Hot to Prevent Dry Socket: What You Need to Know

A dry socket is one of the worst things that could happen after tooth extraction. Even though it’s pretty uncommon, it does affect a few percent of patients who have their teeth extracted. And it’s even more common for wisdom tooth extractions, affecting more than a third of all patients in some cases.

But while it may be unpleasant, the good news is that there are things that you can do to reduce the risks of occurrence and minimize the damage when it happens.

Want to know how to prevent dry socket from happening and what causes a dry socket in the first place?

Let’s answer these and other important questions below.

What is a Dry Socket?

When figuring out how to avoid dry socket, it’s good to first understand what it is and what causes it. So, what is a dry socket, exactly? 

A dry socket is a hole in the bone that doesn’t properly heal after tooth extraction. It often occurs after twisdom teeth extraction, although it can happen with other tooth extractions.

In most cases, when the tooth is extracted, a blood clot forms over it, isolating the bone and the nerves from food and bacteria, preventing pain or infection. However, the blood clot sometimes gets dislodged, leaving the socket unprotected and exposed.

When that happens, it can cause a range of issues that the patient and their dentist have to deal with urgently. Even if dry socket’s wisdom teeth prevention would be the best option, when it does occur, the only option is to treat the dry socket and allow it to heal again over time. 

But how can you recognize if you have a dry socket after tooth extraction? Well, the most obvious sign you should look for is pain. Because the dry socket exposes the nerves in the bone, you are likely to experience radiating and throbbing pain that can extend to your ear, which will make it very hard to ignore and will likely force you to reach out to your dentist.

Other symptoms that can also be present include bad breath and a strange taste in the mouth that doesn’t go away. When any of these symptoms occur, it’s always a good idea to consult with your dental professional.

While the best approach is to know how to keep from getting dry socket in the first place, if it does happen, you should at least try to tend to the issue as soon as possible. This will speed up the healing process and minimize the risk of further complications or discomfort.

What Causes Dry Socket?

One of the best ways to figure out how to prevent dry socket is to understand why it occurs in the first place. And there are a few common reasons that can increase the likelihood of it happening, which you should know and ask more about when consulting your dentist.

Since a dry socket is basically the blood clot getting dislodged from the tooth extraction site, many of the most common causes also revolve around patients not being careful enough around the site and doing things that can increase the likelihood of the dislodgement taking place.

For instance, something seemingly simple as drinking through a straw can create suction, resulting in the blood clot getting dislodged. Smoking can have a similar effect, as the process also creates an environment where the clot could become loose and not have a chance to heal correctly.

Another reason why smoking is not recommended after a tooth extraction is because its effects extend beyond the suction itself. It can also increase blood pressure, which means more bleeding and less chance of the wound closing up properly.

At the same time, something like exercise should also be avoided, at least for the first day after the tooth extraction. Straining yourself through activity can make it more difficult for the wound to close up, and the increased blood flow could lead to the wound reopening and the blood clot getting moved out of place.

At the same time, you should be very careful with your mouth hygiene routine after a tooth has been extracted. While your dentist can permit washing teeth and rinsing, make sure to consult with them after the procedure and be very careful with rinsing your mouth, as any sudden whooshing could result in issues. 

Finally, alcohol should be avoided after such a stressful procedure as a tooth removal for many reasons, but it can also contribute to a dry socket occurring. In addition, drinking alcohol can result in more bleeding, putting the wound at risk of reopening.

How to Prevent Dry Socket

Even though dry sockets can be very unpleasant, the good news is that you can learn how to avoid dry socket after tooth extraction if you follow a few simple principles that are mostly based on good sense.

First, a crucial thing to remember is that your tooth extraction area is tender and vulnerable in the hours and days after the extraction. The first 24 hours are especially critical, so make sure to treat your mouth with extra care and avoid any strains that could cause damage.

For instance, try to go for foods that aren’t crunchy and don’t require a lot of chewing. Sharp and hard food particles can easily dislodge the blood clot and irritate the area of the bone that your body is trying to heal. Soft and creamy foods like smoothies, ice cream, mashed vegetables, yogurt, and hummus are all good options you could consider to minimize the risk of any damage occurring.

You should also do your best to keep the area clean, both from food and other potential contaminants. Although your dentist may recommend you to avoid rinsing and brushing teeth for the first day, you should resume it as soon as you’re allowed to, but be very careful not to create suction or otherwise irritate the sensitive area.

Since healing is a crucial part of knowing how to avoid a dry socket after wisdom teeth removal, you should plan the procedure when you are healthy and aren’t dealing with any other health issues. Your body needs to be strong and primed so it can quickly recover to minimize the risk of complications. As a result, avoid getting your teeth removed when you feel under the weather, even if it’s just a minor cold.

As mentioned before, be mindful of smoking and drinking at least in the first couple of days since they both cause unnecessary risks and are detrimental to your efforts of learning how to keep from getting dry sockets.

Finally, preventing dry socket occurrences can often come down to something as simple as allowing it to recover. You may get some of the items on this list wrong, but if you at least give yourself plenty of time to rest, that will allow your body the time and ability to heal the wound and make it firmly close up faster.

How to Treat Dry Socket

Even though the ultimate goal is figuring out how to prevent a dry socket, it will sometimes happen. The good news is that there are treatment options that can get the problem resolved quickly and allow the dry socket to heal in no time.

The key step when this happens is reaching out to your dentist as soon as possible. They will help you figure out the best course of action and have you come in to evaluate the situation and provide treatment.

Once there, they will clean the area from any food debris and bacteria, possibly applying gauze with medication to help with the pain. You might have to come in again to have the gauze changed or removed, but the dentist might also instruct you to do that at home.

As your dry socket heals, your dentist will also prescribe you painkillers to ease the pain until it subsides. Common over-the-counter pain meds such as Aspirin or Ibuprofen should be enough in most cases. Still, you might need something more potent if the pain is particularly severe or persistent.

Over the week after the visit, your pain and other symptoms of dry socket should slowly subside, especially if you follow the instructions of your dentist and keep the area clean. However, if the pain persists for longer than a few days, you should not hesitate to contact the dentist again so that they can reevaluate whether everything is progressing as it should.

If everything goes well, you will likely need to come in for a follow-up check-up to see how your wound has healed and if everything is alright. 

Bottom Line

A dry socket can be an unpleasant side effect from having a wisdom tooth removed. But the good news is that learning how to avoid getting a dry socket isn’t difficult, and this article should have provided you with all the basics about why it happens, what can cause it, and how to prevent it or at least treat it.

If you want to learn more about how to not get dry socket or aren’t sure how to proceed in your situation, contact one of the top dentists in the Financial District San Francisco—Gentry Dentistry. We’ll answer any questions you might have.