Does Tooth Extraction Hurt? Pain Management during and after
Tooth extraction involves removing a part of your body damaged, decayed, or injured beyond repair, making it impractical for your dentist to preserve the tooth. In addition, trying to remove a tooth firmly attached to your tooth roots in your jawbone undoubtedly causes pain. It will likely make you jump out of the dentist’s chair if dental professionals don’t give you appropriate medications to keep you comfortable and calm when undergoing tooth removal for various reasons.
Before recommending tooth removal, dentists make all efforts to preserve the tooth using remedial solutions like fillings, dental crowns, inlays and Onlays, root canal therapy, et cetera. They recommend removing the tooth only after considering restorative treatments if they determine that leaving your tooth in the mouth will likely impact your neighboring teeth and overall health.
When dentists recommend removing a tooth, it is always to benefit your dental and overall health, not because they favor pulling teeth. Dentists are rescuers of your teeth and will do everything possible to prevent extractions instead of recommending them. However, if the procedure becomes necessary, they clarify that it is beneficial for your dental health by inquiring about your entire medical history and any medications you take before scheduling your appointment.
Why May You Need Tooth Removal?
Extracting teeth becomes inevitable if you have severe tooth decay in a specific tooth, periodontal disease affecting your gums, jawbone, and loosening your teeth, overcrowding to enable you to receive orthodontic treatment to straighten your teeth, broken or impacted wisdom teeth, et cetera.
Some people undergoing chemotherapy for neck or head cancer and radiation might require their compromised teeth removed to maintain their dental health. In addition, people planning organ transplants and treatments with the drug bisphosphonate might also have to undergo tooth removal procedures before receiving the other treatment.
Who Performs Tooth Removals?
Tooth removals are relatively standard in adults needing one or several teeth extracted for the reasons mentioned above. Dentists perform removal procedures on visible teeth in their dental practice in a simple extraction. Unfortunately, if you have a severely impacted tooth lying below your gum line, the dentist refers you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon for the extraction because the specialists are better equipped to perform surgical removal in a hospital setting.
When receiving a recommendation for tooth removal, you will likely want to understand how to manage pain during and after the removal process. While dentists ensure you don’t experience any discomfort during the removal, you must prepare to manage the pain after having a tooth pulled for a few days, depending on the extraction you underwent. However, dentists provide appropriate after-care instructions to ensure you recover quickly and without severe discomfort after tooth removals making you think the process wasn’t challenging.
How Do Dentists Help Manage Your Pain during Tooth Removal?
During your appointment to schedule your tooth removal process, the dentist will discuss your dental anxiety with you to determine whether they can manage your discomfort with local anesthesia injected near the affected tooth and gums by explaining the procedure to you comprehensively. Dentists only provide local anesthesia in the mouth if removing a visible tooth lying above the gum line.
Unfortunately, if you have a broken tooth lying partially below your gum line or an impacted wisdom tooth, the procedure for removing the tooth requires complete anesthesia to calm you besides anesthesia in the mouth for pain relief. Dentists calm dental anxiety by providing sedation anesthesia helping calm your nerves and keeping you oblivious of your treatment even though you remain awake during the removal. The anesthesia delivered into your mouth blocks pain impulses from the tooth and surrounding gums as the professional cuts through the gums to access the tooth for removal.
Pain after Tooth Removal
Three to four hours after tooth removal, whether simple or surgical, you start feeling the pain from the procedure, which might remain with you for a few days depending on the process you underwent. Fortunately, dentists prescribe or suggest painkillers to alleviate the discomfort you experience and suggest using ice packs to reduce swelling on your cheeks during the initial 48 hours after removing your tooth.
Dentists also suggest getting adequate rest without indulging in strenuous activities like lifting heavy objects or bending forward and having a diet of soft foods until you recover fully after tooth removal.
Dental extractions won’t hurt during the removal, and the pain is managed comfortably with medications suggested or prescribed by the dentist. Therefore do not remain concerned if recommended tooth removal for any reason because the benefits of having the tooth removed outweigh any downsides.
Westbrook Village Dental performs many dental extractions using updated and non-invasive techniques. They also help you manage pain during and after tooth removal adequately. Therefore if you are recommended to let go of a tooth or two, kindly do not hesitate to arrange a meeting with this practice to safeguard your dental health.