cheek STUCK to extraction site? Scared...

[scaredoftheangel]

I'm a 20 yo female in really good health. On Wednesday 2/6 I had all four wisdom teeth removed. Extractions went fine; I never took so much as a tylenol post-extraction.

Late last night (2/7) I noticed my cheek appeared to be stuck to the extraction site on my lower left side (the only one the oral surgeon said was at all hard to remove). I went into the office today as a walk in and waited forever to be seen. Finally a dentist looked in my mouth and said I was healing fantastically, but yes, my cheek was stuck to my gum there. He suggested I go home and use a warm saline solution to 'loosen' the area and then pull the cheek away.

I tried this--several times. All I've gotten is pain, bleeding and nothing involving the separation of cheek and gum. They are now not in the office until TUESDAY (2/12!) and I am scared out of my wits. I am a singer by trade and anything involving my mouth frightens me.

The dentist actually refused to separate the cheek himself, which also makes me nervous. A different office in the same practice has very early hours tomorrow (2/9), but only until noon and it is some distance from my house. I do not drive and have to rely on getting  a ride.

What should I do? Should I be concerned? Am I just not 'pulling' hard enough? Should I go in tomorrow or should I wait it out? I am worried that pulling the cheek away will open the wound and cause it to not heal or get dry socket....

They cancelled my one week checkup because my extraction sites are so well healed, but I am uncomfortably not going in next week to have then check.

Please help me before I give myself a heart attack with the anxiety!

[Cody_7]

Hi again,

II just got back from the dentist and he reports that the wounds are healing well, and it's normal for the cheek to be swollen over the extraction area because of the way it was stitched. So he said not to worry -- Simply continue rinsing with salt water, etc. So to anyone else who's noticed they have this problem, it might not be so abnormal after all!

[Cody_7]

Well, I'm going back to the dentist today and see what he has to say. I was getting a bit worried because it's been this way for 3 days now... I'm afraid if it isn't pulled apart soon that it will continue to heal with the cheek "stuck" in there.

[scottma]

The condition described is probably the result of tight suturig of surgical wound. Genrally the suture will be removed a week later. Sometimes the suture will get loose after a couple of days.  My patients occasionally reported similar condition as you described. However, it generally happened in the first night of surgery. The tight sensation disappears in the following day.

[Cody_7]

Hi,

I'm an 18 yo male and just had all four wisdom teeth extracted as well. Tonight, about 3 days after the extraction, I noticed my cheek was stuck onto one of the lower extraction sites like you mentioned. I'm scared to death also -- my mom is going to call the dentist tomorrow. I'm afraid that if I pull it apart it will remove the clot and start bleeding again, and increase my risk of dry socket.

Angel, how did you get your situation resolved?

- Thanks, Cody-7

[chizzle]

Make sure you are keeping your mouth well hydrated.  Keep rinsing w/ the salt water & try using your tongue to loosen the area.  If your doctor was worried about your disturbing the healing, he would not have told you to separate it your self, or cancel your next appointment.  Don't be worried, your just had surgery on your mouth, things are a little bit disturbed, but everything will eventually go back to normal.