“I am still having pain after my wisdom tooth extraction last week. Why is this happening?”
I am having constant pain at the site of my wisdom tooth extraction even after a week of the procedure. What could be the reason for this pain?
17 Answers
Sorry to hear that. Pain after an extraction is very common even after a week and It may be due to a number of different factors:
1. The complexity of the extraction procedure which can lead to more trauma in the surrounding area and hence more resulting pain and extended healing time.
2. Food build-up in the socket
3. A remnant of a root tip or loose bone chip (something that naturally can occur in all cases of extractions) may be working its way up and needs to be removed or,
4. The occurence of a dry socket - a condition which needs to be treated immediately but not life threatening.
In order to rule out which of these exist, though, I would suggest you return to the doctor that removed your tooth so that he/she can properly evaluate . They will do this by taking an X-ray of the area and directly looking into the extraction site and the surrounding area.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
1. The complexity of the extraction procedure which can lead to more trauma in the surrounding area and hence more resulting pain and extended healing time.
2. Food build-up in the socket
3. A remnant of a root tip or loose bone chip (something that naturally can occur in all cases of extractions) may be working its way up and needs to be removed or,
4. The occurence of a dry socket - a condition which needs to be treated immediately but not life threatening.
In order to rule out which of these exist, though, I would suggest you return to the doctor that removed your tooth so that he/she can properly evaluate . They will do this by taking an X-ray of the area and directly looking into the extraction site and the surrounding area.
Good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
Usually the pain takes 3 days to begin to subside and can last for several weeks. If the pain has not decreased at all it is sign of infection or dry socket. At this point it is best if you schedule an appointment wit the treating doctor for examination and treatment as needed.
Visit the Dentist that extracted the tooth as soon as possible. You may have another infection at the extraction site which must be treated by a Dentist or it could get worst.
Michelle B. Deutch
Dentist
You may have a dry socket which requires medication or if the extraction was difficult, it just may take a while for it to heal up. You should call your dentist.
There are occasions when the pain refuses to go away after an extraction. Even a week or two may pass, and you will still feel the same irritating sensation. If you begin experiencing this, you most likely have a dry socket or alveolar osteitis. When they pull out your tooth, a blood clot should form where the tooth once was. It protects the bone and the nerve until the flesh heals and covers the wound. Sometimes, the blood clot may dissolve and fall out. This leaves the nerves open to damage with no tooth to protect the area.
Infection is a big part of the painful sensation. Usually, the best treatment for this is a preventive one. Dentists usually prescribe antibiotics to prevent this from happening. If dry socket occurs, dentists will place a dry socket paste in the extraction site to help heal the site. Smoking also delays healing and increases the likelihood of dry socket by 40% within 48 hours of extraction.
Infection is a big part of the painful sensation. Usually, the best treatment for this is a preventive one. Dentists usually prescribe antibiotics to prevent this from happening. If dry socket occurs, dentists will place a dry socket paste in the extraction site to help heal the site. Smoking also delays healing and increases the likelihood of dry socket by 40% within 48 hours of extraction.
Potential dry socket. If you rejected the blood clot that induces bone healing, it would explain the discomfort. Advise dental exam as there are treatments for dry socket.
The simplistic answer is this is the body's response to Healing. You underwent a traumatic experience and taking the tooth out that was once comfortable in its poor location actually doing damage to the adjacent tooth that was impacted against. Now the body wants to make new bone where the tooth occupied the socket these nerve endings need to find their way to a healthy environment growing new tentacles and this produces an itching sensation and also your proprioceptors lining the socket are busy about congratulating themselves I'm not being ripped out during the extraction and are trying to shake hands with new nerve endings. This phenomenon under a microscope is a delicate dance similar to what goes on at the World Trade Center
Depending on how difficult the tooth was to remove, it is normal to have pain for a week or more. If you feel something is not healing properly, you should see the practitioner who removed the tooth to have it checked. Dry socket can also occur after a tooth removal and can be painful. A dentist or oral surgeon can place a medicated packing in the area to help it feel better.
It's possible that you might have developed what is called a "dry socket." Or perhaps muscle fibers were moved during the extraction. I'd suggest you go back to your oral surgeon, or whoever took out the tooth, and check with them.
Depending on the severity of the extraction, it may be possible to have some pain after wisdom tooth extractions. It is possible, however, that you may have an infection or a dry socket. I suggest you follow up with the surgeon or another dentist familiar with such conditions.
Possible dry socket
Could possibly be a dry socket. You should return to the office that did the extractions. Good Luck.
Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson
Pain a week after wisdom teeth extractions is NOT unusual the question is difficult to answer in that I have no idea how difficult the extraction was. In the case of a fully impacted lower molar pain can last a week or more. Additional factors besides the difficulty of the extraction that can make pain worse is the presence of infection, a dry socket (improper healing of the wound) food packed into the extraction area and your own pain tolerance level. Avoid eating hard crunchy foods that break up into hard nuggets such as peanuts taco chips etc., rinse your mouth several times a day with warm salt water and return to the dentist who did the extraction for an evaluation to detrmine the extent of the problem.
That is not unusual to experience pain after extractions especially when when teeth were removed surgically and the bone around the teeth was also removed. You probably developed a dry socket (exposed bone), which is most common complication after oral surgery. Dry sockets are especially common after removal of lower wisdom teeth. You should go back to your dentist and have him evaluate your condition.
It’s hard to know exactly why. Sometimes it can be an infection, sometimes it’s just part of the normal healing process and sometimes can be caused by a “dry-socket” (often associated with the clotting in the area of the extracted tooth). We recommend seeing the dentist who extracted the tooth as soon as possible. They know your current situation best and will be able to ensure that they employ the best method of making you comfortable.
Thanks,
Kerry Howard
Thanks,
Kerry Howard
You should get it checked. It could be dry socket.
Great question! It is not unusual to experience discomfort for up to two weeks following oral surgery. The pain levels vary from slight to severe. If the pain level is severe, it is a good idea to return to the dentist who performed the surgery and be evaluated for dry socket or anything that is abnormal. Slight pain can be taken care of with pain medication. Swelling is also common.
