The most common dental complication following a dental extraction is a dry socket. Here's how to treat and manage it.
What is a Dry Socket?
To understand a dry socket, it's important to understand the healing process after a tooth has been removed. Normally, a blood clot forms in the socket (hole left by the tooth) within 2-3 minutes and remains there throughout the healing. This clot provides nutrients for the process and shields exposed bone. If this clot is disturbed, it can lead to a dry socket, which is why it's crucial to avoid disturbing it.
What Leads to a Dry Socket?
A dry socket may result from the loss of the blood clot if:
- Smoking or using tobacco products,
- Rinsing the extraction area vigorously,
- Creating suction or by drinking from a straw,
- Spiting vigorously,
- Drinking fizzy drinks or eating on the side of the extraction (cold, liquid food is recommended after 48-72 hours).
How to Recognize a Dry Socket
In most cases, dry sockets develop 3-4 days after surgery, but can sometimes occur up to a week later. It is characterized by a sudden onset of intense pain that can be described as "dry" and "sharp". It is common for people to describe dry socket pain as worse than dental surgery pain. In general, over-the-counter pain medications, such as Advil, Tylenol, or regular and extra-strength Advil, are not effective in controlling dry socket pain.
It may be difficult to tell if a dry socket has occurred just by looking at it, as it could appear the same as with normal healing. You might observe some redness around the socket and the gums may still be swollen from dental surgery. There could be a greyish/white jelly-like substance, which is part of the usual recovery process. White chalky hard bone at the base of the socket might suggest a dry socket and a sharp pain in that area 3-4 days after an extraction is usually a stronger indication.
Dealing with Dry Socket
Pain medication. Your dentist will prescribe stronger pain medication (often a narcotic) in conjunction with over-the-counter pain medication.
Flushing the socket. Use saline water to flush out the socket will make sure there's no debris in the hole and to prevent infection. Once the clot is lost, it won't be regenerated. But it's important to keep the socket clean.
Covering the socket. The dentist may place wound dressing material in the empty socket to cover the bone. This usually alleviates the discomfort caused by a dry socket.
Keep the socket clean. Keep the extraction area clean by brushing and rinsing gently. Make sure to keep food out of the socket. Your dentist might give you a small seryngue with which you can directly some salt water or medication mouth rinse to the area.
Antibiotics are not necessary for a dry socket
and will not improve the pain. The best way to treat a dry socket is to cover it with a dressing and to control the pain with medication. As the healing process occurs, the discomfort will gradually subside within a week.
What if the Pain Persists?
Symptoms of an infection can often be mistaken for dry sockets, so contact your dentist if the pain persists despite flushing and dressing the socket. Consult your dentist or a medical professional if you experience a fever, swollen jaw, or increasing throbbing pain.
Conclusion
A dry socket is a nasty complication, but rest assured it does get better. Thankfully, having a dry socket does not impact the overall healing of the tissues.
Bibliography:
Images source: Alveolar osteitis (dry socket) after mandibular wisdom tooth extraction. Contributed By Mel11691 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16195019
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