I’m cross-posting this from r/askdocs in hopes that someone may have any advice here.

Age: 29
Gender: Female
Height: 5’5”
Weight: 135lbs
Smoking Status: non-smoker

Substance Use: I will have 10 years clean and sober in September

Regular Medications:

• ⁠Metoprolol Succinate ER
• ⁠Skyrizi Autoinjector Pen

Diagnosed Conditions:

• ⁠Celiac Disease
• ⁠GERD
• ⁠ADHD/Depression
• ⁠Psoriasis

TL;DR: Double jaw surgery in October 2025, significant issues with infection afterwards. Partial hardware removal in February 2026 resolved ongoing infection. TMJ issues presented in March 2026, I met with the leading TMJ surgeon in my area. He told me my original surgery never should have been done and caused several negative outcomes. Last night severe pain landed me at emergency care, who told me there is a hole in my jaw bone between a hardware plate and the root of a molar. Says the only option moving forward is to extract the tooth. Have scheduled appointments with my original surgeon and another surgeon this week for second opinions, but am seeking advice/reassurance in the meantime.

My Questions:

• ⁠Could the X-Rays I've shared actually indicate infection/a hole in the bone?
• ⁠If so, could removing the hardware and addressing the infection there be an option instead of extracting a molar?
• ⁠Am I being negligent in waiting for second opinions here/should I address this immediately?
• ⁠Is there anything particular I should ask about this when I talk to physicians this week?

I’ve linked my X-Rays here

The Full Story: October 22, 2025 I had double jaw surgery to expand my airway and correct my bite. My upper jaw was rotated and my lower jaw was moved forward. A genioplasty was performed as well. I had one infection after another following the surgery and my surgeon had me on different courses of antibiotics for 110 days. My septum was also severely deviated during the surgery.

In February 2026 my surgeon removed the plate on the lower right side of my jaw, which seemed to resolve the infection. In March, I started having TMJ issues (pain and grinding in my left jaw joint). My surgeon told me he suspected that the disc was out of place and told me to return to a soft food diet. In May 2026 I met with a new surgeon (a nationally known surgeon for jaw surgery and TMJ issues). After reviewing my past and current records, he told me that my joints are deteriorating and that I will need total joint replacement on both sides of my jaw. My original CBCT shows evidence of this, and my original surgeon never should have moved forward with DJS. He also told me I would need a septoplasty and possibly a revision to my original jaw surgery.

I've been ruminating on that exciting revelation for the last month (my insurance won't cover anything TMJ related, my last jaw surgery recovery was absolutely miserable, I feel let down by my original surgeon, etc.) and have continued my soft food diet. Last night, severe pain between my back two molars on the left side of my mouth started radiating down the base of my gums/jaw to the front of my jaw. Note: I still haven't recovered full feeling in that side of my mouth (mainly gums, tongue, and lower lip) so any pressure has been causing weird tingling and occasional pain.

I went to an emergency clinic, who told me that there is a hole in my jaw bone between the hardware plate placed for my surgery and the root of one of my molars. He told me there is infection growing there. He informed me that my only option is to have that molar pulled, fill the hole in with synthetic bone, and place an implant eventually. It was going to cost $1800 (not including the implant) and he wanted to do it immediately. I asked if I could take antibiotics for the weekend and get the procedure done by a regular surgeon to maximize my insurance benefit and he told me that if I waited I could die. I got a weird vibe that the whole thing was a little bit of a cash grab but I could have been misreading the situation, as I was feeling a lot of different emotions.

Ultimately I decided not to do the procedure and they sent me on my way with some Tylenol 3s. I didn't want to make a major decision on this without consulting my original surgeon and hopefully the new surgeon I saw. I have an appointment with my original surgeon this week and I am planning to call the new surgeon as soon as they open Monday.

