Pain after tooth extraction for how many days

Pain after tooth extraction: how long does it last, and is it normal? These and other questions concern patients after dental procedures. Pain syndrome is normal in several cases: early postoperative period, complex removal, simultaneous implantation.

Normally, pain can persist from several days to a week, and its intensity should decrease. The appearance of symptoms such as increased pain, swelling, inflammation, bleeding or the appearance of purulent exudate is a reason to immediately consult a doctor.

How does a postoperative wound heal?

How long the area hurts after tooth extraction depends on many factors. The healing process after tooth extraction is a complex and lengthy process. Removal occurs with a rupture of the dentofacial connection, namely the connection with the alveolar process and the jaw bone.

The recovery process lasts about two to three weeks. Much depends on the surgical protocol, the clinical situation and the characteristics of the body.

Main stages:

Formation of a blood clot. Forms 1.5-3 hours after extraction. The function of the clot is to protect the wound area from pathogens and secondary infection.
Active tissue regeneration. The affected mucous membranes are restored, after 3-4 days swelling and inflammation decrease.
Formation of granulation tissue. After 4-6 days, granulation tissue forms on top of the clot - the basis of a new epithelial layer.
Granulation proliferation. After a week, the granulation tissue grows, completely covering the socket.

Already on the eighth to tenth day, the wound is completely healed and by the end of the second week a new epithelial layer is formed.

After two weeks, bone tissue begins to renew. After six months, the bone tissue in the area of removal becomes completely healthy.

Symptoms after wisdom tooth removal

Once the anesthesia wears off, the patient begins to experience pain.

Possible symptoms:

jaw pain (during the normal course of the healing process is aching) - occurs due to the fact that during the procedure the dentist violates the integrity of the tissues, blood vessels, and nerve endings of neighboring teeth. The wound left after removing the figure eight is filled with a blood clot. Sometimes the jaw ache simply because the patient keeps his mouth open for a long time. In addition, the doctor has to make additional efforts, the ligaments become strained;
pain when opening the mouth or swallowing, increased salivation occurs if the dentist disturbed the trigeminal nerve during dental treatment;
swelling of the gums or cheeks - most often appears after the removal of lower teeth;
temperature rise to 37.5 °C;
a hematoma on the cheek is a consequence of damage to the capillaries.

Depending on the individual characteristics of the body, healing lasts from 3 to 7 days. The aching pain after taking analgesics prescribed by the doctor does not interfere with the patient’s sleep, gradually subsides, and ceases to be felt 7–10 days after tooth extraction. A blood clot forms at the site of the extracted tooth; on the 3rd–4th day, the hole begins to fill with granulation tissue, and after 3 months - with bone.

There are fewer nerve endings associated with the upper teeth, and the root system is less branched, so it is easier to remove such teeth and the pain goes away faster. If the doctor made an incision when removing the figure eight, the pain lasts longer.

Causes of pain

The occurrence of pain after tooth extraction is associated with damage to nerve endings, vascular structures and soft tissues. The peak intensity of pain occurs in the first hours after the cessation of anesthesia. The symptom persists for about 12 hours.

In case of incisions in the gums or damage to the bone tissue, as well as after implantation after removal, toothache may persist for 2-3 days. Pain syndrome also occurs in the case of displacement of the dentition towards the formed void. Therefore, doctors recommend prosthetics as soon as possible after extraction.

Occurrence of complications

Operations to pull out figure eights are considered complex dental procedures, which are due to:

difficult access;
frequent retention;
unpredictable structure;
features of the location of the mandibular alveolar nerve.

Such procedures are very traumatic, which creates the preconditions for the occurrence of general and specific types of complications.

Are common

The nature of complications largely depends on the location of the tooth: on the upper or lower jaw. But there are also general complications that arise in almost everyone, regardless of the location of the figure eight and its initial condition. The most common overall effects are listed below.

Painful sensations

Approximately 2-3 hours after molar extraction, you will experience noticeable pain in the gums. This is a normal reaction of the body to trauma, which is dental surgery. During it, soft tissues are torn or cut, the bone is injured (if the tooth is located under it), blood vessels and nerves are damaged. Painful sensations should completely disappear after 2-4 days, and for some people disappear within a few hours. They can be reduced with the help of painkillers prescribed by the dentist. If the pain does not go away, and the cheek is very swollen, it means that the gum healing process is proceeding with complications.

Swelling of the tissues of the face and neck

Often after figure eight extraction, especially impacted ones, swelling of the soft tissues of the gums or cheeks is observed. This is also a reaction to injury, which can be called a normal consequence of a dental procedure. In addition to swelling, the following symptoms may occur:

swelling of the lymph nodes;
discomfort when swallowing;
painful sensations during mouth movements, radiating to the ear.

Normally, severe swelling should go away completely in 2-3 days, and if it doesn’t go away, then we can talk about more dangerous consequences. If the condition worsens every day, difficulties arise when breathing, fainting, the temperature rises and the skin becomes covered with a rash, then such swelling is provoked by an allergy and it can lead to anaphylactic shock.

