Surrounding Teeth Hurt After a Tooth Extraction: What’s Normal and What’s Not

When it’s normal for surrounding teeth to hurt after tooth extraction

Feeling pain after a tooth extraction—or any dental surgery—is completely normal. Discomfort usually peaks within the first 12 hours and then starts to improve. It’s common to feel soreness not only at the surgical site but also in the nearby teeth and even the jaw.

By the second day, most of the intense pain should decrease. If, however, the pain increases or suddenly appears days later, it shouldn’t be ignored, as it could be an early sign of infection.

Another reason surrounding teeth may hurt is the extraction technique. Dentists often use the closest tooth as a support point for the instruments to help loosen the tooth to be extracted. As a result, some of the pulling forces are transferred to the neighboring teeth as well.

This can overstretch the ligaments that hold your teeth in place, making them more sensitive once the anesthesia wears off. The discomfort typically starts a few hours after the procedure and fades within a few days as the ligaments recover.

Here’s what you might notice:

• Nearby teeth feel sensitive, especially when biting or applying pressure.
• A tooth may feel slightly loose (though that should not be too noticeable).
• The soreness gradually disappears over the first week as healing takes place.

When to Worry

More serious injuries can happen if an adjacent tooth is accidentally chipped, broken, becomes too loose, or, in very rare cases, knocked out by the extraction instruments.

These situations are uncommon, and your dentist should let you know of such risks before the procedure. Even if they do occur, they’re usually manageable.

Surrounding teeth are more vulnerable to injury if:

• They have a dental restoration, such as a filling or crown.
• They are already weakened by decay or cavities.
• Your teeth are crowded or overlapped, leaving little space for the instruments.

It’s fairly common for the nearby tooth to feel a little loose after the procedure, but this should be mild and temporary. However, it should not shift position or interfere with your bite.

If a tooth moved out of place or became excessively loose, it may sit higher than the others and take on extra chewing pressure. In such cases, the tooth needs to be repositioned and stabilized immediately so it can recover. Typically, it takes a few days for the ligaments to heal.

If left untreated, this can not only cause persistent discomfort but also prevent the ligaments from healing properly, leading to further issues.

How to Manage Discomfort

Most of the time, soreness in the surrounding teeth is temporary and fades as the surgical site and ligaments heal. Still, there are a few things you can do to ease the pain and avoid making it worse:

• Don’t chew on the sensitive side: Chew on the opposite side of your mouth for the first few days to give the surgical site and ligaments time to recover.


• Eat a soft diet: For the first week, stick to soft, easy-to-chew foods. Eating hard or crunchy foods can not only be painful but may also delay healing or increase the risk of complications, like infection or dry socket.


• Take painkillers as directed: Pain medication should be started early, before even the anesthesia fully wears off. This helps prevent the peak pain that usually comes within the first 12 hours.


• Apply cold compresses: During the first 24 hours, apply an ice pack wrapped in a cloth to the outside of your cheek for 20 minutes at a time. This can help reduce pain and swelling in the coming days. After 24 hours, cold packs are no longer effective.


• Follow your dentist’s instructions: Carefully follow the guidance you were given about diet, physical activity, and smoking.

When to See Your Dentist

Don’t wait to contact your dentist if you notice any of the following:

• Pain or swelling that persists or worsens: If your pain is getting worse instead of better, or if it suddenly appears days after the extraction, this isn’t normal and should be checked. The same goes for swelling that lasts longer than expected or becomes more extensive. These could signal an infection or other complications that needs prompt treatment.


• Fluid coming from the wound: Yellowish, clear fluid oozing from the surgical site is often pus, a common sign of infection. See your dentist immediately if you experience this.


• A nearby tooth is broken or loose: Accidental injury to adjacent teeth is rare, but if it happens, it needs immediate treatment.


• A tooth has lost its filling or restoration: If a filling, crown, or other restoration comes off or is damaged during the extraction, it should be repaired—at least temporarily—on the same day.


• Persistent discomfort when biting down: Mild soreness while chewing is normal in the first week. If it continues beyond that, it may indicate a bite problem or that a tooth is sitting higher than the others. Your dentist can adjust your bite by slightly grinding the tooth, which helps distribute chewing forces evenly and reduces discomfort.