After having a tooth extracted - especially molars - you may feel some pain and discomfort for around 3-7 days after it has been removed. However, if you still have intense pain near the area immediately after 5 days, book an appointment to see your dentist.
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.
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.
3 Days Post Extraction
After about 3 days, the empty tooth socket will have mostly healed. There should be no more bleeding present, and swelling should be minimal at this point. You may still experience some tenderness or soreness, but you should no longer feel pain or discomfort.
– Day 2. This stage comprises 24-48 hours after the tooth extraction. By now, a clot has formed in the socket, and platelets in the socket have begun to produce chemical factors to speed up the healing process. You will notice that the swelling is starting to subside.
Pain. It is normal for post-operative pain to increase in the first 1-2 days along with swelling which usually peaks at about 48 hours. It is also normal in the case where four third molars have been removed for some sites to hurt more than others.
Dry socket is pain and inflammation in the area where we have removed a tooth (extraction). You might have increasing pain, a foul (unpleasant) taste and bad breath. This usually happens 3 to 5 days after treatment. Dry socket is a common problem, but it is more likely if you smoke or take the contraceptive pill.
The swelling will not become apparent until the day following surgery and will not reach its maximum until two to three days post-operatively. The swelling will build over the first 48 to 72 hours and then plateau for 2-3 days making the 3rd-5th days the worst for pain and swelling.
Most oral surgeons advise patients to avoid physical exertion for the first 4 days after surgery. Exercise can lead to an increase in blood pressure, which can cause the extraction site to bleed. Worst of all, the blood clot that grows in the extraction area after surgery may be dislodged, leading to dry socket.
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.
What is the most difficult tooth to extract? Impacted wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth that have failed to erupt properly. They are generally considered to be the most difficult teeth to extract.
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 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.
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.
It's usually recommended that you take a day or two off work after having a wisdom tooth removed. You won't need a sick note from your doctor or dentist for this.
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. A teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water gently rinsed around the socket twice a day can help to clean and heal the area.
Within the first 24 hours after tooth removal surgery, you should avoid consuming anything that involves chewing. Try to limit yourself to liquids exclusively. If they don't fill you up and you want to consume solid food, go for soft meals that don't need much chewing, like pudding or oatmeal.
How Long after Tooth Extraction Can I Drink? You can simply drink normal water after one or two hours but if you are looking to drink any soda, acidic drink or an alcohol, you must wait for at least a week after tooth extraction.
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.
It is best to stick to soft foods requiring minimal chewing, such as applesauce, yogurt and pudding. Vitamin C and vitamin A help to support the healing process following a tooth extraction. Therefore, it is a good idea to eat foods rich in these nutrients.
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.
After that, the truth is that there's not much to feel pain with. The nerve endings that cause pain in infected teeth are in the teeth themselves. These are essentially severed as soon as the doctor begins the extraction process, before they've even pulled the tooth all the way out of the socket.
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.