Introduction:  I am one of those people who had bad experiences with
the dentist when I was younger. At age 17, while drilling my one and
only cavity (did I really even have one I wonder?  You usually have a
lot or none, right?)  the dentist refused to use novocaine.  When I
grunted in pain and kicked hard enough to knock some of his tools on
the floor he just said, "What's wrong, can't you take it?"

A year later I had trouble opening my jaw, a visit to another dentist
came up with a statement that I had 6 rotten teeth that all had
cavities.  A second opinion, said, "no, you have an infected gum where
your left lower wisdom tooth is comming out."  A course of antibiotics
and all was fine--for a while.

I never did have my wisdom teeth removed, having heard horror stories
from others.  I also never went back to the dentist.  Over the course
of the next 30 years I can remember about 5 times where I had swellings
of the gum near this same tooth; the latest was last Wednsday.

Thursday morning I had had enough.  I called the dentist that my dental
plan had signed me up for; they said they could take me immediately.

I went in, they took an X-ray, the dentist came in and said I had a gum
infection from a partially erupted wisdom tooth.  It was not impacted
and he recommended that it come out.  I could either do it "now" or
schedule for later.  Something in me caused me to say "now."  (I have
to add that this dentist did not give me a hard time for staying away
from dental care for so long.)

It took him over an hour to get the tooth out; he even decided to cut
it in half about 30 minutes into the procedure.  Still, I think he did
an excellent job and plan to go back for routine dental care soon.  He
said that I did "good".  (What could I do? Once he shot the novocaine
in and started prying at the tooth I figured that there was no escape
until the tooth was out so I just relaxed and let him work.)

Anyway, 36 hours later I still have facial swelling and pain.  I was
prescribed percocet but have had to resort to ibuprofen in between the
6 hour percocet doses.

As this is a holiday weekend, I can't reach him again till tuesday.
Will this pain go away?

I am using salt water rinses and am having no bleeding (slight taste of
blood now and then but can't see any in the salt water rinses.)  Am
taking my clindamycin every 6 hours too.

I am still using cold packs on my face but one internet site suggested
warm after the first 24 hours.