Do I Have A Dry Socket?

Do I have a Dry Socket?

One of the reasons you may experience pain after having an extraction could be due to the formation of a dry socket. A dry socket is caused by the loss of the blood clot from the socket where a tooth was extracted. Although only a small percentage of our patients develop dry socket, it is the most common postoperative complication.

Are you having increased pain in one or more extraction areas three to five days after your surgery?

Does the pain radiate into your jaw and possibly up to your ear?

Do you have a bad taste in your mouth that seems to come from your extraction site?

These are indications that you may have a dry socket.

Can a dry socket be treated?

Yes! If you feel you may have a dry socket, call our office. In most cases, a medicated dressing is placed in the site of the dry socket, which will ease the pain and discomfort you are feeling. You may need to be seen more than once to have this dressing replaced as the area heals.

Why did I get a dry socket? I followed all of the postoperative instructions.

Sometimes, even though you were very careful, did not use straws, and refrained from smoking, a dry socket can still occur if the blood clot is disturbed. We are here to help!

Please call our office for a postoperative appointment.

Why does a dry socket hurt so much?

When the blood clot in your extraction area is dislodged, the extraction site is left unprotected and your bone is exposed. This leaves your nerve endings open, which can be very painful.

How long will before my dry socket will heal?

In most cases, patients will come back to see us for medicated dressing changes over the period of three to seven days while they heal. On the last of these visits, when the dressing is removed, most patients are no longer in pain. At that point, the dry socket is resolved, and the extraction area continues to heal on its own.