Should I set these wisdom teeth clots free?

January 11, 2009 9:52 AM

WisdomTeethFilter: I had my bottom two out yesterday afternoon. After changing the gauze the first time, I noticed I had little stringy, thin tissues hanging from each hole. I called my surgeon, who said losing these initial clots was normal and not dry socket. Problem is, they haven't dissolved or broken off like I hoped. I'm worried they'll end up pulling up my real clots out. So, should I cut them? Pull them? Leave 'em be?

They're long enough to sort of feel curling below my gums or in my cheek. Also, they don't taste great. Has anyone else had this? I will do pretty much anything to avoid dry socket.

posted by miniminimarket to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

Those are common. I had them after my wisdom teeth were removed and they disintegrated over the course of a few days; I had no problems with dry socket. I wouldn't mess with them any more than you absolutely have to.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 10:06 AM on January 11, 2009

It took a few days for mine to go away, too. I was constantly wanting to cut them out, but I decided to wait, which was likely best.
posted by vernondalhart at 10:11 AM on January 11, 2009

Just leave them alone, it's the best thing to do. I also had all four of my wisdom teeth surgically removed, and the surgeon said that it was normal, and to leave them alone.
posted by QueenHawkeye at 10:16 AM on January 11, 2009

Same when I had my wisdom teeth out. It was weird for a few days, but they disappeared soon after.
posted by sektah at 10:16 AM on January 11, 2009

I would recommend leaving them alone, when I had my wisdom teeth out I'm not sure what I did but I got dry sockets. This was by far the worst pain I have even been in. Avoid it at all costs.
posted by DJWeezy at 10:27 AM on January 11, 2009

Leave them alone. You really just do not want to be messing with anything back there.
posted by lunasol at 10:37 AM on January 11, 2009

They could just be gum trauma, bits of tissue dislodged by having teeth yanked, or from the stitching, or from any of the implements they used to get them out. I am firmly in the leave 'em be camp.
posted by cjorgensen at 10:42 AM on January 11, 2009

Best answer: This happened to me when I was a kid and my dad insisted on trying to cut them. He got out the scissors but they weren't sharp enough; all he succeeded in doing was pulling on them really hard (which HURT!); they did not come out easily. So, I don't recommend you attempt pulling or cutting.
posted by PercussivePaul at 11:26 AM on January 11, 2009

For comfort reasons, I soaked my gauze in saline solution (like for contacts) before sticking it in my mouth (so it wouldn't get *stuck* to the clots and was the same pH as the rest of my mouth). Perhaps if you try something like this, the clots will dissolve faster.

That would be my only recommendation beyond DON'T PICK AT THEM.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 12:44 PM on January 11, 2009

Leave them alone.

Your whole mouth is going to taste like crap for at least another week. This is normal.

If you think something abnormal might be going on, don't talk to AskMe; talk to your surgeon.
posted by flabdablet at 3:23 PM on January 11, 2009

Response by poster: They turned out to be pieces of my mouth stitches (which I didn't know I had) mixed with a little bit of bloody tissue. They dissolved after a few days. Or I ate them. Either way I am dry socket free, PercussivePaul's story convinced me to leave them alone.
posted by miniminimarket at 12:42 PM on February 10, 2009