If you don't understand, you will regret it! What is "Dry Socket"? " 365 Dentist

Last updated May 12, 2022

Severe pain persists for more than 3 days after tooth extraction...
I have a cancer that hurts all the time even if I don't do anything ...

If you are one of these people, you may have dry socket in the area where the tooth was extracted.

Dry socket is an infection that occurs after a tooth extraction when the bone where the tooth used to grow becomes infected with bacteria.

Usually, this is because the gum covers the hole after the extraction is protected by a blood clot,

The pain will gradually subside, but if the blood clots are removed and the bone is exposed, it can become infected and cause severe pain.

Normally, pain after tooth extraction gradually subsides within a few days, whereas with dry socket, the pain gradually becomes more intense around 3 days after extraction.

Dry socket can cause a ganaching sensation in the entire jaw and a very sensitive sensation of stabbing at the extraction site.

Table of Contents

Three major causes of dry socket
How to prevent dry socket
What if dry socket occurs?
Dry socket treatment
1. relevance

Three major causes of dry socket

Dry socket is an infection at the extraction site.

(1) Blood clots (clots of blood) at the site of tooth extraction have peeled off.

Rinsing too hard or touching the extraction site can cause the blood clots that protected the bone after extraction to flow away, resulting in dry socket.

2) Smoking cigarettes.

Tobacco reduces blood flow, which inhibits the formation of blood clots and makes dry socket more likely to occur.

(iii) It took a long time to extract the tooth.

Extraction of "wisdom teeth" that were buried in bone or teeth with long roots may take longer.

The longer the surgery, the greater the irritation to the bone, the slower the healing, and the more likely it is to cause dry socket.

How to prevent dry socket

Do not shake hard or touch.

Rinsing or touching the extraction site too hard will cause the blood clots that were just forming to flow away, exposing the extraction site and making it more prone to dry socket.
It is normal to taste blood and bleed a little after a tooth extraction, so never rinse the tooth until it stops bleeding or touch it with your tongue because you are concerned.

Keep mouth clean

To keep the extraction site clean, brush other teeth thoroughly on the day of extraction.
Gargling with a mouthwash is also fine as long as you don't turn it around in your mouth too hard.

Take the antibiotic to the end of the course.

Even if the pain is gone, take the antibiotics to the end as directed.

Refrain from tooth extraction if you are not feeling well.

Because dry socket is an infection, it is more likely to occur when the body is weak from a cold or other illness. If you are not feeling well, refrain from tooth extraction and be careful not to lose sleep.

What if dry socket occurs?

If dry socket occurs, the first step is basically to administer additional antibiotics to see what happens.

Even if the pain persists, if it is a simple gingival healing defect that does not lead to dry socket, a combination of laser treatment and antibiotics may greatly improve the situation.

If healing is too slow, anesthesia may be used to improve blood flow and to draw blood.