How can i tell if i have a dry socket

As wisdom teeth grow in they can cause severe pain, alter the structure of the mouth, and affect oral health. These issues are usually caused by impacted wisdom teeth and it is recommended that patients get them removed. An impacted wisdom tooth is a third molar that is unable to erupt and develop normally because of some barrier like an existing tooth or lack of space.

Table of Contents Show

What is dry socket?
How likely is dry socket after wisdom tooth removal?
Symptoms of dry socket in wisdom teeth
How can you prevent dry socket?
How Do I Know If I Have Dry Sockets?
What Is a Dry Socket?
What Causes Dry Sockets?
What are Other Risk Factors for Dry Sockets?
What is the Treatment for a Dry Socket?
Are There Any Home Remedies For A Dry Socket?
How Long Does A Dry Socket Last?
Do I Have to Treat it?
How Can I Prevent Dry Sockets?
Is it obvious if you have dry socket?
Will a dry socket heal on its own?
How does dry socket start out?

One of the biggest concerns patients have with wisdom tooth removal is the risk of developing dry socket. Being aware of what causes dry socket and having general knowledge on wisdom teeth surgery can help lessen the stress of the procedure.

What is dry socket?

During wisdom teeth removal, the nerves and bone will be exposed in the socket where the tooth was extracted. Typically, once the tooth is removed a blood clot will form over the area as protection. When a blood clot does not form or is removed from the socket, there is risk of dry socket. Without a clot protecting the bone and nerves, anything that enters the mouth can lead to extreme sensitivity and infection – even air.

How likely is dry socket after wisdom tooth removal?

Dry socket condition, in general, is less common than you may think as it occurs in roughly 2% to 5% of extractions. When it comes to impacted wisdom teeth however the occurrence is closer to 20%. Since removing a wisdom tooth is typically more invasive than any other extraction, the likelihood of developing dry socket is higher. By following your dentist’s or oral surgeon’s post-operative instructions you will be able to lower your chances of developing dry socket.

Symptoms of dry socket in wisdom teeth

So, how do you know if you have dry socket? The symptoms of dry socket after a wisdom tooth extraction are usually easy to recognize. For starters, if the bone at the extraction site is visible and not covered with a blood clot, you probably have dry socket.

Pain from the actual procedure should gradually decrease within a couple of days. With that being said, a tell-tale sign of dry socket is if the pain gets increasingly worse after surgery or you experience a throbbing pain in your jaw. This pain can spread to other areas of your face, neck, and head and it usually occurs on the same side as the extracted tooth.

Besides the visible and physical symptoms, patients that develop dry socket often report having a lingering bad taste in their mouth and bad breath. If you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above, contact your doctor.

How can you prevent dry socket?

As we know, the cause of dry socket is the absence of a blood clot in the extraction site. Sometimes the blood clot just doesn’t form and other times it gets dislodged from the gums. While your dentist or oral surgeon will provide you with pain medications and care instructions after your procedure, it is good to know what to expect during the healing process. Many preventative measures will be taken by your doctor but these are some of the best ways to prevent dry socket on your own.

Don’t smoke – smokers have a higher risk factor of dry socket. Not only could the inhalation dislodge the blood clot from the gums, but the chemicals found in tobacco can delay healing and increase the chances of infection.
Don’t drink out of a straw – the suction motion from your cheek muscles can dislodge the blood clot.
Avoid vigorous spitting or rinsing – while it is important to keep the socket clean, vigorous spitting or rinsing can easily disrupt the blood clot.
Stick with a soft food diet – foods that are hard, crunchy, or sticky can get stuck in the extraction site. The first couple of days after your procedure it is important to stick to soft foods that do not require much chewing, sucking, or biting.

The healing process after a wisdom tooth extraction is bearable as long as you are gentle with your mouth after the surgery and follow your doctor’s instructions. It is important to talk to your dentist about your concerns regarding your wisdom tooth removal and dry socket.

Fortson Dentistry’s staff provides high-quality dental services to our patients in Southeast Michigan from our five locations.

How Do I Know If I Have Dry Sockets?

