Dry socket – causes, symptoms, treatment. How to avoid a dry socket?

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A dry socket (another name – an empty socket) is a complication that occurs after a tooth extraction. What are the causes of a dry socket? What is its prevention and treatment?

Dry socket – causes

Dry socket is one of the most common complications after tooth extraction (extraction). It meets approx. 4 percent. patients. It occurs in any location, although it is most often seen after lower molars are removed. Women suffer from it more often than men. It occurs in patients of all ages, but most of the observed cases occur in people over the age of 40.

What are the causes of this phenomenon? During tooth extraction (or its remnants), the continuity of the mucosa is broken and a wound filled with blood is formed. It creates a clot, i.e. the body’s natural cover. A healing process takes place during which the mucosa is restored. A dry socket is a disturbance of this process and the occurrence of local inflammation.

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Dry socket – symptoms

How to recognize a dry socket? After 2–4 days from the extraction, pain increases in the place where the tooth was left. Sometimes it is very intense and pulsating, radiating to the temples and ear. It is often accompanied by taste disturbances and an unpleasant smell in the mouth. Local lymph nodes under the mandible may become enlarged.

Dry socket – risk factors

There are a number of factors that can increase your risk of developing a dry socket. These are, among others:

1. smoking and tobacco use – chemicals in cigarettes or other forms of tobacco can prevent or slow healing and contaminate the wound site. Just puffing on a cigarette can cause the blood clot to be physically removed prematurely.
2. oral contraceptives – high levels of estrogen from oral contraceptives may interfere with normal healing processes and increase the risk of dry socket,
3. improper home care – non-compliance with home care guidelines and poor oral hygiene may increase the risk of dry socket,
4. having a dry socket in the past – if you have had a dry socket in the past, it is more likely to develop after another extraction,
5. tooth or gum infection – current or previous infections around the extracted tooth increase the risk of a dry socket.

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Dry socket – treatment

The situation of a dry socket requires pain relief and control of the wound healing process. You should go to the dentist who performed the extraction for diagnosis and prescription of more effective agents. Wound rinsing can be performed in the office to remove irritating impurities that aggravate the pain.

Most often, saline or sodium bicarbonate is used for this purpose. The dentist may also decide to cover the socket with a dressing or insert and recommend that the wound be flushed at home. If there is a bacterial infection of the socket, antibiotics are administered. Treatment usually takes 7-10 days.

Dry socket – prevention

In order to prevent the appearance of a dry socket, certain steps should be taken, both before and after tooth extraction.

Before having a tooth extraction procedure, you can take the following steps to prevent the appearance of a dry socket:

1. seek a dentist or oral surgeon experienced in tooth extraction
2. if applicable, try to quit smoking before extraction as smoking and using other tobacco products increase the risk of dry socket
3. Talk to your dentist or oral surgeon about any medications you are taking (prescription or over-the-counter supplements) as they can interfere with blood clotting.

What can your dentist or oral surgeon do?

Your dentist or oral surgeon will take a number of steps to ensure that the socket is healed properly and to prevent dryness. These steps may include recommending one or more of the following preparations to help prevent dry socket:

1. mouthwashes or antibacterial gels immediately before and after the procedure,
2. oral antibiotics, especially if you have a weak immune system
3. antiseptic solutions applied to the wound,
4. medical dressings applied after surgery.

What can you do after surgery?

You will receive instructions on what to expect during the healing process following tooth extraction and how to care for the wound. Proper home care after tooth extraction promotes healing and prevents wound damage. So here’s what you should do:

1. after surgery, plan to rest for the remainder of the day. Follow the recommendations of your dentist or oral surgeon on when to resume normal activities and for how long to avoid rigorous exercise and sports that may remove a blood clot in the socket.
2. on the first day after the extraction, place cold compresses on the outside of your face followed by warm compresses to reduce pain and swelling. Follow your dentist or oral surgeon’s instructions for applying cold or heat to your face. Take pain medications as directed,
3. drink plenty of water after the procedure. Avoid alcoholic, caffeinated, carbonated, or hot drinks for as long as your dentist or oral surgeon recommends. Do not drink for at least a week through a straw as sucking can push the blood clot out of the socket.
4. On the first day, eat only soft foods such as yogurt or applesauce. Be careful of hot and cold liquids or chewing your cheek.
5. after the procedure, you can gently rinse your mouth and brush your teeth, but avoid touching the extraction site for the first 24 hours,
6. if you smoke or use any other form of tobacco, do not do so for at least 48 hours after surgery, or for as long as possible. Any use of tobacco products after oral surgery may delay healing and increase the risk of complications.

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