Pain After Tooth Extraction

If there's anything that's dreaded more than visiting a dentist, it's being told by that very dentist that the tooth you're complaining about needs to be extracted. Yes, there cannot be anything worse than being told that the only way out of your painful state is by going in for a tooth extraction procedure. And then, to add insult to injury, if you happen to suffer from pain after tooth extraction, you will realize that your hatred for your dentist, and the entire profession of dentistry has reached levels you thought never existed. However, it does not always have to be that bad, as there are many reasons and easy ways to prevent the pain.

Causes of Tooth Pain

Postoperative Infection
More often than not, after a tooth extraction, the dentist will prescribe certain antibiotics along with painkillers. These antibiotics are to be taken for a course of three or five days. Although certain people still question this practice and claim that antibiotics are not required after an extraction, the fact is that after an extraction, there is an open wound in the oral cavity. This wound takes a few weeks to completely heal and till it completely closes, this wound is an open invitation to microorganisms. Thus, if the person does not take antibiotics, there are high chances of a tooth extraction infection. This can lead to gum pain after tooth extraction as well, if the infection goes into the bone and causes swelling of the gums.

Aggravation of Pre-Existing Infection
Sometimes, when there is only a slight periapical infection present in the bone, then it does not show on the X-ray. After an extraction, this infection present in the bone could eventually aggravate and cause an infection which could lead to pain post tooth extraction. Furthermore, this is one of the common reasons of pain after wisdom tooth extraction, because the periapical area of a wisdom tooth might not be visible on the X-ray, due to which if the tooth is asymptomatic and the extraction is done without an antibiotic cover, there could be a flare-up of the bone infection.

Dry Socket
One of the most dangerous and painful complications is the development of a dry socket after tooth extraction. Dry socket is a condition where the blood clot, which is the first step of tooth healing after tooth extraction, gets dislodged from the socket. Due to this, the socket does not heal and in fact, the gums recede to reveal dry bone in the socket. This is a condition where there is severe pain post tooth extraction, as dry socket pain is the stuff legends are made of!

Treatment for Pain

The treatment for pain after tooth extraction will depend on the cause of pain. If the pain is only due to an infection, then giving antibiotics suffices. However, if the infection has led to a huge swelling, then along with antibiotics, there may be a need for incision and drainage of the swelling. However, when it comes to dry socket treatment, the treatment meted out needs to be done on a priority basis, as this condition is an emergency condition. Normally, a betadine irrigation with a soothing agent helps mitigate the pain considerably.

Normally, immediately after a tooth extraction procedure, many people do feel a bit of pain once the anesthesia wears off. However, if the pain is very severe, or if there is excessive bleeding, then it is best to show the condition to the dentist immediately. Nevertheless, it is best to practice some simple tooth extraction care so as to prevent, or possibly eliminate the occurrence of pain after a tooth extraction procedure.