Hematomas

Hematoma due to extraction is usually expressed by minimal bluishness of the cheek, which goes away after a few days. But there are situations when the appearance of a bruise is accompanied by severe pain, swelling, and an increase in temperature. In such a situation, medical attention is needed. Hematomas form after vascular damage in people with increased capillary fragility, as well as when the patient has hypertension.

Alveolitis

complications after wisdom teeth removal
Alveolitis is often provoked by non-compliance with doctor’s recommendations after treatment procedures. It is a local inflammation of the gums with the following additional symptoms:

the gums swell and turn red;
local pain and headache are observed;
sore throat;
the temperature rises, muscle aches appear;
lymph nodes become inflamed, most often the submandibular ones.

If inflammation occurs, the cause is often the loss of a blood clot from the socket and infection. Various infections that enter the wound due to poor hygiene can provoke extensive inflammation. In advanced cases, the above complication develops into osteomyelitis, which is expressed by:

increased persistent temperature;
poor general health;
severe migraine-like pain;
nausea;
other signs of intoxication of the body.

Increased body temperature

A slight increase in body temperature to 37.5-38 °C also often occurs in the postoperative period. This complication occurs due to a reaction to inflammation. The temperature should completely return to normal within the first day, and if it continues to rise and rise, it means that more serious pathologies have arisen and you need to go to the hospital again.

Bleeding

The dentist will never dismiss a patient with severe bleeding, especially if it is complicated. After removing the figure eight, the bleeding is stopped in the hospital, and then sent home with a gauze pad on the hole. If blood clotting is normal, then the bleeding will stop within 10-15 minutes, after which the tampon must be removed. Severe prolonged bleeding is provoked by:

rupture of large vessels;
capillary fragility;
hypertension.

Damage to the roots of adjacent teeth

Such a complication is observed extremely rarely and only if the patient did not undergo X-ray diagnostics before the procedure. This procedure is mandatory for all people with indications for the removal of figure eights and allows you to fully assess the condition, location, as well as other features of the tooth and its roots.

Flux

Flux in the postoperative period develops in cases where the gums become infected due to the fault of the dentist or patient, after which the infection quickly reaches the periosteum and provokes its inflammation. This complication is not considered normal and acceptable and must be treated. Main signs of flux:

redness, suppuration and swelling of the gums;
severe shooting pain;
temperature increase;
weakness.

Others

Among other common complications, the most commonly observed are:

displacement of the seventh tooth (2 molars);
mouth rupture; cut gums or cheeks;
jaw injuries.

In addition, complex extraction of the 8th tooth can cause the formation of a cyst. This is a small tumor located at the root of the tooth and filled with fluid. The cyst often serves as an insulator for infected cells from healthy ones. To prevent its occurrence, the dentist prescribes antibiotics, and the treatment in this case (if the cyst is located at the roots of the tooth) will be resection.

Pain during difficult removal

The duration of pain after complex extraction (wisdom teeth, impacted or dystopic incisors) is associated with damage to a larger tissue area. Often such an operation involves making an incision in the gum, sawing out the roots, extracting tooth fragments, and draining an abscess, which increases the scope of the surgical intervention. If your ear hurts after wisdom tooth removal, this may indicate nerve damage.

In some cases, patients complain of persistent discomfort and pain for up to a week. Clinical manifestations such as swelling, swelling of the gums, enlarged submandibular lymph nodes, fever, and malaise are also common.

Why are wisdom teeth needed?

In fact, third or posterior molars are just vestigial processes that we inherited from our ancestors. For modern man, the need for these teeth is not as important as in the era of chewing raw meat and unground cereals. Apparently, this is why 15% of the world's population does not have not only wisdom teeth, but even their rudiments formed in the gums. However, if they have already grown up, there is no need to complain about fate. These are not extra teeth.

What does a wisdom tooth look like in a panoramic photo?

Although they are not directly involved in the process of chewing food, they form the dentition, preventing the remaining teeth from growing sparsely or moving to the sides.
Also, third molars, if they are well preserved, serve as a support for bridge prosthetics.
And, if in old age a person suffers from partial edentia, it is the “eights” who begin to chew food.

Wisdom tooth

By the way. They are the most problematic of all the other 28 teeth. Due to their inaccessibility, since they are located deep in the jaw, hygiene is often difficult. These teeth are most susceptible to caries and other diseases, since it is on them that bacterial plaque forms.

The process of eruption of posterior molars takes a long time, about two to three years. They cut painfully, cause discomfort and often do not even come out of the gums completely, remaining impacted.

Impacted wisdom tooth

And very often, after literally appearing, they deteriorate so much that they have to be removed.

Types of pain

The nature and type of pain depends on the type and surgical intervention, the duration of the operation, and the complexity of the clinical process. Clinicians distinguish the following types:

Aching. It is felt immediately after the anesthesia wears off. Keeps for about 2-4 days. The jaw may ache when opening the mouth or chewing.
Intense, enduring. Occurs during extraction of a complex tooth with drainage or opening of a purulent cavity.
Phantom. Occurs after traumatic surgery and may be felt from time to time. Phantom pain occurs with weak immunity and a low pain threshold.

It is difficult to say how intense the pain will be in each specific case, which is why it is so important to follow medical recommendations to prevent complications.

