Pain And Discomfort Following Dental Treatment

A look at what you might feel and what you shouldn’t feel, following dental surgery.

There are a number of reasons why people might need treatment for unhealthy teeth. Accidents can happen at any time which require immediate treatment. Poor oral health care may lead to tooth decay and the need for a filling or crown.

Finally, you may just have decided that you are fed up with having loose dentures and voluntarily opt to have a dental implant placed instead.

All of the above will require some degree of invasive dental surgery. Few would ever describe having this as a pleasant experience, but, with the use of modern equipment and powerful local anaesthetics, for most people, it is relatively stress and pain free.

After the treatment

It is common for patients to be concerned about how the tooth will feel following a procedure, once the anaesthetic has worn off. This is something that our Greenwich patients often ask us about. In many cases, such as a filling, you may feel little discomfort at all, apart perhaps, from a little additional temporary sensitivity.

Other, more invasive procedures may cause minor trauma to the surrounding tissues and may also cause swelling in some cases.

Expected after effects

Most after effects that are experienced are to be expected and nothing to worry about. Most of these are temporary, lasting just a few days and often much less, and can be controlled using your regular pain killing medication. The following symptoms are normal and are to be expected:

Fillings - little discomfort other than, perhaps, a little extra sensitivity for a short while

Extractions - some minor occasional bleeding, soreness, possible minor swelling

Root canal treatments - some soreness, possible swelling

Generally speaking, these are some of the most common ‘after effects’ from dental treatments and should be of little concern providing that they are present only for a short time.

Not all after effects are ‘normal’ though and, if they happen, should result in a call to our Greenwich dental practice as soon as possible for further advice. These include the following:

Fillings - Significant pain, uncomfortable bite

Extractions - Blood loss that continues, a dry socket (where the blood clot falls out), severe or prolonged swelling, problems with swallowing or breathing, pain that doesn’t go away within a few days.

Root canal treatment - as above (though blood loss should not be an issue)

The vast majority of treatments carried out at the Confidental Clinic should lead to little or no problems. If they do though, or if you have any questions or concerns following your treatment, we are always happy to help you, and encourage you to call us. Many concerns are routine and you may be given advice by our front-desk team. Where this can’t be safely done, we will make sure that you are able to see one of our dental team as soon as possible so that you can be examined and have the problem addressed.

At the Confidental Clinic in Greenwich, we take patient safety very seriously. All non single-use equipment is thoroughly sterilised to minimise the risk of cross infection and we are always available should you need us if you have any concerns regarding your treatment.

You can call us during our practice hours on 020 8858 1422.