The first two days following your extraction require the most attention, as this is when your mouth is undergoing intense healing. It's very normal to have some bleeding and stiffness at the extraction site.
In most cases, the pain or discomfort should have subsided after 7 to 10 days. Even though people's pain threshold and healing are different, the pain and the discomfort should decrease each day. There should be little to no pain by the time you get to five days.
What is considered “normal” pain is likely to last for about three days post-extraction. If you are more of the sensitive type, expect a lingering tenderness on the extraction site for longer. However, other reasons could cause pain after tooth extraction.
The discomfort you feel after the anaesthesia wears off following a tooth extraction is temporary and less than the pain of an infected tooth. However, if you have severe pain after a tooth extraction that lasts more than three days, you should contact your dentist for an oral assessment of the wound site.
Dry socket
This can happen 3 to 5 days after surgery. The empty socket causes an ache or throbbing pain in your gum or jaw, which can be intense like a toothache. There may also be an unpleasant smell or taste from the empty tooth socket.
Dry sockets become increasingly painful in the days after a tooth extraction. They may also have exposed bone or tissue, or an unpleasant smell. By comparison, normal healing sockets get less painful over time and do not cause any other symptoms. A dry socket can be very painful, but it is not usually serious.
The symptoms of dry socket can vary, but may include: severe pain, visible bone, bad breath, a foul taste in your mouth, and radiating pain to your ear, eye, neck or temple. The partial or complete blood clot loss at the tooth extraction site looks and feels like an empty socket.
The tooth extraction site after three days should be feeling better and healing nicely. Swelling should be minimal, and there should be no more bleeding. The blood clot that formed in the socket should be more secured but can still become dislodged if you are not careful.
After tooth extraction surgery, it's common to feel throbbing in the extraction area (known as the 'socket') as well as sensitivity. This is perfectly normal, and your dentist will likely prescribe some pain relief to help you minimise discomfort.
Treating nerve damage from a tooth extraction
You may want to take the medication you usually rely on to treat pain, perhaps non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relief, such as ibuprofen, or painkillers like paracetamol to help manage the pain until it fades away on its own.
Food will probably get stuck in the sockets until they close over completely. This may cause problems with bad breath and a bad taste in your mouth. You can rinse with salt water as described on page 4 to help keep your mouth clean. Infection can sometimes happen after having wisdom teeth taken out.
After extraction the gum oozes out some blood at the blank tooth socket. This blood clots and stays there causing pain. If the clot by chance gets removed due to your food or drinks or is removed intentionally, then nerve endings at the socket gets exposed. And this causes more discomfort and pain.
On day 4 and 5, you can start reintroducing normal foods. Avoid anything hard or crunchy to avoid ripping the incisions. You can add more soft foods to your diet including macaroni and cheese, eggs, and other tasty soft foods.
Rinsing the mouth with warm salt water can help reduce bacteria and swelling. It can also flush out any food particles from the socket. Keeping this area clean can reduce pain and lower the risk of infection.
A dry socket pain doesn't always begin right away. It can take several days before the pain begins. Most of the time, the pain starts small and gradually gets worse over time. Other times the pain can begin without warning and can be excruciating in which case you should seek an emergency dentist immediately.
You probably have a dry socket if you experience sharp pain after the extraction procedure. The best way to receive confirmation is to visit your oral surgery specialists. They are going to ask you about your symptoms and look at your mouth to see if your tooth socket contains a blood clot.
Dry socket is the most common complication following tooth extractions, such as the removal of third molars (wisdom teeth). Over-the-counter medications alone won't be enough to treat dry socket pain. Your dentist or oral surgeon can offer treatments to relieve your pain.
Your body is using energy to heal itself, so you may feel more tired than usual – this is perfectly normal.
You may see white or yellow pus form after extraction. Pus indicates that there is an infection. Other signs of infection include: Persistent swelling.
When the blood clot from the extraction site falls out prematurely (within the first 4 days after surgery), dry socket causes extreme pain that may radiate to the jaw, face, and ear. It also causes bad breath. The highest risk for this condition is between days 2-3 after tooth extraction.
Dentists typically suspect dry socket when a person experiences severe pain following a tooth extraction. They can confirm the diagnosis simply by looking at the spot where your tooth used to be. In some cases, your dentist might take dental X-rays to make sure no tooth fragments were left behind.
Severe pain following a tooth extraction is often enough for your dentist or oral surgeon to suspect dry socket. He or she will also ask about any other symptoms and examine your mouth to see if you have a blood clot in your tooth socket and whether you have exposed bone.
Do not pick the food out of the socket. Instead gently rinse or swish the food out. Picking the food out very often disturbs the blood clot and initiates further bleeding. Any remaining small food particles will be pushed out or metabolized by the body.
Dairy contains proteins that can encourage the growth of bacteria and increase the risk of infection. This is because dairy provides an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, which can lead to swelling and discomfort in the gums and surrounding area.