Tooth extraction bone graft 5 days ago. on zpack 250mg. need 1 vicodin/day b/c of throbbing pain. bad taste coming from extraction. is this normal?

Be patient: Tooth extraction is a surgical procedure and is not completely risk-free. Pain, swelling, bad breath and infection following surgery is usually at its worst 24 – 48 hours after surgery. After that it should subside more and more every day and after 7 days stop. Alternate Vicodin with NSAIDs OTC (e.g. Advil) to manage the inflammation. Good luck.

Pain and bad taste: Pain should be substantially better 5 days after an extraction. Bad taste may indicate the socket filled with food debris, an infection or a dry socket. You should bring all this to the attention of the dentist who treated you and be seen for a post-op evaluation.

Possible infection: Not knowing the history and the extent of the surgery can't be sure, but most likely you are having an infection. Regardless you should not be in pain needing codeine. Bone grafting is a very demanding procedure, if you are indeed getting an infecction the grafting material may not survive and may need to be redone. Plea call your Doctor and get it checked out.

Normal tastes: When bone grafting a membrane is used to keep the bone in place during the initial healing, this can cause "dragons breath" until the tissue is resorbed or is lost. The bone acts as a foreign body and can cause throbbing for a few days or weeks. if it continues beyond the next week then return to the surgeon for evaluation.