advice unless it is asked for.  Well.........nothing went right for him and he developed an infection and the implant failed. They had to remove it and start all over again. I told him he might want to wait until he was completely better from his bout of pneumonia.  The second time worked like a charm.

When you think about it, germs are like gluten. If you get a tiny speck of gluten in your mouth, it's everywhere and you get sick. That's all it takes.  Same with germs.  If you are not completely free from colds or illness in your gut or respiratory tract, they can get into your mouth and cause infection after dental work is done.  Maybe I am crazy but I swear by this and my dentist agrees. He says people have more complications with work done when they have been sick.

[cyclinglady]

18 hours ago, Stacy0w said:

Last April I experienced awful pain in my face. Sent me to the ER. Absessed wisdom tooth. Awful pain. Pain meds didn't touch it. They tried three kinds. Antibiotic to kill the infection. Didn't help. Took three before it started helping. A week later I had them pulled at an oral surgeon office. Miserable. Antibiotics destroyed my stomach which probably made everything worse. Pain meds did more so I ditched those then took ibuprofen at bedtime to try to sleep. Then I got dry socket. They had to pack it. OW. Started feeling more human then I got the stomach flu. April was not kind to me.  I blamed the endless awfulness on my body being stressed and having a hard time recovering from everything. I survived though!  Hope the end is in sight for you!

Ugh!  I am so sorry that this happened to you!  I am glad you recovered finally.  I think I will too.  Am taking lots of probiotics to offset the antibiotics.  I do think I will need another round.  

[cyclinglady]

Thank Cristiana and Gemini for the added tips and advice.  My infection started (or was noticed seven weeks ago).  I did take antibiotics, but the infection had spread from the tooth site.  Then I tried to retreat the tooth canal, but a cracked root meant it needed to be pullled as it was the source of the bacteria.  So, it never really was knocked out the first time because the tooth was still in.  With extraction and antibiotics, it looks like it is finally healing.  It probably would have healed much faster if I did not get the flu and then a cold!  

I agree that no medical procedure should be done when you are sick.  I used to reschedule even vaccinations, if my daughter was sick or just not feeling well.  

Again, glad that the implants did not impact your AI issues, Gemini.    That gives me piece of mind.  I might  have an allergy test prior for metals (either that or I repeatedly lick my titanium bike) prior to implants.  ?

Personally, my thyroid finally calmed down once I had been gluten free for a while.   Celiac disease probably kicked off my thyroid issues, but like so many, it went undiagnosed for decades!  

[icelandgirl]

Hi cyclinglady...just wanted to check on you to see how you are doing.  I hope you're feeling much better!

[cyclinglady]

2 hours ago, icelandgirl said:

Hi cyclinglady...just wanted to check on you to see how you are doing.  I hope you're feeling much better!

How sweet of you to think of me.  I am better!  The infection is going down and my cold is resolving.  One thing that celiac disease has taught me is to take one day at a time.  But I do fall off the wagon and forget what I preach on this forum -- patience!  

[icelandgirl]

I'm so glad to hear that!?  Patience is certainly a necessity for us, but sometimes you just need to vent!