After dental treatment, you may temporarily experience pain, sensitivity, or a bruised feeling. This does not automatically mean that something went wrong. Teeth, gums, and the surrounding tissue sometimes need time to recover from treatment.
How much after-pain you can expect and how long it lasts depends heavily on the treatment. For example, after a small filling, a tooth may be temporarily sensitive, while other symptoms may occur after an extraction or extensive root canal treatment.
Most importantly, consider how the symptoms develop. After-pain that gradually decreases is usually part of the recovery process. Pain that actually gets worse, increasing swelling, or fever are reasons to contact us.
In this article, we explain what you can expect after various dental treatments and when it is wise to call your dentist.
Is pain after dental treatment normal?
A certain degree of sensitivity can occur after many dental treatments.
During treatment, work is sometimes performed on a tooth, molar, gums, or surrounding tissue. That area may be temporarily irritated or sensitive afterwards.
Local anesthesia can also cause the injection site to feel bruised for some time.
However, the nature and duration of the symptoms vary per treatment. Therefore, there is no fixed period in which all after-pain must have disappeared.
It is more important that the symptoms gradually decrease over time instead of increasing.
Which symptoms are part of a normal recovery?
After dental treatment, you may, for example, experience temporary sensitivity while chewing or with cold and hot products.
In addition, swelling may occur after an extraction or surgical treatment. The treated area may feel bruised, and opening the mouth may temporarily be a bit more difficult.
Which symptoms are normal always depends on the treatment you have had.
If in doubt, you are welcome to contact the practice.
Pain after placing a filling
After a filling is placed, a tooth or molar may react sensitively for a while.
You may notice this, for example, with cold or hot drinks, while chewing, or when you bite on the treated tooth. Especially with a deep filling, the tooth may need some time to settle down.
The sensitivity should generally decrease gradually.
Do you experience pain mainly when you clench your teeth and does it feel as if the treated tooth makes contact first? Then the filling may be slightly too high.
In that case, please contact the dentist. A small correction of the bite can sometimes be sufficient.
Pain after a root canal treatment
A tooth or molar can also be temporarily sensitive after a root canal treatment.
Although the inflamed or infected tissue has been removed from the root canal, the tissues around the root tip may still be irritated. As a result, the tooth may be sensitive when chewing or biting down, for example.
This does not automatically mean that the treatment was unsuccessful.
The symptoms should decrease over time. If severe or increasing pain, clear swelling, or a feeling of illness develops, please contact the dentist.
Pain after a tooth or molar extraction
After an extraction, a wound is created in the mouth. After-pain and swelling can therefore be part of the normal healing process.
The area may be sensitive for the first few days. With a more difficult or surgical extraction, the symptoms may be more pronounced.
After that, gradual improvement should occur.
If the pain becomes significantly worse after a few days instead of better, or if an unpleasant taste or smell originates from the wound area, please contact the dentist.
After an extraction, for example, an inflammatory reaction of the tooth socket can occur, also known as alveolitis or dry socket. This can cause significant pain and must be assessed by a dentist.
Is swelling after a treatment normal?
Limited swelling can be normal after certain treatments, especially after a tooth or molar extraction or after a surgical procedure.
The swelling may increase during the initial period before it decreases again.
This is different from swelling that rapidly increases, spreads further across the face or towards the neck, or is accompanied by fever and illness.
In the case of rapidly increasing swelling, it is wise to contact a dentist on the same day.
If you have difficulty swallowing or breathing due to the swelling, immediate medical assessment is necessary.
When should you contact the dentist?
Not every pain after a treatment requires an immediate new appointment. The progression of the symptoms is an important indicator in this regard.
In any case, contact us when:
- the pain becomes increasingly severe instead of decreasing;
- painkillers have insufficient effect;
- you develop clear or increasing swelling;
- you develop a fever and feel ill;
- pus or a clearly foul taste comes from the treated area;
- you experience significantly more pain after a few days following an extraction;
- your bite clearly does not feel right after a filling or crown;
- a temporary or permanent crown or other restoration comes loose;
- you are concerned about the progress of the recovery.