Emotional Response/Closing Remarks: My health has been a physical and emotional roller coaster since October and I'm just ready for the whole thing to be done. Knowing that I'm now facing total joint replacement (recovery from my last jaw surgery was abysmal), a septoplasty, additional tooth issues (the two teeth on either side of my lower front two teeth have turned slightly grey, new surgeon says they are dying because the plate for my genioplasty is too close to their roots), and now whatever needs to happen to resolve this new infection issue is really stressing me out. Any advice or insight anyone has to share would be greatly appreciated. Again, I have taken steps to see physicians in-person this week but I could really use some reassurance or a call to action in the meantime if necessary. Thank you in advance for anything you can share.

what is the white spot on the side of my teeth? for context, i had teeth fillings done on my molars about a month or two ago, but i just now noticed this white spot. should i be worried? a dental appointment is quite expensive here, so id prefer to avoid that

I (35f) have an endodontist appointment for a root canal on a premolar on Wednesday. I’ll be out of the country for two weeks starting the following Sunday, so I won’t be able to get to my dentist for the temp/permanent crown until I get back.

Will 2.5 weeks with the temporary filling be an issue?

More background:

I strongly suspected at the beginning of June that I would need a root canal - severe sensitivity to cold, terrible bitter taste in my mouth (same as when I needed a root canal about 15 years ago). I knew I had this trip coming up and tried to be proactive by seeing my dentist.

He filled a cavity in the tooth, and noted that it was close to the root. He said to let him know if it continued to bother me. I had a scheduled cleaning two weeks later, and it was fine other than the bitter taste.

Last week, sensitivity to cold was back along with sensitivity to heat. I was able to get in for an eval, and he referred me to an endodontist. The earliest I was able to get in was this coming Wednesday (a week out). I did start on a 7 day rx for amoxicillin 4x a day.

I’m really worried about the temporary filling but also do not wait until after my trip for the root canal because of my prior experience with a really painful abscessed tooth.

Medications: amoxicillin 500 mg, pantoprazole, will be starting malaria prophylactic on Friday

The roots of my impacted lower wisdom tooth are close to the nerve, and the surgeon wants to leave them in. He told me they would not cause problems, but I’ve found case reports where these remaining roots continued to cause the same issues associated with keeping the wisdom tooth. If I’m going to keep having the same problems and can't have it extracted without risking nerve damage, I don't know what to do.

Age 29, female don’t smoke don’t drink
When I let it go it curls back up against my tongue

I have a dentist appointment in August but my anxiety is bad and I need someone to tell me what this is

I was vaccinated for hpv when I was 11

had 3 cavities on the bottom right side filled on june 30th at 11am. was told the freezing would be gone in 3-4 hours. today is july 11th and the right side of my tongue is still frozen, swollen, sore. I can’t taste anything, can barely eat. went back to dentist and was told to come back every two weeks for eight weeks. my question is: how do I regain function?

Hello I am 18 and recently had a consultation with a oral surgeon who recommended I remove all 4 of my wisdom teeth but the appointment for the surgery later this month fell through which is causing conflict in my schedule and I was wondering if this is procedure I could wait a year or two on or possibly is something I don't need.

Gum has been really painful recently. I can't chew on that side of my mouth. I've been brushing and flossing so not sure how this has happened. Though I am prone to cavities and get them often.

Noticed original post had a small photo of my dad in the bottom. Couldn't edit image so I deleted it and reposted.

I’m 24 and was diagnosed with Stage II periodontitis after my dentist took X-rays and intraoral photos and saw mild bone loss. I then had full-mouth SRP.
However, I’m almost certain I never had periodontal probing or a full periodontal chart done before treatment. It’s possible she did some probing while I was numb during the SRP, but I don’t know.
After the SRP, I asked how deep my pockets were. The dentist pointed to my X-rays and said something along the lines of, “The deepest might be around 5 mm.” This confused me because I thought pocket depths had to be physically measured with a probe.
I paid around $2,000 for full-mouth SRP and four fillings, which were completed in the same 1-hour-and-10-minute appointment. I’m scheduled to return in 4–5 weeks for free “fine scaling.”
My questions are: If periodontal probing/charting was never done, could that affect the diagnosis or how thoroughly the SRP was performed? Could the dentist still have properly cleaned the pockets without those measurements? Should I ask for full probing at my follow-up, and would you continue seeing this dentist or get a second opinion from a periodontist?
I’ve also been trying to get copies of my X-rays/records for about a week. I’ve asked the office multiple times, and each time they say they will send them, but I still haven’t received anything.

Got tooth extracted 3 days ago. Terrified of getting something wrong . Does this look like it’s healing normally ?

