Post wisdom teeth extraction questions

Question

So yea I got my wisdom teeth out wednesday (3 days ago) and yesterday I noticed that I had like a yellow stringy thing sticking out between the gums of my 1st and second lower on my lower left. I'm not sure if this is a stitch or not, but it seems unlikely since my stitches are black. Anyone know what it is? Everytime I brush or move it really, it tugs on the gums and makes them bleed.

Also, yesterday (2 days after my wisdom teeth were pulled), it felt like I had food in my teeth so I spit it out and it was like a tiny black sack thingy..... I mean I really have no idea how to explain it. You could push on it.......it basically resembled a tiny black heart to me. I know... I was scared too. Any ideas?

Answer 1

What happens if you try to CAREFULLYYYYYY remove it with a pair of tweezers??? Sounds to me like it could just be a piece of dental floss that got torn off while flossing. Most sutures are black....but the dental surgeon should have snipped it off short so that it would not bother you. After the teeth are removed it could take a few months for the hole to heal completely shut. Mine took many weeks and I did not get any sutures to close the holes. They just healed shut on their own.

If you are still unsure of what it is...call the dental office and explain it to the receptionist. She might be able to answer your questions, or ask the dentist what this really is.

Good Luck

Answer 2

I see you put me as one of your contacts.  Thank you for that.  Now to answer your question here.

When your wisdom teeth are pulled out (especially if they were partially or totally impacted), a fairly large hole is left.  To encourage that hole to fill in with your own tissue faster (called granulation), the dentist puts in some sutures in deeper tissue.  This is done with absorbable sutures.  The dentist chooses either Plain gut or Chromic gut.  Both of those have that yellow color to them.  A small "tail" is left when it is cut just above the knot.  There is nothing wrong with it and the dentist didn't do anything wrong by leaving a "tail" on the suture.  It will dissolve and fall out on it's own in a few weeks.  Don't try to pull it out.  If you did, you may have the hole open back up.  Sometimes they also put Nylon sutures in as well, but these are the black ones that are not absorbable and are meant to be taken out by the dentist at a later date such as a follow up visit.    Just continue to GENTLY brush over it.  You could just avoid brushing that area as well until it falls out on its own as long as you are frequently irrigating it with water.  

The tiny black sack thing that you are describing sounds like just an old blood clot.  Again, nothing to worry about.  

Continue to avoid using straws and sucking on things (such as cigarettes) as this may cause dry sockets.  The vacuum that is created in your mouth when you suck disrupts the granulation process in the socket (hole).  Rinse your mouth well after you eat.  Did they give you a syringe with a special tip to irrigate your gums?  

Good luck and happy healing.