Pain management options after tooth extraction Most people can get by with paracetamol, but I prefer ibuprofen-paracetamol combination, which is more effective than when they are taken are separately.
Pain After Tooth Extraction
If you can take ibuprofen (Motrin® or Advil®), take 400–600 mg every 6–8 hours or as prescribed by your doctor. Ibuprofen will help with pain relief and as an anti-inflammatory. If you cannot take ibuprofen, then 1–2 tablets of regular Tylenol® should be taken every 4 hours.
Reasons Why One May Experience Pain After Extraction
The pain experienced is usually due to the underlying gum inflammation. 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.
Swelling: apply ice packs to face in area of extraction for 30 minutes on, then 10 minutes off for the first 24 hours following surgery. After the first 24 hours, discontinue ice and use a heating pad or moist heat compress to bring the swelling down.
If you have a tooth removed (extraction), look for any signs of infection. The pain and swelling usually get worse about 4 to 6 days after surgery. If you have an infection, this can be treated with antibiotics.
The most common reason to have pain after a tooth extraction is a dry socket. The gums produce a small clot that fills the space where the tooth root was. Over a couple of weeks, heals and solidifies into the gum and jaw.
Did you know that the best relief you can get after a tooth extraction is found in your medicine cabinet? That's right, a study conducted by the School of Dental Medicine at Case Western Reserve University has shown that ibuprofen taken in combination with acetaminophen is the most effective way to ease dental pain.
During the initial stages of healing, the tooth extraction site may ooze. Because of this, sleeping on your side is best, at least for the first night. Plus, if you lie flat on your back, you might experience more swelling. That could increase your pain and make resting an even greater challenge.
Swallow as you normally do on a daily basis. Once the gauze pads are removed, eat and drink. Foods that are conducive are light and soft (i.e. pasta, eggs, soups, milk shakes, mashed potatoes, boiled chicken, turkey, flakey fish etc.) If you don't feel like eating much, drink a lot of fluids, and stay well hydrated.
How long does a tooth extraction take? This procedure is quicker than you'd think. The entire process of pulling a tooth—from administering the anesthetic to applying stitches if needed—typically takes anywhere between 20-40 minutes. That said, the procedure will take longer if you require more than one tooth pulled.
You may take up to 600mg of Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) every 6 hours. If you prefer Aleve instead of Ibuprofen, you may take 1-2 pills in the morning and 1 pill at night. You may also take Tylenol 500-1000mg every 6 hours as well.
People should rest for at least the first 24 hours after the extraction. Avoiding strenuous activity is necessary. This may reduce bleeding and prevent losing the blood clot from the socket. Maintaining the blood clot is a very important aspect of aftercare.
Sleeping Must Be Done Elevated
Following any type of oral surgery, including a tooth extraction, you should sleep elevated for the first 2-3 nights. This allows your body to drain more of the fluid away from the extraction site.
Some patients who undergo tooth extraction may want to take a day off from work just to make sure they can rest well and address the immediate side effects of the procedure. Other patients may not need to spend a day recovering and will be able to return to work the next day so long as it is not physically demanding.
While waiting for your wisdom teeth to be removed, and also after removal, you may wish to take a painkiller such as Nurofen Express 200mg Liquid Capsules. The active ingredient in Nurofen is ibuprofen, which can help relieve your pain. Always read the label.
The pain experienced after oral surgery is widely used as a model to measure the effectiveness of painkillers in general. Both paracetamol and ibuprofen are commonly used for the relief of pain following the surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth.
Analgesics with an anti-inflammatory action are effective in controlling postoperative dental pain (21) and ibuprofen provides good analgesia after the removal of impacted third molars (99,49).
You should drink plenty of water after your tooth extraction to keep the extraction site clear and prevent infection. Remember to not drink through a straw, though, since the sucking motion can disturb the extraction site.
Some swelling and soreness can continue throughout the first week. Throbbing pain during the first 24 hours after your extraction is likely just a sign that your body is healing. The pain should respond well to any over-the-counter or prescription medications you take. It may also decrease with basic self-care.
After tooth extraction, your gums need time to heal. You may have pain or sensitivity at the extraction site for one to three days, but you should notice an improvement after that point. If the pain worsens, call one of our dentists for advice.
For at least 24 hours after your tooth extraction, you should consume only soft foods and liquids. You can ease into a more normal diet when you feel comfortable doing so. Try to stick with easy-to-chew foods for a few days. Initially, choose cool foods like yogurt, pudding, Jell-O, and ice cream.
It is important to keep your mouth and the extraction site as clean as possible, making sure that the socket is kept clear of all food and debris. Don't rinse for the first 24 hours, and this will help your mouth to start healing. After this time use a salt-water mouthwash, which helps to heal the socket.
In the case of an upper front tooth the root is generally cone-shaped, so there is not too much resistance to removal. One source for this particular procedure's name is from the dental insurance code ascribed to it, “simple uncomplicated extraction.”