Hello! My name is Den. This blog is going to cover a range of dental topics. I am not a dentist or a dental nurse but I have recently undergone a lot of dental treatment. This treatment has given me a great insight into the world of dentistry and I would like to share everything I have learnt with you here. Last year, I developed terrible pain in my mouth. I was diagnosed with severe tooth decay. The dentist removed the problem teeth and then inserted false ones in their place. He also whitened my teeth to improve my smile. I hope you find my blog useful.
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Coping with loss is something that everyone has to deal with at some point in life. The strategic loss of a tooth (when extracted by a dentist) is something that your body deals with courtesy of rest, pain medication and taking care not to aggravate the extraction site. You will recuperate quickly enough, and then you can consider your options for replacing the missing tooth. But what are some of the signs that you're not recovering as well as you should be?
A Slightly Misleading Feeling
Immediately following an extraction, you're going to feel just fine. This is misleading, as the local anaesthetic administered prior to the procedure is still working its magic. As its effects subside, it's not a given that you will be in pain, though the invasive nature of tooth removal means that you're likely to feel some discomfort. As the original anaesthetic wears off, you should immediately transition to other forms of pain relief. Your dentist may have given you medication or will have recommended a specific form of over-the-counter pain relief.
Delayed Swelling
You will experience some swelling after an extraction, but this inflammation takes some days to develop and will reach its pinnacle approximately two days after the procedure. This can be managed with a cold compress, gently pressed against your jaw at the extraction site, as needed. Once it reaches its apex, this swelling should quickly fade away, and your discomfort will disappear along with it. When this swelling and discomfort persists, it's a sign that there may have been a complication with your extraction.
Infections
Postoperative infections are relatively rare after a tooth has been extracted, although they're not unheard of. There's no uniform level of swelling and discomfort, and a more complex extraction where the dentist has to literally dig a bit deeper to remove the tooth's root structure is the most invasive. Having a molar extracted will be more traumatic for your body than having an incisor extracted. But when swelling and discomfort remain or worsen, contact your dentist.
Treatment
It's important to have any postoperative infections treated before the infection has the opportunity to spread to surrounding tissues, which can be quite serious. In most cases, antibiotics will be all that's required, although sometimes the extraction site needs to be drained of any accumulated pus.
Be on the lookout for any signs of postoperative infection after you've had a tooth extracted, and be sure to seek medical advice if your swelling and discomfort lingers or worsens.
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