What causes pain and white patch after extraction?

Question

Hello doctor,

I have a white patch and pain near my tooth. The pain is not recurring. Sometimes, a little throat pain occurs on the left side, but nothing alarming. I wanted to mention that I was exposed to cold weather and used to smoke on and off. I am not smoking for the last few days. The white patches look a little prominent in the morning, but when I gargle with salt water, they seem to be less or sometimes cannot be seen. If I press my cheek from outside over my tooth, there is a little pain in the tooth area.

Kindly help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Thank you for your query.

I understand your concern.

Your upper left wisdom tooth looks to be impacted, and it is also buccally erupted, causing a cheek bite, as you can see white marks. So you need to get an OPG (orthopantomography) X-ray done to clarify if your wisdom tooth is impacted; if yes, you should perform an extraction.

Also would like to ask you a few questions:

Does your cheek sometimes come in between your teeth while eating?
Do you also feel pain around the ear or side of the head region?
I would suggest you to get the X-ray done, and you can send it to me so that I can confirm if it is a tooth problem.

I hope this has helped you.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

Yes, it sometimes happens in cases of cheek bites due to keratinization. I suggest you follow a few instructions mentioned below.

Do warm salt water rinses three to four times a day.
Avoid smoking.

I hope this has helped you.

Thank you.

Answer 3

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

As I had suspected, this is impacted and also there seems to be caries in the upper left last molar (attachment removed to protect the patient's identity), it should be extracted. Also would like to tell you that your lower left and right molars are also impacted, it should also be extracted else it might damage the tooth in front of it.

I hope that you get your answer.

Please let me know if you need any help.

Thank you.

Answer 4

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

Continue salt water mouth rinses. Once your wisdom tooth is extracted then you will not have a cheek bite and eventually, your white patch should disappear in some time. I would also advise you to abstain from smoking or any other habit.

So the dentist has advised extraction of only upper or both upper and lower left third molars?

I hope that you get your answer.

Please let me know if you need any help.

Thank you.

Answer 5

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

The white patch will go away gradually, do not worry. I would like to know a few things:

1. Did the doctor not advise antibiotics?

2. The extraction was done for both the upper and lower wisdom teeth or only upper?

Few things to take care of:

1. Avoid having anything hot for a week.

2. Have cold food and drinks and avoid acidic or aerated drinks.

3. Avoid hard, spicy, and crunchy food.

4. Continue warm salt water mouth rinses three times a day for a week.

5. Avoid brushing in that area to avoid injury to the extraction socket.

6. But at the same time it is imperative to maintain good oral hygiene which you need to do by gently swishing the area with warm salt water after eating anything.

7. Rinse your mouth gently with chlorhexidine mouthwash in the morning and night by diluting 10 ml of mouthwash with an equal volume of warm water.

Orajel (painkiller gel) is basically a medicated gel to soothe gums and oral tissues. You can use this but more importantly, the above-mentioned instructions will help you to get better much faster.

Please revert with the answers so that I can help.

Thank you.

Answer 6

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

The white patch seems to be decreasing (attachments removed to protect patient identity), it does not look to be a matter of concern. Still, I would advise you to just get a follow-up and examination done with the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. I think the dentist who extracted your teeth must be an oral surgeon and so far as I remember he had also said that it is due to a cheek bite and it will be fine gradually.

Sometimes what happens is you need to touch and feel these types of lesions to know the texture and firmness. Just by looking at it, it would be a little difficult to give a perfect diagnosis. However, it does not look like anything that you should worry about. You can observe it for another two weeks and then let me know if it is getting better. I will let you know the need to get it evaluated.

Do you have smoking or any other habit? Do You have pain, burning sensation, or irritation in that area?

Please revert with the answers so that I can guide you better.

Thank you.

Answer 7

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

I read your query and understand your concern.

Yes, I would urge you to try and quit it. It is not at all good for oral as well as overall health. It would be best to consult once, just to be sure, let me know about the update.

I hope that you get your answer.

Please let me know if you need any help.

Thank you.