Dry socket is a painful complication that can occur after you have pulled one or more teeth. It is more common after removing wisdom teeth. Fortunately, there are things you can do to reduce your risk.
What is dry socket?
Normally, after an extraction of a tooth, a blood clot forms above the hole, creating a temporary shield. The dry socket can occur when the blood clot is removed and falls out, exposing the bones and nerves and causing significant pain.
In an attempt to avoid this, your dentist will give you a list of instructions, such as not drinking a straw and avoiding certain foods, helping to protect the thrombus and keeping it in place. But sometimes the dry welcome occurs despite your best efforts, explains Dr. Tien Jiang, Assistant Professor of Oral Health and Epidemiology at the Harvard School of Dental School.
“The dry socket usually occurs in the lower jaw and in the line of the mouth rather than the front and it can occur a few days after the tooth pulls when the pain has to be improved,” he says.
Symptoms of dry outlet
The most common symptom of dry socket is severe pain that occurs several days after pulling a tooth, says Dr. Jiang. The pain can radiate from the reception to your ear, eye or neck, on the same side where the tooth was pulled.
Other symptoms of dry host include:
- A bad taste in your mouth
- malevolent
- Low fever, below 101 ° F (above 101 ° F may indicate infection).
Why can the dry socket happen after tooth export?
Dental experts do not fully understand why a dry reception occurs. But you are at a higher risk for dry socket after a tooth pull if:
- had a difficult tooth extraction
- had extracted teeth of lower wisdom (as opposed to front or upper teeth)
- Drink a straw after teeth extraction or rinse and spit much later
- Smoke or chew smoke
- Use birth control pills that may interfere with healing
- had a dry reception in the past.
How is the dry socket treated?
To heal the dry socket, your dentist will give you an anesthetic to get the area, clean it with a sterile rinse and then fill the slot with a pharmaceutical paste. Your dentist may also want to follow an antibiotic course if the dry socket was infected.
The dry socket is usually removed within a few days after treatment. To manage the pain, Dr. Jiang recommends over-the-counter acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). Because they work in different ways, they can be taken together. “Studies have shown that this can be more effective than taking opioid prescription drugs,” says Dr. Jiang.
To take care of dry home reception after treatment in the office:
- Take pain and antibiotics as your dentist advises.
- Apply a cold package to the outside of your mouth to facilitate swelling and pain.
- Carefully rinse your mouth with salty water or a special mouth to help with treatment. Make your head over the sink and let the rinse drip off your mouth – don’t spit.
- Avoid brushing around the exhaust position for at least 24 hours.
- Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol until you cure.
Tips to prevent dry reception
The best way to avoid dry socket, says Dr. Jiang, is to avoid negative pressure on your mouth that could pull a clot. This pressure can happen if you spit violently instead of climbing a tissue or cloth for a few days after the tooth export. Eating a straw can also cause pressure that can remove a thrombus.
Dr. Jiang advises not to eat anything too crisp or sticky for several weeks. It suggests avoiding food with small pieces, such as rice, that could stick to the empty reception. Instead, look for foods such as apples, yogurt, smoothies (without seeds) and fine or cleaned soups.
It is important to contact your dentist after teeth extraction if you have increased pain or pain that does not recede when you take pain relief. “If you think you have a dry socket,” advises Dr. Jiang, “Call your dentist and ask to see it to make sure you treat it properly.”
