Healing time after pulled tooth?!


Question: I just got a tooth pulled on Friday. Everything I read says that the pain should only last 3-4 days and should be gradually getting better. Tomorrow will be the 5th day and I'm still in pain tonight....it's pretty much the same pain that I had on the first day. Is this okay or should I be worried about a possible dry socket??? Is there any way I could tell if I had a dry socket or if it's just pain from the healing process still?


Answers: I just got a tooth pulled on Friday. Everything I read says that the pain should only last 3-4 days and should be gradually getting better. Tomorrow will be the 5th day and I'm still in pain tonight....it's pretty much the same pain that I had on the first day. Is this okay or should I be worried about a possible dry socket??? Is there any way I could tell if I had a dry socket or if it's just pain from the healing process still?

The general rule is that discomfort following a tooth extraction (providing it wasn't a really difficult extraction) subsides to no pain at all over four to six days. Sometimes it's less time. As for your opening question about the "Healing Time"..you need to understand that when the discomfort goes away the extraction site is still many months from total healing. Weather it's one tooth or a dozen that's extracted, the total healing time will be between five and six months. During that period the extraction site (tissue and jaw bone) under goes size and shape changes. Nothing you or anyone else can do to change that healing period, that's just how your body works. As for the dry socket, I suspect that you may not have one because you didn't make a huge issue about being in pain. I suspect your only feeling the normal range of discomfort, it should go away in another two or three days and not be very bad while doing so. Rinse your mouth three to five times a day with warm 10% salt water mix....You'll be fine.

I would call your dentist and let them know about the pain, it could be a dry socket or infected.

It's probably just normal pain, if you had a dry socket you would know, the pain would be unbearable!!!
Are you taking the meds like instructed? If they said every 4 hours, I took it every four hours to not give myself the chance to hurt.
Give you doc a call tomorrow and ask if the pain after 5 days is normal. I know I had a little pain (in the jaws) for a couple of weeks, but not in the teeth that I remember.

Oh no, the pain should not even last for more than two days. After that it would be a mere discomforting pain. As you say that it is the fourth day and tomorrow it will be the fifth, this is not right. You may have a dry socket. No it is not pain from the healing process. Kindly start immediately from now with vit.C 500 mg -whatever the time is now and then make it 500 mg three times a day all with food, for one day and thereafter 500 mg twice a day. Vit. C has the natural ability to curtail inflammation and help in healing and even preventing it from worsening. At the first available opportunity contact your dentist and apprise him of the situation and see him on an emergency basis. If it is a dry socket he should have been able to tell you before hand i.e. before the extraction. Most experienced dentists are able to do it. Did he take an x-ray before the extraction? If not it was not right. Ask him to take an x-ray to rule out anything else like abscess,etc. If it is a dry socket he will put in dressings a few times, and you would become allright soon. It would be safe to use the time tested salt water rinse with warm water. This will prevent inflammation, reduce the risk of infection which is bound to be there (in dry sockets the underlying bone gets exposed and leaving it untreated can cause problems) . Now don't get scared. Rinse your mouth atleast four to five times a day. Do not touch the site with hand, don't dring with a straw, have easy to swallow food, and see your doctor at the first available opportunity. Describe your condition. And ask him all relevant questions, including how it could have been avoided. To be on the safer side ask him to take an x-ray. You will be all right in just three to four dressings. I wish you good health and speedy recovery. Ruhullah Yes, for the first two times rinse your mouth with lukewarm salt water, later make it half a teasoonful in a 8 oz glass.





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