What To Know About Dry Socket After A Tooth Extraction
Posted on: 21 September 2021
Are you going to have a tooth extracted by your dentist soon? If so, you may have heard about dry socket being one of the problems that can occur after the extraction happens. Here are some things that you need to know about this complication.
What Is Dry Socket?
When you have a tooth pulled from your mouth, the space where the tooth was once located will be exposed. This is known as the socket, and it is most vulnerable during those initial days where the extraction site is healing. A blood clot is needed to help the area start healing, and sometimes that blood clot never forms or it becomes dislodged. This can cause dry socket to occur, since the socket doesn't have that protective layer it needs to start the healing process.
Why Does Dry Socket Hurt?
The main reason that you experience so much pain when you have dry socket is because those nerve endings in the empty socket are exposed. Those nerves are then going to become incredibly sensitive and start causing you pain as a result. You need to take a few steps to fix it so that the extraction area can start to heal and cover those nerves.
Why Does Dry Socket Form?
There are many reasons why a blood clog can fail to form and cause dry socket. In most cases, the surgical site is disrupted from the patient not caring for it properly. They may not be following directions where they are avoiding straws, smoking, or doing other actions that can cause that blood clot to become dislodged. It's also possible that bacteria got into the surgical site and caused the area to become contaminated.
When Is Dry Socket A Serious Problem?
You should reach out to your dentist if the surgical site only appears to get worse rather than better. This is a key indication that something is wrong and your dentist should evaluate the socket to see how it is healing. Pain should start to go away after a tooth is extracted, not get worse.
You may be given an antibiotic if there is a bad infection, but you'll more than likely be told to perform better home care procedures to get it to heal. This includes rinsing out the area and applying a dressing, such as a cotton pad, to the socket to prevent it from getting reinfected.
Reach out to your dentist if you have more questions about dry socket. For more information about tooth extraction services, contact a local dentist.
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