Okay, so I had a bad dental experience last Thursday. I had to get my tooth taken out (twice). If you haven’t read about my agony (with some humor), you can read it here. And does anyone find it funny that they tell you NOT to put your tongue in the extraction hole….and yet….WHILE they are telling you that….the first thing you do is stick your tongue in there? lol
I’ve chronicled my ‘healing process’ in photos.
Forgive the yellowing on my teeth, I haven’t been able to brush as well near the extraction site. Btw, looking for a good oral surgeon in Northeast Ohio? Try Dr. Michael Hudec, in Middleburg Hts. He’s a credit to his profession. He fixed the mess that was left by the dentist. He has a clean office, is nice, friendly and most important….HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING. (which I’ve come to realize is, ummm, very important!)
DAY 2 (Day after extraction)
Most of the pain was from the 1st dentist who apparently was not experienced enough to pull this tooth and after pulling parts of it, decided to send me to an oral surgeon when she couldn’t get it all out.
I think one of the hardest things is not being able to blow my nose. Something to do with ‘negative pressure’ which can cause the blood clot inside the empty tooth socket to get blown out and creating a very painful dry socket. Apparently even though I was stuffed full with bone grafting material, I could still have this problem??
DAY 3
*Note: What is this white stuff? Is it possibly new tissue growth? It’s creepy. It feels like a weightless gel. Like, if you touch it with your tongue, it feels like ‘nothing’. Unless you look in a mirror as you touch it, it doesn’t feel like you’re actually touching anything.
DAY 4
The stitches are realllly annoying. You can sorta see one of them in the second pic here between the weird white stuff and the tooth above it.
Weird white creepy gel like stuff is ‘growing’ or getting larger in overall area (I think)
DAY 5
Looking better, feeling fine. You can see one of the stitches very well in these pics. I think that annoying little ‘ball’ is the end of the stitch….and in the second pic you can see a full stitch (and the ball at the end) running along side one of my teeth. NOTE: Where did all that creepy white stuff go? I went to bed, it was there. Woke up…gone. I checked on my pillowcase and it wasn’t there. hmmmmm. I think I swallowed it. YUCK! I no longer think this was new developing tissue, I’m pretty sure it was dead tissue. Which is even nastier if I swallowed it in my sleep. OMG.
Everyone is probably enjoying the fact that I still cannot yell. (which sucks, because I’m good at that)
DAY 6
Looks like I’m healing quite nicely if I do say so m’self! All 3 stitches are now visable. And that big ball on the end of the one stitch is more annoying than ever as it flaps a little as the swelling keeps going down. Still have a small bit of decomposition or whatever that funky stuff is…but I’m sure I’ll be digesting that in my sleep tonight. (Thank God I’m on a strong antibiotic or I would have all kinds of freaky visions, lol)
I'm Sheila. In addition to raising 1 husband and 3 teens, I've founded 
Like everybody else above, thank you for posting those pictures. Had a back-top tooth yanked out piece by piece on yesterday afternoon. Already seeing that white icky stuff and was worried. So like everybody else I googled. Appreciate you helping out. Gift that keeps on giving!
I have to say, you are my hero! After I read your post and everyone’s comments, a big amount of stress was lifted off my shoulders. The ‘white stuff’ scared me half to death, and like everyone else, I thought it wasn’t something normal. I wanted to wash it away but I couldn’t because my braces would scratch my lips and it got infected; no way was I going to rinse with mouthwash! I would cry my eyes out. Then i tried water but my dentist said i couldn’t vigorously rinse, so there was that. Being 13 with 4 tooth extractions and new braces, I couldn’t be more relieved and happy to finally find this! Many thanks!
Your pics are very helpful. I too jus had my tooth pulled out six days ago & was seeing the white tissue formation. I jus wanted to make sure my healin process was normal. Thxs for doin a pictorial.
Had a wisdom tooth out yesterday after it got infected and like everyone else, was wondering what the white stuff was (as it was sort of dark red/black yesterday) I was thinking that the clot had fallen out and that it could lead to a dry socket, so thanks for posting the pictures. I had an ear infection (opposite side though) just before Christmas and this just at New Year. Aggh
Just googled this Website http://www.identalhub.com/dental-what-is-dry-socket-879.aspx and they are using your Day 2 photo as an example of Day 3 Dry Socket!!!!!
sheila Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Wow. Thank you Mike for letting me know this. I’m shocked that first of all they never asked to use my photo, and then they use it in an improper form. Knuckleheads. lol. I left a comment on there, thank you for letting me know. And just to clarify… this pictorial on my site is of a NORMAL healing process, NOT a dry socket. My photo that Dental Hub is ‘borrowing’ is NOT of a dry socket. ughhh.
