# Weirdness after wisdom tooth removal **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 11, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719 "2006-12-11T19:21:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/1 "2006-12-11T19:21:32Z")
Before I ask my question, I **promise** (cross my heart and hope to die) to see my dentist if I start having discomfort, significant bleeding, or any other significant symptoms. šŸ˜ƒ Regardless, Iā€™ll be seeing my dental hygienist next month. That formality out of the road - a few weeks ago I had a wisdom tooth extracted. It came out more easily than I expected (I thought teeth were fastened in more tightly than that). One piece broke, but my dentist fished around in there and got it out. I got the tooth as a souvenir, and to my very unprofessional eyes nothing else is broken off it. Now that the gum has healed, if I feel in there with my tongue or my finger, it almost feels as though there is a tooth under the gum - something very hard and somewhat pointy below the surface of the gum. If Iā€™m a little too vicious with my electric toothbrush, it does bleed a little in that vicinity (I canā€™t tell if it bleeds exactly there or some place nearby). Any ideas what might be going on? Is my jawbone shaped funny? Is there actually a tooth or a piece of tooth (like I said, it **looked like** everything came out) under the gum? ---
**Author:** ![FRDE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e68b1a/32.png) [@FRDE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FRDE)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/2 "2006-12-11T19:29:53Z")
It sounds like a bit of tooth or bone. I had one appear from no where, my dentist said it would work itself out. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/3 "2006-12-11T21:58:32Z")
Ditto. I had a nasty ulcer on my gum and within a week or so a chip of bone worked its way out - never did know the original cause. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/4 "2006-12-11T22:10:50Z")
When I had my wisdom teeth out, I did some reading and learned that it is not uncommon for bone chips and tooth shards to make their appearance some time after the extraction. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/5 "2006-12-11T22:15:48Z")
OK - Thanks. I suspect thatā€™s it. Iā€™ll leave it (other than mentioning it to my hygienist next month) until it causes me problems. With a little luck itā€™ll behave itself long enough for me to get another job that has dental insurance as a benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/6 "2006-12-12T02:15:51Z")
My bet is with the others - itā€™s likely bone fragment. Iā€™ve had a couple come out like that. ---
**Author:** ![Gorgonzola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@Gorgonzola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgonzola)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/7 "2006-12-12T02:47:42Z")
Did you have a follow-up appointment with the dental surgeon? There is always the possibility of [dry socket](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_socket) following a good-sized extraction. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/8 "2006-12-12T04:43:42Z")
My oral surgeon actually advised me to scrub the area with my toothbrush and/or gauze to, er, ease the passage of a bone fragment to the surface. Whether it helped or not I canā€™t say; Iā€™m not even sure it came out (as distinct from being absorbed in some way) but it did go away in a while. ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/9 "2006-12-12T06:17:46Z")
I can empathize because I had all four removed this past Friday. The nitrous oxide was a trip. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/10 "2006-12-12T15:06:19Z")
[QUOTE=Gorgonzola] Did you have a follow-up appointment with the dental surgeon? There is always the possibility of [dry socket](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_socket) following a good-sized extraction. [/QUOTE] I didnā€™t see a dental surgeon - my ordinary dentist pulled it. I read about dry socket shortly after getting the tooth pulled; in my very non-professional opinion I donā€™t have dry socket (or at least, no symptoms indicative of it). ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/11 "2006-12-12T16:03:19Z")
Another case here of a bone chip working its way out. It bothered me for a while as it was scratching my tongue. it came out as I picked at it with a finger. A little blood but no problems. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/12 "2006-12-12T17:01:07Z")
My dentist told me that when bone in the mouth is exposed to air, it will often shed a chip or two. Itā€™s a natural process, and your own body will decide how long it takes. Keep your dentist informed; if it gets tender or takes a long time, your doc may decide to give you a healing rinse or antibiotics to use. It has happened a couple of times to me. The skin stretched over my bony gums is rather thin, so I have to be careful eating stiff, crunchy stuff such as Fritos. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/13 "2006-12-12T18:57:16Z")
The correct term is **bone spicules** , according to my hygenist Mom. Theyā€™ve happened to me, and while not particularly painful, are annoying. A good DDS should be able to remove them. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/14 "2006-12-12T19:08:52Z")
Thanks again to everyone! I didnā€™t realize my ā€œproblemā€ was so common. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weirdness-after-wisdom-tooth-removal/383719/15 "2006-12-31T15:27:02Z")
Sorry to bump this thread after so long, but I had to comment. Whatever that ā€œpointyā€ thing under my gum was, it is definitely going away! Nothing has come through the gum, but it is most definitely almost gone; I canā€™t feel it any more with my tongue, and if I stick my finger it there it just feels like the bone is shaped a little bit funny; definitely not pointy at all any more. Weird! If I remember Iā€™ll mention it when I have my hygienist appointment, but only as an interesting bit of ā€œtriviaā€.