Pain After Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction is a frequently encountered treatment method in dental health. Removing a tooth that is decayed, infected, or severely damaged is necessary to both relieve pain and maintain oral health. However, pain that does not go away or gets worse after having your tooth extracted can be an unexpected and worrying situation for many people.
This type of discomfort may be a natural consequence of tooth extraction, or it may be a sign of different underlying complications. So, do you know why the pain in our teeth does not go away after tooth extraction and what to do in this case? In this article, I will discuss the causes of pain, the healing process, and the precautions you can take during this process in a way that everyone can understand in detail.
Is Pain After Tooth Extraction Normal?
Tooth extraction is a surgical intervention performed to preserve oral and dental health. Following this intervention, the body enters a natural healing process. It is very common to experience mild pain, tenderness, or swelling at the extraction site for a few days after a tooth extraction. These symptoms are caused by the body’s natural process of repairing the wound. Factors such as the difficulty of extraction, the position of the tooth, and the person’s general health condition may affect the severity and duration of this pain.
During this period, you can control the pain with simple methods such as painkillers and cold compresses recommended by your dentist. Additionally, avoiding smoking and excessively hot or cold foods and drinks during the healing process can also speed up healing. However, this process is expected to ease within a few days.
If the pain lasts longer than a week, increases in severity, or becomes unbearable, this situation should be taken into consideration. Because such a picture may be a sign of problems beyond a normal healing process. Especially conditions such as inflammation in the extraction area, alveolitis (dry socket), infection or tooth fragments accidentally left in the area can cause such long-term pain.
Why Pain Doesn’t Go Away After Tooth Extraction
There may be many reasons why pain does not go away after tooth extraction. Here are the most common reasons:
Dry Socket (Alveolitis)
The most common cause of pain after tooth extraction is the dry socket problem. Normally, a blood clot forms in the space after tooth extraction and this clot protects the bone and nerves. However, if this clot dislodges or does not form at all, the bones and nerves remain exposed, causing very severe pain.
Infection
Infection during or after tooth extraction can also cause pain. Inadequate oral hygiene may cause infection to develop in the tooth extraction area. Symptoms such as swelling in the mouth, bad odor or fever are indicators of infection.
Tooth Root or Piece Remaining
Sometimes the tooth root or small bone fragments cannot be completely removed during extraction. In this case, pain may continue and discomfort may occur in the extraction area.
Nerve Damage
Although rare, damage to the surrounding nerves during tooth extraction can cause long-term pain. This risk is especially higher in surgical interventions on the lower jaw teeth.
Sensitivity in Adjacent Teeth
Surrounding teeth or tissues may be damaged during tooth extraction. This may cause pain to be felt close to the shooting area.
Inadequate Maintenance
Failure to fully follow your doctor’s care instructions may also prolong the healing process and cause pain. For example, smoking after the extraction, consuming drinks through a straw, or taking a hard blow to the mouth area may cause the blood clot to break.
How to Relieve Pain After Tooth Extraction
Pain after tooth extraction is a natural part of the healing process, but you can apply some simple but effective methods to make this process more comfortable and speed up recovery.
Apply Cold Compress
Applying cold compresses to the extracted tooth area during the first 24 hours after tooth extraction is a very effective method to relieve swelling and pain. You can use an ice pack or a cooled towel for this. Be careful not to let the ice come into direct contact with your skin and apply it at intervals of 10-15 minutes.
Pay Attention to Oral Cleanliness
It is very important not to strain the tooth extraction area too much during the first 24 hours. Do not rinse your mouth or brush your teeth during this time. In the following days, you can keep the extraction area clean by gargling lightly with warm salt water as recommended by your doctor. This way you reduce the risk of infection.
Take Advantage of Painkillers
Painkillers recommended by your dentist are an effective solution to control post-extraction discomfort. However, you must follow your doctor’s instructions regarding medication use and avoid taking medication yourself.
Consume Appropriate Foods
Nutrition is very important during the healing process. Consuming soft and cold foods allows you to get energy without straining the extraction area. Foods such as yoghurt, puree and soup are ideal during this period. You should definitely avoid hard, hot or spicy foods.
Avoid Smoking and Alcohol Use
Smoking or consuming alcohol can slow the healing process and increase the risk of infection. Smoking, in particular, can cause a condition called dry socket, which can dislodge a blood clot from the extraction site, exacerbating the pain. Therefore, you need to stay away from these habits until post-extraction recovery is complete.
Increasing pain after tooth extraction and becoming unbearable, bad odor, discharge or swelling in the extraction area, fever, weakness or swelling in the lymph nodes, and no signs of healing in the extraction area may be signs of problems that develop outside of a normal healing process. If you experience such symptoms, consult your dentist immediately to evaluate the situation.
