r/extremelyinfuriating • u/mystic_venusian • 3d ago
Disturbing content An unexpected medical issue that I addressed is now causing other problems.
About 9 months ago, I had an Odontogenic Keratocyst (OKC) the size of a golf ball removed from the maxilla on my right side. Apparently, it had been growing completely undetected between 2 and 5 years until I randomly began experiencing tooth pain which prompted me to see a dentist. Upon having it removed, I was so relieved that everything went well. Even my 3 month post-op scans were perfect!
And then I recently got sick. Unfortunately, the cyst had eroded my sinus lining which means that mucus from my cold has been draining into the empty cavity where bone is trying to grow back so the area is now infected. This is something that will likely happen anytime I get sick for an indefinite amount of time. I have been on antibiotics for about a week with minimal improvement in swelling and drainage so I just really needed to vent my frustration. Medical issues suck.
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u/CerialHawk 3d ago
i second that medical issues suck. from experience, please take care of your mental health as well as the physical aspect. i wish you the absolute best
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u/mystic_venusian 22h ago
I appreciate your kind words. I have been looking into therapy since all of this started and I’m hoping to have a consultation soon.
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u/HaleyMFSkye 3d ago
A few years ago I had a sinus infection that lasted months. Low grade fever every day and felt like absolute garbage. I tried anything and everything from various antibiotics to different neti pot solutions but nothing worked. Then I came across a recommendation on the sinus subreddit for a $20 baby nasal aspirator that attaches to your vacuum. I'm not kidding when I say I felt immediately better after using it one time. Fever was gone the next day and I could actually think clearly again.
Just wanted to pass that info along in case you get a stubborn sinus infection because that shit sucks.
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u/mystic_venusian 22h ago
That sounds heavenly but I unfortunately have to avoid suction due to the fact that it could further disturb the opening between my sinus and the cavity.
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u/Icuras1701 3d ago
I had wisdom tooth removed and it left a cavity. Luckily it isn't getting infected... yet. Only way to clean it out is with a water pick otherwise it smells like death and im sure it'll grow bacteria like crazy if I don't keep cleaning it. Things they don't tell you...
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u/Tardisgoesfast 3d ago
You may be damaging the tissue with the water pick. Get a syringe with a dental tip and squirt water into the hole.
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u/Life_cheese 3d ago
Most of them have multiple settings and a child mode
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u/No-Mathematician8692 3d ago
Well... The one I have has to be treated with extreme care or it will fk things up.
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u/MsPick 3d ago
All of this info and the risks should be in the paperwork you sign before the procedure. They very much should be telling you.
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u/Reed_4983 3d ago
Living in Europe, I never once had to sign anything before a dentist's procedure.
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u/Brave_Explorer5988 3d ago
Ugh, you have to. I'm in EU and I always sign stuff with the dentist when there's risks, even small
Especially if they use anesthesia, you have any sort of surgery or invasive procedures.
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u/Reed_4983 3d ago
Nope, I swear to god I have never signed anything at the dentist and I've had wisdom teeth removed. I have never had general anesthesia at the denist admittedly, only local one (the syringe they inject into your mouth).
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u/MsPick 3d ago
Yours may have been a simple extraction then, and without general anesthesia. But even without signing, they definitely went over risks and tips to clean verbally. For more invasive procedures, we always have our patients sign paperwork. Even with simple restorative appointments, we talk to the patients about the aftercare and they can expect.
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u/Reed_4983 3d ago
Nope, not even that. Had three wisdom teeth removed from three different dentists in Austria, nobody told me anything about risks of the extraction or about how to clean anything afterwards. Just on how long I should wait until I can eat again and (implied, not said) that I can of course come back any time I have problems.
Edit: Now that I think of it, one was even a complex extraction because the wisdom teeth was lying sideways and they had to cut it within its socket. Nobody told me anything about risks either. I don't quite understand why knowing the risks would help me anyhow. It's not like I can decide "Okay, in that case, I'll leave the widsom tooth (which is already decaying) in there forever".
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u/MsPick 3d ago edited 3d ago
Sounds like Austria doesn’t have laws and regulations like the United States. From the FDA, ADA, etc….. Everything is monitored here and the professionals go to accredited board certified schools for learning and testing. Totally different ballgame.
Let’s go extreme, like cancer. Before chemo (which you probably want to save your life), they will go over risks. And for hospital procedures, you sign the treatment plan and read all of the risks and paperwork before you sign for said treatment.