Patients who develop dry socket typically complain of pain 3-4 days after surgery that is worse than it was initially. This can be on only one side or both. They are more common in the lower jaw. The pain often radiates to the ear or neck or other areas in the jaw. It can also be accompanied by bad breath. It is not an infection and is not accompanied by swelling, redness, or fever. You often cannot see a dry socket. Discoloration of a healing site is normal. A normal clot will often appear white in the mouth as it matures. The pain may keep you up at night and is often not fully treated by over the counter pain medicines. If things were getting better after surgery and suddenly worsen, it may be a sign of dry socket.

If you think you have developed a dry socket, then you probably have. The good news is that they are easily treated in the office. Medicine can be placed that will provide nearly complete pain relief in minutes.

Symptoms of Dry Socket: Worsening pain, bad odor, bad taste

NOT Symptoms of Dry Socket: Swelling, redness, fever, white color in socket, or stiffness of the jaw.

What Is a Dry Socket?

A dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, is a result of loss of the blood clot in an extraction site. Exposed bone in the extraction socket is painful until the tissue grows back to cover the bone. It occurs rarely in routine tooth extractions, and up to 15% in wisdom tooth extractions.

What Causes Dry Sockets?

Bacteria: The most common cause of dry socket is bacteria in the area dissolving the clot pre-maturely. Antibiotic use does not significantly decrease the rate of alveolar osteitis as there are hundreds of types of bacteria in the mouth. For that reason, even if you do everything you are supposed to, you may still develop dry sockets.

Mechanical: Sucking through a straw or cigarette, or aggressive rinsing and spitting can dislodge a clot early.

Smoking: Nicotine impairs healing and decreases new blood vessel formation.

Biologic: Oral Contraceptive pills and menstrual hormones have shown to have a small increase in risk for dry sockets. Although small, that risk can be eliminated by having surgery during your menstrual cycle and being off oral contraceptive pills.

What are Other Risk Factors for Dry Sockets?

Dry Sockets are also more common in the lower jaw, wisdom tooth extractions, patients older than thirty years, and teeth that were infected before surgery.

What is the Treatment for a Dry Socket?

In Office Treatment:

If you think you have developed a dry socket, call your surgeon. They are easily diagnosed and easily treated. A medicated strip of gauze will be placed inside the extraction site. This will numb the area and relieve the pain within about 15 minutes. This treatment lasts 24-72 hours and will usually be repeated a few times while the socket is healing. This treatment controls the pain while the gum tissue grows over the exposed bone. This does not delay healing or help it heal faster. Dry sockets are not infection and are not treated with antibiotics.

Are There Any Home Remedies For A Dry Socket?

If you are unable to come into the office immediately, a few drops of clove oil placed into the extraction site can temporarily relieve the pain. This will help alleviate the pain and can be placed several times a day if necessary or until you can get into the office. Your surgeon should still evaluate the site as soon as possible. Clove oil can often be found at pharmacies, health food stores, and even grocery stores.

How Long Does A Dry Socket Last?

Most dry sockets last 7-10 days. A small minority will last longer than a week.

Do I Have to Treat it?

If you choose not to have the socket treated, it will resolve on its own in the same amount of time as would if it were being treated. Electing to not treat it will not delay healing or worsen the outcome.

How Can I Prevent Dry Sockets?

Most of the risk factors for dry sockets cannot be prevented. However, there are a few things you can do to help decrease the risk:

After extraction avoid smoking, aggressive rinsing or spitting, and use of a straw.
Discontinuing oral contraceptive use, and using a different form of birth control before surgery, may help decrease the incidence slightly.

Remember, even if you do everything you can to prevent dry sockets they may still happen. However, if they do occur, they are easily and conveniently treated.

Is it obvious if you have dry socket?

After a tooth extraction, you should develop a blood clot in the socket (hole) that's left behind. It'll look like a dark-colored scab. But if you have a dry socket, the clot will be absent and you'll be able to see bone. For this reason, dry sockets usually appear white.

Will a dry socket heal on its own?

In most cases, dry socket will heal on its own, but as the site heals patients will likely continue to experience discomfort. If you do choose to treat dry socket at home, you need to clean the wound with cool water, irrigate the socket with saline, and keep gauze over the socket.

How does dry socket start out?

One of the early steps in the healing process is the formation of a blood clot that protects the empty tooth socket (almost like a scab that forms on the skin after a cut). Dry socket occurs when this blood clot either dissolves or becomes dislodged, exposing the tissue and sensitive nerves underneath.

dry socket