Contraindications to extraction

There are situations when wisdom teeth cannot be removed, at least not immediately. This can cause complications regardless of the condition of the dental crown and the presence of infection.

There is an acute infectious disease not related to dentistry, for example, influenza, meningitis, pneumonia.
There is any pathology of the heart or blood vessels.
A heart attack suffered by the patient no earlier than six months before the proposed extraction.
The likelihood of a stroke or ischemic attack.
Mental illnesses in the acute stage.

Even for tooth extraction there are a number of contraindications, for example, pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, high blood pressure

By the way. For diseases in which blood clotting is impaired, the third molar extraction operation can be performed, but in the hematology department of the hospital, so that if uncontrolled bleeding occurs, it can be stopped in time.

What else can pain indicate?

Severe pain after removal may indicate the development of complications. Pulsating pain that radiates to the ears and submandibular lymph nodes is not normal. The most common causes of complicated postoperative pain are the following factors:

Violation of treatment protocol. Unfortunately, mistakes do occur, especially in the removal of complex teeth. The techniques and approaches used in different clinics may differ from the standards. Errors include leaving fragments of materials or a splintered tooth root behind.
Alveolitis. Occurs in the absence of a blood clot. The disease complicates natural healing and interferes with normal tissue regeneration. That is why doctors do not recommend touching the wound with your tongue or rinsing your mouth intensively.
Dry hole. One of the common complications and the cause of long-term pain after tooth extraction. Despite the moisture of the mucous membranes, bone tissue is visible at the bottom of the wound opening. This problem is typical for smokers during periods of hormonal surges. The doctor seals the wound with a swab containing medication.
Trigeminal neuritis. Long-term pain persists when a tooth in the mandibular row is removed if the trigeminal nerve is damaged during the manipulation. Damage may be accidental due to structural anomalies or multiple branching of nerve structures.

The likelihood of complications developing is low if the removal protocol, medical recommendations after extraction, and timely response to alarming manifestations are followed.

Tissue damage

During extraction, soft tissue is inevitably damaged. Sometimes the doctor even has to cut the gum to gain access to the unerupted crown. Until complete healing, the wound may be slightly painful, and the tissue around it will remain red and swollen for some time. The pain can radiate to neighboring crowns or even ears. If the discomfort becomes less pronounced every day, swelling and redness subside, there is no need to worry.

You should urgently seek medical help if:

inflammation and pain intensify,
not only the soft tissues in the oral cavity swelled, but also the cheek,
there was an unpleasant taste in the mouth,
pus is released from the wound.

All this indicates inflammation of the tissue in the hole.

How can you reduce pain?

In the early postoperative period, it is important to follow basic recommendations that reduce the risk of negative manifestations:

maintain the integrity of the blood clot - do not touch the wound with your tongue, rinse vigorously with solutions or water, just take an antiseptic or herbal decoction into your mouth, hold for a few minutes and spit;
after a complex removal, take broad-spectrum antibiotics - this is important to prevent the infectious process;
taking symptomatic medications for up to 2-3 days - in the first days, medications help reduce pain and inflammation;
use a gel with a cooling effect for intense pain;
do not eat for two hours after surgery, and eat solid food in the area of manipulation for 5-7 days.

You can reduce the pain if you chew a piece of ginger or propolis on the healthy side of the jaw, apply ice through a handkerchief to your cheek or chin, and rinse with the following ingredients:

tea tree (10 drops per 500 ml of boiled water);
steep chamomile decoction;
decoction of eucalyptus and string;
soda-salt solution (1 tsp soda, 1 tsp salt, 500 ml water).

The temperature of rinsing solutions should be comfortable - neither cold nor hot. Herbal solutions are best used as an alternative 3-5 days after surgery. In the early period, it is better to rinse the wound and oral cavity generously with water-based antiseptics.

The appearance of pain after tooth extraction is associated with trauma to the deep layers of the jaw structures. The tooth can hurt from several hours to 3-7 days, depending on the severity of the clinical situation and the scope of medical intervention. If questionable symptoms or other signs indicating complications appear, it is recommended to consult a doctor.

When to see a doctor

Wound healing after removal of the figure eight is always a painful process, but sometimes it is accompanied by complications. To avoid causing a serious deterioration in your health, you should consult a doctor if the following symptoms appear:

the pain intensifies every day, analgesics help little;
the pain does not go away a week after tooth extraction;
the pain is not aching, but pulsating, it radiates to the neck, eye, temple, and interferes with sleep. Such sensations are a sign of an inflammatory process; you should consult a doctor immediately;
swelling does not disappear completely on the 2nd–3rd day after surgery, but, on the contrary, increases;
temperature rises above 37.5 °C;
the temperature does not drop to normal on the 2nd–3rd day after surgery;
an allergic reaction to a hemostatic sponge or analgesics occurs;
alveolitis (inflammatory disease) occurs in the socket. This happens if a part of the root remains in the hole, a blood clot did not form or was washed out during hygiene procedures, the patient violated the rules of oral care, which is why an infection got into the wound;
your health worsens on the 2nd–3rd day after the procedure.