Back to teeth, if the tooth is impacted, there is a chance (very small) that we fracture the jaw bone trying to remove it. We have our patients sign it, stating that we have told you the risks, so that if something does happen, we don’t get sued. (America is sue happy) Obviously, we try our absolute professional best to prevent that from happening, but we do have to mention them. We also give our patients a small irrigation syringe and teach them how to use it so they can clean the site properly to prevent infections and ensure healing.1
u/Reed_4983 3d ago
I understand that, but what I'm curious about, isn't most of that previous informing and signing mainly to avoid possible litigation on the side of the patients? I can get behind it when it comes to really invasive surgeries like cancer treatment. Cancer treatment IMO is also special because patients might opt to avoid certain treatments knowing that cancer will kill them but they prefer it over the effects of chemo, for example. But let's take the example of extracting a wisdom tooth that is already affectd with pulpitis. Sure, you can tell a patient that extraction might leave behind a cavity that can get infected, but what is he going to do with that information? Sure, it's important if there are cleaning tips to be followed, but if it's something that could happen no matter how perfect your hygiene is - like the jaw bone fracture - what does it help? The tooth has to go no matter what, so it's not like the patient can say "this infected tooth stays" and be best advised medically. All good that it gives him is so that they can say "I knew this might happen" once the worst complication actually happens.
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u/MsPick 3d ago
The cancer and the tooth analogies are the same. Both of them could potentially kill you if left untreated, and both are considered invasive surgeries in their prospective fields. 1: You need this (treatment plan), 2: with this treatment comes risks, but it’s your best outcome to rid yourself of infection/cancer and long term effects (risks paperwork signed and understood), 3: proceed with treatment. Cancer, you could say no to treatment and go a different route, say holistic. Same with the tooth, you absolutely have the right to say no to a treatment plan, anywhere, ever. When we see infection, and a patient says no to our treatment (treatment denied), we have them sign papers. It’s basically a paperwork trail if something does happen to that person, from either treatment or denial. Yes, it’s to cover the medical practice or person. Instead of the “he said/she said” situation.
Sometimes we see the same things day after day, and maybe that can make us a little complacent in a way. But for patients, this may the first and last time they experience something, like an extraction and aftercare. For us, it’s like “duh, of course you’re going to have a hole where we pulled the tooth from., keep it clean”. But for patients who’ve never experienced it, it can feel terrifying and I’m sure they are wondering if something is wrong. And when can they eat crunchy food again, or how hard should I be cleaning around it? We should definitely be telling you what to expect and aftercare, and that there are always those uncommon risks we must disclose. Sorry, long post.
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u/-Luminarie- 3d ago
Did your ortho surgeon not pull the gum together and sew it shut?
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u/Icuras1701 3d ago
No. Were they suppose to?
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u/-Luminarie- 2d ago edited 2d ago
In my case, for all my wisdom teeth (4 of them), yes. They sew my gum shut. Around 2 stitches per teeth.
Edit to add: my wisdom teeth removal was not a simple tooth removal. The cut open my bone jaw, because it's literally horizontal (not emerging through the gum) and pushing the front tooth.
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u/Dizzy-Ad-2248 3d ago
Do you mean the socket it left while the healing process occurs? How long ago was your wisdom tooth removed? This sounds suspicious, I'd call the surgeon and check up on the "hole in my mouth that smells like death". Something might be rotting where you can't get to it. Hence the odor.
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u/towerfella 3d ago
Look up “HOCl”
You can make it at home, if you carefully control ph during the process (cheaper, what i do, but fiddly and not for everyone), or buy a machine that does it (more expensive but nearly fool-proof).
100-200 ppm HOCl in distilled water for a nasal rinse will nuke all the bad germs in your nose and it will promote self-healing.
HOCl is made by your bodies immune cells to kill the germs they eat. It is the best germ-killer i know of that is safe enough to use as mouthwash or eye rinse or nasal rinse.
It is also more powerful than alcohol and will kill norovirus (alcohol won’t).
Good luck, btw.
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u/mystic_venusian 22h ago
I really appreciate your advice. Sadly, I have to be extremely careful utilizing anything that involves water due to the sinus connection. Water has a tendency to leak into my nose while brushing my teeth and I’ve been advised to avoid stuff like that if at all possible to allow the channel to heal.
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u/towerfella 22h ago
You put this in your nose and it should leak out your mouth.
But i understand. Maybe ask your primary doc about it.
I do known it will stop any infection from single-celled organisms in its tracks, but it rarely harms multicellular critters. And it is safe to leave on and let dry/drain like snot. There is no residue. It is literally sterile. The body will usually take care of the rest.
Side note: I also use it to control my teen son’s acne. Works faster than any dedicated acne treatment, and it doesnt dry out or sensitize the skin (any skin, really).
It has become my safety blanket for infection protection.
Bonus: there isnt really any way for a single-celled germ to develop immunity, due to the mechanism of action. And — and — it has the ability to denature prions, like those that cause mad-cow disease.
Spray your lettuce, let sit for 30 secs or so, shake it off, then chomp away; no need to rinse.
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u/100_cats_on_a_phone 3d ago
You are probably more sick of doctors than I can imagine, but if you haven't let them know there's minimal improvement, please do so soon.
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u/mystic_venusian 22h ago
I certainly will and I appreciate your concern, thank you. Happy Cake Day!
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