The dentist can then assess whether the symptoms are part of a normal recovery or whether additional treatment is required.
When is swelling after dental treatment an emergency?
Swelling deserves extra attention when it increases rapidly.
Contact a dentist on the same day if a swelling becomes significantly larger, especially when accompanied by fever, increasing pain, or a feeling of illness.
If it spreads towards the neck or if you have difficulty swallowing or breathing, you must seek medical help immediately.
In such a situation, do not wait to see if the swelling subsides on its own.
What can you do yourself against after-pain?
In the first place, follow the instructions you received from the dentist after your treatment. These are tailored to the treatment performed on you.
When pain relief is needed, paracetamol may be an option for many people. Use medications according to the package leaflet and do not exceed the recommended dosage.
Other painkillers, such as ibuprofen, are not suitable for everyone. This may depend, for example, on other medications you are taking, pregnancy, or certain stomach, kidney, heart, or other health problems. If in doubt, consult your doctor, dentist, or pharmacist.
After an extraction or surgical treatment, cooling the outside of the cheek can sometimes be pleasant. Do not place ice directly on the skin.
What should you avoid doing for after-pain?
Do not try to treat pain by placing aspirin, alcohol, or other substances directly against the tooth or the
gums. This can damage the mucous membrane and does not treat the cause.
If you have a wound after a tooth or molar extraction, follow the specific aftercare instructions from your dentist.
Also, do not pick at a swelling yourself or try to squeeze it out.
If the symptoms do not progress as expected, assessment by a dentist is safer than experimenting yourself.
How long does after-pain last after dental treatment?
There is no universal number of days for this.
After a relatively minor treatment, sensitivity may be short-lived. After a deeper filling, root canal treatment, extraction, or surgical procedure, recovery may take longer.
Patients also react differently to the same treatment.
Therefore, do not only look at the number of days, but especially at the progression:
Is the pain gradually decreasing? That is more often consistent with normal recovery.
Is the pain actually getting stronger or are new symptoms developing? Then it is wise to contact us.
Can pain after a treatment mean that something is wrong?
It can, but pain alone does not automatically mean that a treatment has failed.
A treated tooth or the surrounding tissue may need time to recover. Sometimes, however, a check-up reveals that something needs to be adjusted or further investigated.
Consider, for example, a filling that is too high, persistent inflammation, a problem with wound healing, or another cause that was already present before the treatment.
Therefore, it is wise to contact us in case of unexpected, severe, or increasing symptoms.
What if the anesthesia has worn off and the pain begins?
During treatment, local anesthesia can ensure that you feel little or no pain. When the anesthesia wears off a few hours later, you may only then notice that the treated area is sensitive.
This can occur with various treatments.
As long as your mouth is still numb, be careful when eating. A numb lip, cheek, or tongue can easily be bitten unintentionally.
Also, be careful with very hot drinks until the sensation has fully returned.
When can you eat normally again?
This depends on the treatment.
The advice after a filling may be different than after an extraction or surgical treatment. As long as your mouth is still numb, caution is advised to prevent you from biting your lip, cheek, or tongue.
After an extraction, softer foods may be more comfortable temporarily.
Did you receive specific instructions from your dentist? Then always follow those instructions, as they are tailored to your treatment.
Have after-pain following dental treatment checked in Leiden
Have you recently had dental treatment and are you unsure whether the pain or swelling is still part of a normal recovery?
Then contact We Smile Tandartsen in Leiden. Tell us which treatment you had, when it was performed, and how your symptoms have developed since then.
Especially the difference between symptoms that slowly decrease and symptoms that get worse is important information.
In case of severe or increasing pain, swelling, or other unexpected symptoms, you can contact us to assess whether a check-up is necessary.