Tooth Extraction Follow-up
Simple tooth extractions are usually not followed by any other discomfort. You can take over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like ibuprofen (Advil, Morton and some more brands) for a couple of days. You might not need to take any pain relief medicines at all.
As surgical tooth extractions are often complicated, they can cause severe pain post surgery. The after effect of such a procedure results in discomfort and the duration of this stage depends on the intensity of the extraction procedure. Your dentist will definitely prescribe pain relief medicines for a couple of days which should relief your pain considerably.
Incise within the mouth usually bleeds more than any incise on the surface of the skin because the one in the mouth doesn’t get the chance to dry out and results in the formation of a scab. After your extraction, you will have to bite a piece of gauze up to 30 minutes in order to put pressure on the wound and allow the clotting of blood. It might still bleed for another 24 hours and then taper off. Do not remove the cloth that covers the wound.
You can use ice packs on the face to lessen swelling post surgery. The bleeding and swelling stops after one or two days of surgery. Initial healing will take about 2 weeks time.
After surgery, you should not spit, use straw or smoke. Such actions can stimulate the blood clot and it might pull out of the socket where the tooth lay. That would cause more bleeding and could even lead to dryness of the socket, which happens to about 3 to 4 percent of the extraction cases.
Dry socket happens almost 20 to 30 percent of the times when an impacted tooth is removed. It happens mostly with smokers and with women taking contraceptive pills. It is mostly expected in case of difficult extractions.
Tooth Extraction Risks
Infections can set in after the process of extraction but, if you have a healthy immune system, you might not get infected.
A very common complication observed after an extraction is dry socket. It occurs when a there’s no blot clot formation in the hole or the clot breaks down too early.
In case of a dry socket, the bone that lies under the wound is exposed to food and air. This is very painful and can also cause bad breath and taste. Such cases need immediate treatment and medicated dressing in order to prevent the pain and encourage quick healing.
Other possible problems include:
- Accidental cause in which the teeth close to the site of surgery is effected, a fracture.
- Incomplete extraction, where a part of the tooth still remains inside the jaw. A dentist removes the root so as to prevent it from any infection, but sometime it is not that risky to leave small tip of the root inside.
- Fractured jaw, which is caused due to pressure exerted on your jaw during the process of extraction. Elderly people suffering from osteoporosis are most likely to be effected by this.
- A hole occurring in your sinus while removing the molar (upper back tooth). A tiny hole that closes up on its own after a couple of weeks. If it doesn’t, another surgery might be needed.
- Sore in the jaw joints and / or muscles. You might not be able to open your mouth wide. This happens due to the injection.
- Ongoing numbness caused in he chin and lower lips. Any trauma or injury of the inferior alveolar nerve can be the cause of numbness. This happens during the removal of lower wisdom teeth. It takes about 3 to 6 months for this wound to heal completely. In some rare cases, the numbness might be permanent.
{ 10 comments }
Its been 2 monthes since I had my wisdom teeth removed. I noticed a small piece of tooth, or somting solid in the spot where my wisdom tooth used to be.
I had my lower lastest tooth extraction a weak ago, but now whem i drink water its socket or hole it hurts too much with bad taste and breath. What to do?
@Lino machombe –
Lino, it sounds like you might have what is called a dry socket. It occurs when the blood doesn’t clot properly after an extraction. The hole then dries out leaving everything exposed, which is why cold air and liquids hurt so much. A temporary relief can be gained by putting a piece of cotton soaked in clove oil over the opening until you get to the dentist. He/she will then have to go back into the open cavity to make it bleed and to try to make it clot again. Hope this was helpful- get well!
I had 2 teeth removed yesterday a wisdom tooth and the one right before it. Now my gum has a nasty white color at the incision sight. Is this normal? Should I be worried?
My husband had one of his wisdom teeth removed by the dentist 10 days ago, and he still can not open his mouth properly. He is unable to eat or talk properly. Is this normal? And if so how long will it take to improve?
My son had a wisdom tooth pulled 3 months ago he now has bone sticking outside of the gum he has been in extreme pain for 3months he went to my dentist and was told the bone would start growing back toward his gum and said the only thing he could do was shave the bone and if he has suffered this long he might as well wait till the bone starts turning back toward the gum well he now has a huge blister covering his hole where the tooth was pulled from,and is still in extreme pain ..Im no dentist but i thing he has a fracture or nerve damage he has no insurance to see a doctor has been to ER and they gave him blood thinner and antibotic..any advise on what to do next or someone we can go see about this problem thank you
Erica, that is fine.
I have just had a Molar out today but last year I had to others out and the area was white and scaly. Later it had a weird white ‘discharge’ on it but this is just the natural process it goes through.
You can expect a weird taste and the gum to change colour as it starts to purify.
And Kyle, referring back to my removals last year, one of my teeth was broken down to the gum.
When they removed it there were a few fragments l;eft int he gum which, over a few months, the body pushed out and they were swallowed without my realising it!
So you may have a few bits of tooth in your gum but don’t worry, the gums will push it out as it seals over the hole and the bone nits.
I had two lower molars removed yesterday but my dentist didn’t give any instruction about pain relief.I had a very uncomfortable night with throbbing toothache.I have taken paracetamol -is there anything else that i can take.As for the jaw swelling -is an ice pack recomented?
I had 4 wisdom teeth removed about a week ago. 3 pulled 1 cut. The ones that were pulled don’t hurt now at all but the one that was impacted still hurts and the stiches are annoying. It’s a numbing pain no bad breath or bad taste really. Think this could be dry socket under the stiches? I followed everything the dentist told me to do.
My 11 yr old grandaughter had 6 teeth out last week due to overcrowding. The surgeon told me that all had gone well until the upper back one was being removed, they say the root broke off and has been pushed up near the sinus. She now needs further surgery shortly to remove it. Anyone ever had this done before, it sounds painful.
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