Do I have an infection?

[Plummeting]

Can someone please advise me on this, as the people at my oral surgeon's office aren't really much help.

I had all four wisdom teeth removed last Monday. Yesterday I noticed I had a slight sore throat on one side only. Today it is worse - much, much worse. It doesn't feel like a typical, raw sore throat. This is more of a terrible ache. I can put my finger right on where it hurts and it feels like there is something lodged in my throat right there. When I called them, they said it was unrelated to my extraction and I should see my doctor. I'm wondering if I have some sort of infection though. They gave me prophylactic penicillin, which I didn't take as there was no existing infection. Now I'm wondering if I did something really stupid by not taking it...and I just took one. Does this sound like an infection or totally unrelated?

[Satori]

prophylactic = to prevent, i'd take the darn things now. Getting my wisdom teeth pulled is one time I actually took the meds like I was supposed to. They could have scratched your throat and it some how infected. I'd pay your family Dr a visit for a looksie.

[Plummeting]

Oh yes, I should clarify. I know prophylactic antibiotics are to prevent, not treat infection, but generally speaking I don't think it's a good idea to take antibiotics when there is no problem already, so I never take them prophylactically.

[huggerwocky]

Well, the tabletts were to rpevent infection of the woudns you have. By the way, is this an american thing? I never got any in Germany.

A sore throat is normally caused by a viral infection in which case penicillin isn't going to help anyway.

So I agree, it sounds totally unrelated and I wouldn't take the pencillin either.

[Shiloh]

They gave me prophylactic penicillin, which I didn't take as there was no existing infection.

=ooh take them, your mouth is not the cleanest place, and with their tools, breath etc. They will naturally introduce bacteria/viruses under the skin,
Did you tell them you didn't take them? Start them now if you can.

But a 'true' infection would have fever, I think you are just sore, stressed, and your body is reacting. I'd relax but take the anitboitics as a jaw bone infeciton is one of the hardest to treat.