Can a Tooth Extraction Be Painful?

If a dentist has recommended a tooth extraction, you may be wondering if the procedure is painful. Read on to learn more about whether tooth extraction is painful. Removing the tooth is often necessary if it suffers severe decay, fracture, trauma, or becomes problematic. With the techniques and technology now available, a dentist can keep their patient comfortable throughout the process.

Why tooth extraction is necessary

Infection, trauma, decay, or disease may all lead to the need for a tooth extraction. Although preserving a patient’s natural teeth is the dentist’s primary objective, a tooth may need to be extracted due to an infection or injury. In reality, leaving a tooth that needs to be extracted will cause a lot more pain and damage in the long run.

For instance, if not removed, impacted wisdom teeth may cause severe complications. Impacted wisdom teeth can become infected, push against other teeth, or cause your smile to become misaligned. A tooth extraction helps to avoid discomfort and the spread of infection to the gums, bone, and adjacent teeth.

Preventing pain during tooth extraction

With modern techniques in dentistry, dentists can ensure a patient’s comfort during procedures like tooth extraction. Patients can get a local anesthetic and other sedation options. For example, conscious sedation does not induce sleep but helps patients relax during the procedure.

After administering the local anesthetic, the dentist will slightly move the tooth back and forth with forceps to loosen it in the socket. At this point, patients may feel slight pressure but no pain thanks to the local anesthetic used to numb the area.

Complex extractions are done when the tooth is partly or completely impacted or if the tooth is broken along the gum line. Any bone that is blocking the tooth is removed after making a small incision in the gum. For ease of removal and comfort, the dentist may split or cut the tooth into pieces. Sutures are often used in surgical or complicated extractions.

The dentist will ask the patient to bite down on a gauze pad after extracting the tooth. This assists in forming a blood clot that protects the tissue, nerves, and bone in the tooth socket. It needs to stay tightly in place for 30 minutes and then repeat before the bleeding stops.

Ensuring comfort after the procedure

Following the extraction, patients may feel some swelling or tenderness. This is usual and expected: swelling is part of the healing process by adding nutrients and antibodies to the extraction site to help it heal faster. Patients need to use prescribed medications according to the dentist’s instructions. The first 24 hours should be spent resting and recovering.

Rinsing, spitting, and using a straw should be avoided for the first 24 hours to prevent dislodging the blood clot. Smoking can also cause this, which results in a painful condition called dry socket, exposing the nerves and bone. These steps are important to reduce pain after tooth extraction.

The bottom line

A dentist’s aim is to make their patients as comfortable as possible when performing a tooth extraction procedure. Schedule a consultation with our dental office to discuss tooth replacement options to restore your smile.

Request an appointment here: https://www.emergencydentistinorlando.com or call Maitland Square Dentistry at (407) 337-1112 for an appointment in our Maitland office.

Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp: Tooth Extraction in Maitland, FL.