How to Relieve Pain After a Tooth Extraction
Jul 04, 2022
What Is a Tooth Extraction?
It is a dental procedure for permanently removing a natural tooth from your mouth. Tooth extraction near me are usually restorative dental protocols that remove one or more natural teeth for the overall good of your oral cavity. Ideally, even though you are losing one tooth, you will be preserving the rest of your remaining teeth and the surrounding soft tissues in your mouth.
When Must You Undergo a Tooth Extraction?
Since dental care is about preserving the oral cavity, dentists do not recommend tooth extractions in Suffern, NY, unless necessary. Some of the factors that may necessitate a tooth extraction are:
- Severely decayed tooth – a tooth can be severely damaged that it is unsalvageable through dental protocols like root canal therapy.
- Crowded mouth – sometimes, a dentist would need to remove a healthy tooth to make extra room in your jawbone for the rest of your natural teeth to align well.
- Impacted tooth – is when a tooth grows improperly, remaining partially or wholly stuck under the gums. It is common for wisdom teeth, the last molars erupting in a human mouth.
- Periodontitis – is a severe stage of gum disease that compromises both the bone and gum tissue. Severe gum infection destabilizes teeth, causing them to become shaky and start falling off. Tooth extraction may be among the treatment options for this disease.
- Risk of infection – when you have underlying health problems that could increase the risk of infection to your natural teeth, a dentist may need to perform an extraction procedure. Such circumstances are common for cancer patients about to undergo chemotherapy with already compromised immune systems.
Are Tooth Extractions Painful?
Typically, dental extractions should be painful. Detaching a natural tooth from the socket in the jawbone is invasive enough to cause dental pain. However, during your procedure, you will not feel anything. The dentist near me must use local anesthesia before beginning your treatment. It will numb your mouth, rendering the process painless. Besides, sedation dentistry plays a big role in promoting calmness, relaxation, and a pain-free procedure.
What to Expect After Tooth Extractions
A tooth extraction procedure typically involves rocking a tooth back and forth to loosen it from the jaw bone. However, some teeth are stubborn and cannot be removed through a simple extraction. Therefore, a dentist will perform oral surgery to expose the bone tissue blocking the tooth. Further, a dentist may need to break the tooth into small pieces for easy extraction. The good news is that you will not be feeling any pain during the procedure. However, even though you will not feel any pain, expect the following things afterward:
- Bleeding – the extraction wound will be bleeding for a while before a blood clot forms on the wound. The dentist will place gauze over it to control the bleeding. At home, you can keep changing the gauze after about 30 minutes if you need to. Still, bleeding should stop after the first 24-48 hours post-treatment.
- Pain – when the numbing wears off, you will experience dental pain.
- Swelling – your mouth may remain swollen for the first 2-3 days after the extraction procedure.
Tips for Relieving Pain After Tooth Extractions
Your healing and recovery period plays a big role in the success of your tooth extraction treatment. Since you will be experiencing some dental pin during this period, consider the following tips for managing the pain:
- Cold compressing – an ice bag on the affected side of the mouth will construct the blood vessels and alleviate pain and discomfort.
- Pain medication – dentists at Dental Wellness of Suffern always prescribe pain medication after tooth extractions. The medicine should help manage your pain and inflammation during the recovery period.
- Keep your head elevated – any time you lie down, ensure your head lies higher than the rest of your body. The goal is to reduce blood pooling in your head, worsening the pain and swelling.
- Avoid using straws – anything that may invite dry air into your mouth is a bad idea. It will cause a dry socket, which causes significant dental pain.