Dry Socket: How to Tell, Pain Symptoms, Healing (2024)

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

Dry socket after wisdom teethor other dental extraction is caused by a dislodged blood clot. Not everyone loses a blood clot, leading to dry socket, but some things may increase the risk of developing dry socket.

Risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Traumatic extraction
• Using vasoconstrictor (epinephrine, often used in local anesthetics)
• The amount of anesthesia administered
• Pre-existing infections
• Not following post-surgical instructions
• Poor oral hygiene
• Diabetes
• Chemotherapy
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Age (older studies have found a peak incidence at 18 to 33 years)
• Sex (higher in females than males)
  
• Use of oral contraceptives (birth control pills)
  

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:

• Flushing food or other materials out of the socket
• Packing the socket with a medicated dressing
• Repacking the dressing at multiple visits

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:

• Applying a cold pack to your jaw
• Rinsing the dry socket with a saltwater solution
• Avoiding smoking, tobacco, and alcohol

It is critical to follow your dentist's instructions to the letter. Doing so will help prevent complications and help you heal more quickly.

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 the antibiotic Cipro (ciprofloxacin) were completely relieved of symptoms within 24 hours without the need for additional painkillers or non-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:

• Brush gently around the extraction site
• Rinse your mouth with warm saltwater a few times a day
• If your dentist instructed you to rinse your wound, follow their instructions in doing so
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid straw use
• Avoid chewy, hard, or sticky foods
  

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 the mandible (teeth extracted from the lower jaw), with the highest incidence following lower wisdom teeth extraction.

Oral surgery recovery guidelines aimed at preventing dry socket include:

• Avoiding straws
• Sticking to soft foods and steering clear of hard, crunchy, and sticky foods
• Maintaining good oral hygiene, including carefully brushing your teeth around the extraction site
• Rinsing your mouth with a saltwater solution, carefully avoiding excessive spitting
• Avoiding smoking and tobacco
• Avoiding alcohol and carbonated beverages
• Getting enough rest

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.

If you do develop dry socket, seeing your oral surgeon right away can help. They will pack your wound with medicated gauze, which usually results in immediate relief. Follow your oral surgeon's instructions to speed healing and experience less pain.