A visit to the dentist today...

[Tradd]

and I end up with air pockets in my cheek!

Backstory: my company is merging with another one on Nov. 1st. If you have money in your FSA, you have to have treatment by Oct. 31st at the latest. New company not doing FSA, so it's use it or lose it. I had $1800 (of $3000) left. So, I've been doing a bunch o'dental visits (I've got genetically cruddy teeth).

Spent 90 minutes this morning with my mouth wide open for the dentist to try and get to the very back on the top on one side. During the visit, I notice he's poking my cheek a lot. Well, he saw a lot of swelling and needed to hear the "crackle" from the air pockets to be sure of what it was. Working in the very back in tight quarters, one of the instruments scraped the inside of my mouth a bit and that's how the dentist thinks the air got into my cheek.

It's called subcutaneous emphysema. Look it up. Kinda scary. Dentist gave me strong antibiotics, just in case, and told me that in rare cases the air pockets go down to the neck and could cause difficulty breathing. If that was the case, go to the ER ASAP!

Swelling has gone down a lot, but I've still got air pockets. I'm sore, but it's in my jaw from it being open so much during the appointment.

I had fun freaking out my coworkers this afternoon with the crackling cheek! It sounds like crinkled tissue or Rice Krispies!

My life is waaaayyyy too interesting lately!

[CathyA]

Hmmmm.....I've had tons of dental work and never got this. Do you trust your dentist's abilities?? This doesn't make any sense to me.
As a critical care RN, I've had patients with subcu air in their chests, but never their cheeks. Very curious. I think I'd get a second opinion.

[shadowmoss]

Hmmmm. I'm having a ton of work done by a local Honduran dentist who I trust. So far I've had the back two teeth on both sides one upper and both lower set up with crowns, and 3 of the teeth had root canals. No crackling cheeks. Sounds... unusual.

[Tradd]

I've had tons of work done by this dentist with no prob. The issue was that he was working on very last tooth on left side on top. And on the side of that tooth at end of jaw. I have a very small mouth and dentists have always had major issues working on my back teeth. I'm feeling fine, just with the usual sore jaw from my mouth being open so long.

[Simpler at Fifty]

Oh my Tradd. I was a dental assistant for 7 years and never heard of this. I have had at least 9 crowns done too. I am sorry this happened to you.

[Marianne]

Really! I never heard of that either, but it kind of freaks me out a bit.

[Tradd]

I'm doing fine! Thanks for the words of concern, though! The swelling on my one cheek is almost gone and the crackling sound from the air pockets is much reduced. I feel fine and luckily I've not gotten an upset stomach from the antibiotics.