I got my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday morning and I'm noticing white stuff around where it was stitched

Question

White stuff around where the wisdom tooth was pulled. Is it just tissue healing? I got all 4 pulled by an oral surgeon. My cheeks still look like a chipmunk and my jaw hurts a little so I can't really open it. Also under my neck is a little swollen. How long will it take for the swelling to go down? I know the white stuff isn't any food or gauze cuz it wasn't there when I took the gauze out after the first day. Someone please tell me what it is. I've also been gently moving salt water around in my mouth.

Answer 1

White stuff?  Meaning a sticky fluid oozing from the area?  Could be an infection, but not likely, because you just had them removed yesterday.

The swelling will go down in a few days and the aching in your jaw should subside in a few days as well.

You just had surgery.  There was alot of trauma done to your jaw and mouth.

Ice packs and a combo of tylenol and advil will help ease the discomfort.  Take 2 tylenol and 2 advil every 4 - 6 hrs. (if you don't have a script for something stronger)

Do you have stitches?  If so, this could just be the gum tissue healing.  

Even if you don't have stitches, this could be the tissue healing.  If there is no puss seaping from the area, you should be OK.  

If the area becomes extremely painful, call the oral surgeon right away!  You may have dry socket (if you don't have stitches).

Dry socket occurs when the blood clot is dislodged from the extraction site.  This exposes the bone, which causes alot of pain.

I hope that you didn't rinse, spit, brush or make any kind of sucking  action for the first 24 hrs.  This is important!  Any of those actions can lead to dry socket.

Rinsing with salt water is great~  :)  You're probably OK!  :)  Just follow the oral surgeons instructions!  :)

Answer 2

I just got one of my wisdom teeth pulled two days ago, and I have the exact same thing. I thought the same thing to myself also -- I knew it wasn't gauze or food. I worried it was infection too. Though, it doesn't seem like it is...the pain is starting to go away a bit and I don't notice any puss coming out, but I can't really tell. I hope this stuff goes away soon.

Answer 3

i just got all four of mine out too, on Monday.  my jaw/cheeks have been so swollen i couldn't see in my mouth (because i could barely open it) until tonight when i used a flashlight to try to look in there.  i noticed the exact same thing, though i still can't open my mouth much so it's hard to tell exactly what the white patches are.  i have no idea what's going on in there...but it still hurts a LOT. i go in for my follow up appointment tomorrow so if i find out what they are i'll let you know!  

Answer 4

its normal, just wait a few days and the swelling will go down

Answer 5

Call your oral surgeon and ask if there were any signs of infection.  This is important to catch right away if so.