Understanding Dry Socket After Tooth Extraction & How to Prevent It

Understanding Dry Socket After Tooth Extraction & How to Prevent It

When you find yourself having to go for a tooth extraction at your dentist, it’s completely normal to expect it to ache a bit afterwards. In the main, patients have the tooth out, and within a day or two, things start feeling a bit more normal. That is, unless you end up getting a dry socket.

It only affects a small number of people, with between 1% and 5% experiencing the problem, but you’ll know when you’ve got it. That’s because it tends to leave patients in pain that’s even worse than before the removal.

So, if you’ve been putting off visiting your dentist in Manchester because of the worry, stay with us as we look at what makes dry socket so painful, why it happens and what you can do to prevent it.

Why Does Dry Socket Happen After Some Tooth Extractions?

After a tooth is removed, a blood clot forms over the empty socket. It might not sound especially important, but that clot is basically the thing protecting the bone and nerves underneath. A dry socket occurs when the clot either comes away too soon or never forms properly to begin with.

Once that protection disappears, the area underneath is essentially exposed to the open air, which is why the pain can suddenly become much more intense a few days after the tooth extraction.

The truth is that a dry socket after having a tooth out can just happen. However, what we usually find after a quick chat with patients is that one or more of the following has been the real culprit.

Smoking After an Extraction

Smoking is one of the biggest causes of dry socket after tooth removal. Partly because cigarettes affect healing and blood flow, but also because the act of inhaling creates suction inside the mouth, which can cause the clot to stop protecting you and eventually fall out.

That’s why dentists usually tell patients not to smoke for at least the first couple of days after an extraction. Even then, longer is always better where healing is concerned.

Rinsing or Spitting Too Hard

Patients often feel like rinsing their mouth after having a tooth taken out because the area tastes strange or feels uncomfortable. Usually, the best thing you can do during those first 24 hours is leave the area alone as much as possible and let your body heal naturally.

Moreover, a number of other lifestyle factors could also affect your overall dental health and cause dry socket issues.

Difficult Wisdom Tooth Extractions

Dry socket can also happen more often after lower wisdom tooth removal because the extraction itself is usually more involved. The healing site can also be harder to protect afterwards, especially right at the back of the mouth.

That doesn’t mean everyone having a wisdom tooth removed will get dry socket, far from it, but it does explain why dentists are usually extra careful with them. Our article on wisdom teeth removal tells you more.

What Can You Do to Stop Dry Socket?

The good news is that most of the time, dry socket is preventable. The first few days after an extraction are really critical for that important blood clot, and it’s when you need to be your most careful with it.

A lot of aftercare advice can feel over the top when you first hear it, but it’s given to you for a very good reason. Your mouth is in the middle of trying to heal over an open wound, and even small things can irritate the area.

The key is really just giving the extraction site a bit of time while your body gets on with repairing. A few simple steps can make all the difference.

Most patients find things improve slowly, but surely. However, if you find the pain getting noticeably worse or not improving after 4 or 5 days – even when you’re following post-treatment aftercare advice – you might want to call your dentist, rather than just hoping it will get better.

Worried About Dry Socket After a Tooth Extraction?

Dry socket can be extremely painful, particularly when you’re expecting things to feel better each day instead of worse. The important thing to remember is that it’s treatable, and you should keep in contact with your dentist – who’ll be more than happy to give you the advice you need.

At Ringway Dental, our experienced dentists regularly help patients dealing with painful extractions, difficult wisdom teeth and post-treatment complications, so you’re in very good hands.

Get in touch with our team today if any of this sounds familiar or book a free online consultation during which we’ll explore your options.

FAQs About Dry Socket

Q – How long does dry socket pain usually last?

A – Most of the patients we see find the pain improves quite quickly after treatment – and usually all on its own. However, there might be occasions when it doesn’t settle down and that’s when you get back in touch with your dentist.

Q – Is dry socket always painful?

A – Pain is one of the main ways you’ll know you have a dry socket, but the degree of pain can vary quite a bit. Some people only notice a dull ache that gradually improves, while others get sharper pain that spreads into the jaw or ear for a few days after an extraction.

Q – Does dry socket always happen straight after an extraction?

A – No. In most cases, people feel fairly normal at first, then the pain starts getting noticeably worse around two to four days later.

Q – Is dry socket an infection?

A – Not exactly. It’s more to do with the loss of protection over the healing area, although bacteria can still irritate the exposed socket and make symptoms feel worse.

Q – Can food get stuck in a dry socket?

A – It can, particularly after lower molar or wisdom tooth removal. That’s one reason dentists often recommend softer foods while the area is healing.

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