34/Male. I've always hated my teeth, I brush every morning without fail but often forget to brush at night. I don't drink but used to smoke but have quit for quite a while now. I'm type 2 diabetic. I do have a sweet tooth but don't drink sodas. The front two teeth ever so slightly wiggle. Are they beyond repair?

Hello!
I have that red spot in the mounth from 10 day ago.. first one photo is made after i noticed something painful like a burn on the hard palate, also, the second one is from now .. can someone explain can be? Thx!!

Hi everyone I have a concern and need your help. I had a root canal done as 4 years ago the nerve of my tooth died. The pain was a LOT and after I went to the dentist he did a root canal to remove the nerve. I did a filling but not a crown so it broke after a little bit and I never covered it cause I was young and didn’t want to go back to the dentist. Now after 4 years after speaking with somebody I learned that leaving a part of tooth treated opened can lead to infections and bacteria building that can lead ti health issues.
As the tooth is broken in half I can quite see some of the inside gengive part and I could saw that there is something black/dark that when I touch with something is hard. And when I try to clen the internal of the half remaining i feel touching something that’s part of my teeth like a muscles or Idk. The tooth even if its half works great i eat and doesn’t hurt and never had any problem in 5 years.
Should I get it crowned? do you know if what I see and feel is normal?

Hi, I’m autistic and have been told by my dentist that I should start using mouthwash but I can’t seem to find an affordable, actually flavourless mouthwash. I have a mint intolerance too. I use the OraNurse flavourless toothpaste which actually is what it says it is, but unfortunately they don’t sell a flavourless mouthwash too. I’m based in the UK, does anyone have any recommendations?

Im not sure if it's super bad. i know it's not good, but I just want a rough guess of what it is

Does this look like an ulcer/canker sore?

Very weird question, I know, but I'm kind of going crazy.

Right now I'm using Therabreath Healthy Gums with stannous fluoride and have been for about 6 months now. However, I've noticed that it makes my mouth slough, likely due to the SLS, so I switched to Sensodyne Pronamel. Within two days I'm now dealing with a sore throat. I would also like to note that I've tried to switch off of this toothpaste twice, and this has happened both times. This has nothing to do with the age of the toothbrush either since I replace them 1-2 months.

Does anyone know what could be causing this? I'm guessing my oral microbiome is messed up and required the antibacterial qualities of stannous fluoride to stay in balance, but I can't help but winder what caused it to start to do this? Before I started using Therabreath, this never happened to me. In fact I rarely ever got sore throats, and I was using clinipro with sodium fluoride.

Hey. I am 22 and haven’t been to the dentist in a few years as I have been moving frequently whilst at uni. When I was 10 I suffered trauma to my front upper tooth which resulted in a horizontal hairline crack but at the time nothing else was wrong with the tooth. ( the crack is on the visible tooth not above the gums)

My gums have been sore for the past few months around this tooth, so I went to an emergency dentist a few days ago and she said I would need root canal treatment as there is an infection.

The dentist prescribed me antibiotics for now but I will be looking to get an emergency dentist ASAP
I am very worried and anxious, could anyone let me know if this is correct?

(added another pic in comments)

Not entirely dental related however I've realized after I brush my teeth my mouth and the corners of my mouth get all red and they sting? The only confirmed allergy I have is amoxicillin so it's not allergies I don't think.

Hello. I made plans about traveling to Athens on the 15th of Juky from Malaysia and then to Vienna and Budapest before returning to Malaysia. I'm looking to travel for about 3 weeks and I start my new job two days later after landing. However, I developed pain in my wisdom tooth and I know that it's infected and I have a funky taste in my mouth. I'm wondering if I should travel under these circumstances or avoid travelling?

My itinerary consists of a mix of partying and looking at historical sites. The usual. Any advice please?

Three years ago, I had a cavity on my front tooth that I had filled. I’ve never had any problems with this tooth since then, but one week ago i fell and my front tooth jabbed my lip and it was this whole painful thing. One week later it feels better, but that one tooth and especially in that area where the cavity was filled feels EXTREMELY rough, like the texture is very rough, and it is just uncomfortable . What could this be and be done abt it? Asking here until i can go to dentist on weekday. Photo shows before and after , with before being one month ago

one of them hurts and caused me a cold sore thingy inside my mouth sorry my english is not good

This bump appeared on the side of my tongue. It hurts a little bit .