Pain Management for Extracted Teeth

By: admin | Sunday, February 15th, 2015 | Tooth Extraction

Sunday, February 15th, 2015

It is no secret that pulling teeth is painful. The amount of pain is based on several factors. The experience is different for everyone. How do you know if you are feeling a normal level of pain?

First, you need to keep in mind personal pain tolerance level. If you’ve ever been injured or had surgery, you probably know how much pain you can normally take. If the pain in your mouth is worse than that, you should talk to your dentist. Infections, dry sockets and other problems are common after tooth extractions and can cause severe pain.

Most often, people who have a tooth removed feel pain that is not severe and can be managed with medication or over the counter pain medicines, like ibuprofen and Tylenol. A more severe pain around 12 hours after having the tooth removed is normal. This pain usually disappears as the healing process continues.

Another type of pain develops around the extraction site, lasting for several days. This is the most severe type and lasts the longest. Right after surgery, a pain medication will be given. This medicine is in the form of a pill and is simply taken with water. The more severe the pain is, the higher up on the scale the painkillers go. Dentists will prescribe over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen, or a prescription like hydrocodone.