Fish Oil for Tooth Extraction Pain

Dental health is an important area of personal health and hygiene. Teeth play an important role in the digestive process and allow us to smile. Many individuals, though, fail to meet the recommended dental maintenance of two brushings per day, and a great many of them also avoid the dentist's office until repairs are impossible. This results in tooth extractions, and extractions often lead to temporary pain that can be troublesome for some, particularly those with a low threshold for pain. Fish oil, though, offers help to those who suffer from post-extraction pain, and it also helps avoid extractions.

Facts

• Fish oil is a naturally occurring omega-3 fatty acid found in fish and other seafood. Cold-water fish such as salmon are rich in omega-3, which is an essential fatty acid that has many health benefits. Information today indicates that fatty acids offer dental health benefits. Fish oil helps because it reinforces tooth structure and because it possesses anti-inflammatory properties. Anti-inflammatories are substances, featured in some drugs, that reduce pain and promote healing.

Extractions

• Teeth are extracted from the mouth when they become broken or damaged and cannot be repaired. When teeth are extracted, bleeding, swelling and inflammation commonly occur. Dentists control bleeding by placing gauze into the empty tooth socket. You then bite down on the gauze for a period of approximately one hour. The pressure you apply helps to stop the bleeding. The goal of applying pressure is to form a blood clot in the tooth socket. This clot aids in the healing process of the gum.

Pain Relief

• A tooth extraction causes trauma to the mouth. This trauma often leads to both injury to the soft tissue around a tooth and swelling. One means of treating the swelling is to place an ice pack on your face at the site of the extraction. When pain persists, dentists recommend a range of non-prescription medications. These include acetaminophen, found in Tylenol and other brands, and ibuprofen, commonly found in name brands Advil and Motrin. Some doctors prescribe narcotics.

Fish Oil Relief

• An option gaining some favor for treating post-extraction pain is the use of fish oil. Much information about fish oil and other omega-3 fatty acids indicate that the substance provides anti-inflammatory relief. The body features two forms of cells, called eicosanoids, which play roles in inflammation. Some are pro-inflammatory. They cause damage by destroying tissue, including gums. Meanwhile, anti-inflammatory forms counteract this destruction by stopping the inflammation and by promoting healing. Because tooth extraction features damage to the gums and other soft tissue in the mouth, fish oil's anti-inflammatory properties help to provide pain relief and serve to reduce swelling and inflammation.

Gum Health

• According to a study by the Arthritis and Rheumatic Disease Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center in New Jersey, the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids have shown benefits for reducing inflammation and repairing periodontal disease damage. Periodontal disease includes gingivitis, which can cause bleeding gums and tender gums. Inflamed gums result in increased pain after tooth extraction. Therefore, taking fish oil on a regular basis can help to alleviate pain associated with tooth extraction by avoiding the gum diseases that cause acute pain.

Significance

• Fish oil's ability to reduce and correct periodontal disease is a notable discovery. Estimates show that approximately 80 percent of the world's population suffers from gingivitis, which causes inflammation and leads to severe irritation when teeth are extracted or when gums recede. Fish oil also contains Vitamin D and phosphorus. The body uses both to strengthen teeth, which reduces decay and the likelihood that you will need to undergo an extraction.