Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsHow Much Pain Is Normal?Risk FactorsPain ReliefHealing TimeHygiene Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
How Much Pain Is Normal?
Risk Factors
Pain Relief
Healing Time
Hygiene Tips
Dry socket, clinically calledalveolar osteitis, is a healing complication that occurs after tooth extraction, often withwisdom teeth removal. Poor oral hygiene can place you at greater risk of dry socket. Food particles that get stuck in your extraction site and not cleaned out can dislodge the blood clot that protects the site.
Lots of other things contribute to developing the condition, including drinking through a straw, smoking, and rinsing and spitting too much after your dental procedure. Those activities can dislodge the blood clot over your extraction site.
This article explains how to differentiate dry socket pain from expected oral pain after tooth extraction, how to find pain relief, and expected healing time.
Laura Porter / Verywell
Dry Socket and Mouth Pain: Understanding Symptoms
Dry socket is a distinct kind of pain that followsdental extraction. Early stage dry socket usually begins one to three days after your tooth has been pulled.
Dry socket symptoms include:
When the blood clot over your extraction site is no longer there, it exposes bone and nerves and causes pain.
A Word From VerywellDry socket can be a very painful and unpleasant experience. Fortunately, it is predictably treatable, and further complications are rare.—EDMUND KHOO, DDS, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Dry socket can be a very painful and unpleasant experience. Fortunately, it is predictably treatable, and further complications are rare.—EDMUND KHOO, DDS, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
Dry socket can be a very painful and unpleasant experience. Fortunately, it is predictably treatable, and further complications are rare.
—EDMUND KHOO, DDS, MEDICAL REVIEW BOARD
How Much Pain After a Tooth Pull Is Normal?
Dry socket is common in about 1% to 5% of all extractions and up to 38% ofwisdom toothextractions.So, it is important to understand how to identify the pain.
Some pain is expected and normal after a tooth extraction. Since pain is expected, it can sometimes be difficult to differentiate normal extraction from dry socket pain. Normal healing pain is not severe, responds to pain meds, and improves with time.
As long as you have an open wound, you are at risk of developing a dry socket. Once the site is healed, dry sockets are no longer a risk. Extraction sites usually take a week to 10 days to fully close.
Risks of Dry Socket After a Dental Procedure
Risk factors include:
A Note on Gender and Sex TerminologyVerywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
A Note on Gender and Sex Terminology
Verywell Health acknowledges thatsex and genderare related concepts, but they are not the same. To accurately reflect our sources, this article uses terms like “female,” “male,” “woman,” and “man” as the sources use them.
Dry Socket Pain Relief
Managing dry socket pain includes dental care and at-home care measures.
Dental Care
Your dentist will treat dry socket in the following ways:
They may also prescribe a more powerful pain medicine. However, often, once the site is packed with a medicated dressing, your pain will reduce significantly. They may also prescribe antibiotics if they feel you could be at risk of developing a bacterial infection.
At-Home Measures
Your dentist will also advise you to care for dry socket at home, which usually includes the following:
It is critical to follow your dentist’s instructions to the letter. Doing so will help prevent complications and help you heal more quickly.
An Overview of Pain Management
Dry Socket Healing Time
Fortunately, dry socket pain doesn’t last long. Once treatment begins, dry socket pain usually resolves within a few days. However, the speed at which you heal may vary depending on some factors.
For example, one small study found that 73% of those who received theantibioticCipro (ciprofloxacin) were completely relieved of symptoms within 24 hours without the need for additional painkillers ornon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs).
Dry socket can heal on its own. However, since the pain is severe, it’s important to see a dentist for help managing pain. That’s the fastest way to heal dry socket and find pain relief.
Dental Hygiene Tips With Dry Socket
If you develop a dry socket, oral hygiene is extra important. You need to keep the open wound clean and irrigated to remove food and other debris. Excellent oral hygiene may help prevent infection and limit the pain you experience.
Here are some tips for oral hygiene practices if you have dry socket:
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Everything You Need to Know
Is Dry Socket Preventable?
After a tooth extraction, an oral surgeon will send you home with a list of instructions. These instructions will reduce your likelihood of developing an infection and dry socket, so it’s essential to follow them exactly.
Researchers have found that the greatest risk of developing dry socket is having had it before. It is also more common in themandible(teeth extracted from the lower jaw), with the highest incidence following lower wisdom teeth extraction.
Oral surgery recovery guidelinesaimed atpreventing dry socketinclude:
Dry socket isn’t always preventable. Some people are more prone to developing dry socket. However, following prevention strategies can reduce the risk.
Summary
Dry socket is common after teeth extraction, especially after wisdom teeth removal in the lower jaw. Good oral hygiene before and after your procedure can reduce your risk of developing this painful condition.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Dry socket.
Mamoun J.Dry socket etiology, diagnosis, and clinical treatment techniques.J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2018;44(2):52-58. doi:10.5125/jkaoms.2018.44.2.52
Khalil W.A new approach for explaining and treating dry sockets: a pilot retrospective study.Cureus. 2023;15(7):e41347. doi:10.7759/cureus.41347
Abu Younis MH, Abu Hantash RO.Dry socket: frequency, clinical picture, and risk factors in a Palestinian dental teaching center.Open Dent J. 2011;5:7-12. doi:10.2174/1874210601105010007
Bienek DR, Filliben JJ.Risk assessment and sensitivity meta-analysis of alveolar osteitis occurrence in oral contraceptive users.J Am Dent Assoc. 2016;147(6):394-404. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2016.01.011
Taberner-Vallverdú M, Camps-Font O, Gay-Escoda C, Sánchez-Garcés MA.Previous dry socket as a risk factor for alveolar osteitis: a nested case-control study in primary healthcare services.J Clin Exp Dent. 2022;14(6):e479-e485. doi:10.4317/jced.59586
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