Today, about 20% of Canadians have dental conditions that are likely to cause tooth loss or lead to extractions [1]. For dentists in Vancouver, the most common reasons for tooth extractions are cavities (63%) and other periodontal diseases (34%) [1].
Why Tooth Extraction In Vancouver Hurts Less
That said, when visiting a dental clinic in Vancouver (or other parts of Canada), patients average fewer than three teeth removed per extraction [2]. Tooth extraction is less painful when it involves fewer than three teeth, so patients seeking care at a dental clinic in Vancouver experience lower-than-global-average levels of tooth extraction pain [3].
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How Much Does Tooth Extraction Really Hurt?
Given that acute pain is the most common reason patients seek tooth extractions, most people find the pre-extraction pain is greater than any pain they experience during or following the procedure [4]. Just 6% of all extraction patients experience comparably acute pain following the procedure [5].
Even so, dental practitioners constantly aim to reduce the pain associated with common procedures. Consequently, many top dental clinics in Vancouver now offer pain-free injections, sedation anesthetic, and improved postoperative pain medication options.
Yet even the best dentist in Vancouver cannot promise an entirely painless tooth extraction procedure.
Common Patient Experiences With Pain In Tooth Extraction Procedures
The most common pain experiences reported during and after tooth extraction procedures include:
- Some patients feel a “pinch” from the anesthetic injection, and many will feel some pain following the procedure [6].
- During the procedure, patients should not feel any pain regardless of the type of anesthetic applied — though patients who remain conscious may feel pressure [7].
- For simple tooth extractions, almost two-thirds of patients report feeling no pain (even immediately afterward), 22% report only mild pain, and just 0.6% report experiencing severe postoperative pain [3].
- If the extraction heals normally, patients experience mild to moderate pain and/or tenderness for 1-3 days following the procedure [8]. That said, complications — including dry sockets and infections — can last longer and be very painful [9].
- Most people treated at a high-quality dental clinic in Vancouver find that they experience less pain during and after tooth extraction procedures than they expected [10].
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The Secret To (Nearly) Pain-Free Tooth Extractions
Patients who experience high levels of anxiety before the procedure more often report feeling pain during the procedure, experience greater pain during healing, and also remember exaggerated levels of pain after the procedure [11].
This makes managing patient anxiety the most under-utilized tool for pain management during and after tooth extractions. Dentists who effectively supplement traditional pain management with anxiety management can, therefore, promise better pain management outcomes for patients.
The Best Ways To Manage Pain During & After Tooth Extraction In Vancouver
The best dentists in Vancouver can modify their pain management programs to meet specific patients’ needs. Practitioners should adjust pain management recommendations for patients who:
- Demonstrate a high degree of anxiety before procedures;
- Have lifestyle and medical histories predisposing them to higher levels of tooth extraction pain (for example, a history of smoking);
- Need procedures known to cause higher pain scores (like extended surgery times and multi-tooth extractions) [3].
Patients hoping to better manage tooth extraction pain should work with a dentist in Vancouver who they trust, take independent steps to control pre-procedure anxiety, and follow post-procedure instructions for minimizing pain [12].