Socket to ‘em Sheila. lol
sheila Reply:
January 4th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
@Mike,
HA! Socket – to em! Now THAT is pretty funny! Thanks for the laugh! I still can’t believe someone stole my photo! And one of my tooth much less. That’s just weird.
Thanks for this i had a tooth pulled out yesterday which i wasnt expecting and the dentist just gave me an A4 sheet of paper of things i should do and what i cant do but he didnt tell me what would happen so when saw the white stuff today i was freaked out and thought it was an infection but im glad that its normal because i would have started prodding around it n probably infecting it myself! Thank You So Much!
This is an excellent site. I am a real hypochondriac and it’s been 3 days since the extraction. I’m sure every ache and pain is dry socket. You’re pictures reassured me that the white stuff was normal..Thanks thanks thanks. I rest easier.
sheila Reply:
January 19th, 2012 at 2:11 pm
@pb,
you are welcome, you are welcome, you are welcome.
I’m only on day 2 and it looks exactly like your day 2 picture. Thank you for posting!! I was kinda worried it was food that was lodged in there and i even tried gently swishing salt water to remove it…glad i found your pictorial
well i just got my lower front tooth pulled and its been two days and it has this white stuff inside is it food? should i call the doctor?
OMG THANK YOU FOR THAT PICTORIAL! I was so scared i had an infection! was ready to run to the dentist… unfortunately, i picked at mine with a qtip and toook some of the white stuff off… and now its hurting a little bit. Think its ok. I can still see the clot there underneath, but took some pain meds too… I think i irritated the site now.
sheila Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 5:12 pm
@SACHEEN,
Oh my goodness! lol Sounds like something I would have done, lol. I would keep a handle on that pain and if it gets really bad call your dentist.
Good Luck and hope you feel better!
Thank you so much for posting!!! Three hours after surgery I actually found that white stuff (collagen) coming out and it looked like I had another tooth… I called up the oral surgeon office (after hours) telling them my concern and they had me come back in on Saturday to have a stick added.
As with many of you I also had a large infection present where my #14 tooth was removed and bone grafting was placed. I am scared to death I will get another infection since this specific infection has been haunting me for 1-1/2 years (not to mention the 4 previous infections this tooth gave me) and it never goes away even after 5 rounds of antibiotics!!! I actually see a small white dot at the top of my gums which is terrifying but it doesn’t hurt at all and it’s not getting worse, so I guess I will find out at my follow-up. Fingers Crossed!!!
These pictures have really put my mind at ease. I am on Day 5 and I was sure I had puss or something coming out of my wound but it looks just like your picture. Thank you for putting my mind at ease
Hi there…Thank you so much for this aswell! I was worried it was puss! I just wanted to know..does ure mouth taste a tiny bit funny?? or did the socket taste a tiny bit funny??
xxx
sheila Reply:
January 25th, 2012 at 6:21 am
@sophie,
I think whenever you have work like this done, your mouth will taste funny because you’re just not able to get in there and clean like you normally would.
Happy Healing!
I’d just like join in and say thank you for posting these pics. I had a wisdom and the molar next to it extracted yesterday morning (it’s now evening) and I’ve got that white stuff developing and thought I might be getting an infection (have no significant pain or fever). You’ve put my mind at ease.
As everyone has said thank you. This page has been a bible for me since I got 6 teeth pulled last friday and one surgically removed today. What can I say I’m an overachiever? I chose dentalworks in north olmsted and they did a decent job, especially today, still no pain. Last friday different story that guy treated me like a ragdoll. But thank you for posting this.
Thank you so much for the documented pictures of your healing journey.
Along with others, I was also starting to panic over the layer of white stuff, whether it was food or such.
It’s been eight days since my back lower molar was abstracted and the pain and swelling was managable for the first two to three days and have all but dissappeared now.
On day two I noticed this layer of white stuff and started to panic a bit, but all else was healing fine, non to little pain or little swelling, yet the white stuff was alarming somewhat. Today- there is only a small patch of the white stuff left.
HOLY BEJEEBUS…. I AM NORMAL!!!! LOL… I was panicking…about to call my dentist tomorrow (3 days after molar extraction) and tell him I was suffering from dry socket and gawd only knows what else… but now I know all is good under my hood…thanks ya tons
TAHNKYOU SOOO MUCH i was freaking out that the white stuff was an infection especially since i was bleeding for 8 hours straight after my extractions!! i had them two days ago and the white stuff is just starting to form. im still not sure if im allowed to brush my teeth because they feel all fury and gross, also im still slurring my words like crazzzzyyyyy!!! hopefully things get better if god wills.