[Melissaholds]

I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed one week ago.

Everything seemed to be progressing well. I began to get food lodged in these bottom sockets quite often.. mostly spaghetti-o's or noddles from chicken noodle soup. So, I have been eating soft foods even a week after.

I would swish violently trying to get the trapped food out, I tried hard, but nothing worked. Decided to get a medicine syringe and just squirt the food out. Which worked wonders! But, unfortunately I got a little rough with the bottom left socket. It began to hurt from just the stream of water hitting it. Now I am feeling very dull pain in there when I drink water, or if I inhale enough air.

Thankfully the pain is not bad at all, but I wonder if it may be the start of a dry socket?

The right socket looks to be healing rather well. The left socket seems to have either bone mass, or maybe it's not bone mass but clotting, or it could be part of the stitching.. directly at the top of the socket. But just underneath it you can see a deep dark hole.

Not sure if I am on my way slowly to a dry socket, or if this is normal healing? Maybe someone one on here will be able to relate?

Not to mention that I began to come down with a cold just yesterday - day 6.. Burning sinuses, can't sleep. And today my nose is crazy stuffed and runny, which doesn't add to keeping things safe with healing with having to blow my nose constantly and sneezing hard from time to time. Blah.

[Wondergirl]

Didn't you get after-care instruction sheets from the dentist? A dry socket should be described and info on treatment would be mentioned.

From webmd.com --

If you suspect a dry socket, return to your dentist. He will clean the tooth socket, removing any debris from the hole, and then fill the socket with a medicated dressing or a special paste to promote healing. You'll probably have to come back to the dentist's office every day for a dressing change until the socket starts to heal and your pain lessens. Your dentist may prescribe antibiotics to prevent the socket from becoming infected.

What Is Dry Socket? Symptoms and Treatment

[teacherjenn4]

I was not allowed to violently swish or use a syringe. If those were not instructions from your dentist or you suspect dry socket, get a recheck appointment.

[tickle]

Bad move to syringe. It is expected that some food will end up on the extraction site, the point is not poking around or doing anything unusual to try and get it out. If you see a dark mass that is clotting and is the healing process, when you don't see that, it is dry socket. Call your dentist.