How Painful is Surgical Extraction?
Any type of surgery can be daunting, and this includes surgical dental extractions. Many patients feel anxiety about surgical dental extractions, but information about the reality of the procedure can help calm this anxiety. The primary goal of any dentist is to save as many of the natural teeth as possible. When a tooth has sustained too much damage to preserve, however, or if the tooth is poised to cause problems with the dentition over the long term, it may be necessary to extract the tooth. In many cases, damaged teeth can be extracted without relying on surgery; however, when a tooth is severely damaged, or if there is an insufficient amount of tooth visible above the gums, a surgical extraction might be the only solution.
One of the primary causes for the anxiety that often comes with surgery is the idea that surgical procedures are painful. The truth is that tooth extractions, whether simple or surgical, shouldn’t cause pain; in fact, more often than not, they help reduce the pain that can accompany an infected or impacted tooth. Teeth that are not easily accessible due to their position and teeth that have complex or especially fragile roots will usually require surgical extraction. This includes wisdom teeth, which often erupt at odd angles or become stuck inside the gums, making them more difficult to access with simple extraction measures.
To surgically extract a tooth, your dental professional will first apply an anesthetic, numbing the area and preventing any pain from occurring during the procedure. For more complex surgical extractions, or in cases where patients have extreme anxiety or compromised medical situations, more comprehensive general anesthesia may be used; in any case, these anesthetics guard against pain during extraction. Once the anesthesia has fully taken effect, your dentist will make a small incision in the gums before removing the tooth. In some cases, the tooth needs to be broken into several pieces, allowing it to be removed without excessive manipulation or force. Once the tooth has been extracted, the incision is sutured shut.
If general anesthesia is used, the dental team will confirm that the patient is fully sedated before beginning the surgical procedure, and the patient will, essentially, sleep throughout the treatment, not feeling anything at all. When local anesthetic is used, the dentist will assess the area and make sure it’s fully numbed, applying more anesthetic if needed to ensure that the patient won’t experience any pain. While you shouldn’t expect to feel pain with general anesthesia, you may feel a pulling sensation or a feeling of pressure as the dentist manipulates the tooth while removing it. As this anesthesia wears off, patients report some discomfort, but this is usually manageable with over-the-counter pain medication and modified behaviors for a few days following the procedure. You’ll receive specific aftercare instructions from your dentist, which generally advise patients to avoid rinsing or spitting vigorously for the first 24 hours. After the first 24 hours, patients are advised to avoid smoking, using straws, and strenuous activity, and to gently rinse the mouth with warm saltwater to help keep it clean and relieve irritation. While surgical extractions aren’t painful, they are inconvenient, and missing teeth can cause dental and oral health problems and should be replaced as soon as possible, which can end up being expensive. The best approach to any dental issues is prevention, and healthy oral hygiene routines combined with regular dental visits can help prevent the need for surgical extraction and other potentially frightening procedures.