Dry Sockets

What Is Dry Socket?

After a tooth is pulled, a blood clot forms in the socket to protect the bone and nerves underneath. Sometimes that clot can become dislodged or dissolve a couple of days after the extraction. That leaves the bone and nerve exposed to air, food, fluid, and anything else that enters the mouth.

This can lead to infection and severe pain that can last for 5 or 6 days. Only about 2% to 5% of people develop dry socket after an extraction, but for those who do, it can be very uncomfortable. Fortunately, it's easily treatable.

Who Is at Risk?

Some people are more likely to develop dry socket after having a tooth pulled:

• Smokers and tobacco users
• People with poor oral hygiene
• Those having wisdom teeth extracted
• People who experienced difficult or traumatic extractions
• Women using oral birth control pills
• Those with a history of dry socket from previous extractions

Rinsing and spitting aggressively or drinking through a straw after extraction also raises your risk by dislodging the blood clot.

Symptoms of Dry Socket

If you look into the site where the tooth was pulled, you'll see a dry-looking opening with whitish bone visible instead of a dark blood clot. Common symptoms include:

• Severe pain starting about 2 days after extraction
• Pain that radiates from the socket to your ear, eye, temple, or neck on the same side
• Bad breath or unpleasant odor from the mouth
• Unpleasant taste in the mouth
• Visible bone in the socket

Treatment

Your dentist will treat dry socket by:

• Flushing the socket to remove debris and food particles
• Packing the socket with a medicated dressing or paste to promote healing and relieve pain
• Prescribing pain medication if over-the-counter options aren't sufficient
• Scheduling follow-up visits to change the dressing until healing begins

At home, you can take NSAIDs like ibuprofen to ease discomfort. Your dentist may also recommend gently rinsing with salt water or a prescription rinse.

Prevention

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