What is a dry socket?

Answer 1

Dry socket is a layman's term for alveolar osteitis. The alveolus is the part of the jawbone that supports the teeth, and osteitis means simply "bone inflammation". It is a post-operative complication of tooth extraction. It occurs when the newly formed blood clot in the extraction site is prematurely lost or disrupted or doesn't form correctly and hence there is a delay in the normal healing process. Alveolar osteitis is a painful phenomenon that most commonly occurs a few days following the removal of mandibular teeth.(usually third molar) To avoid this, do not smoke or use contraceptives (oral contraceptive extractions should be performed during days 23 through 28 of the tablet cycle), don't drink through a straw, dont spit or rinse too much, and maintain good oral hygiene and keep the area clean with a soft tooth brush. Return to your dentist if you have a bad taste or smell in your mouth. I think that's about it. Hope it helps.

Answer 2

A dry socket usually occurs when the extraction site of your tooth fails to form a clot and heal. When the clot dislodges, the socket will be dry and painful because there is no more clot covering the bone, hence the name dry socket.

http://www.intelligentdental.com/2010/05/29/common-inflammatory-disease-of-the-jaw-bone/

Answer 3

When you get your tooth pulled you have a hole that wind is not allowed to make contact with and if it does it turns into a dry socket which a dry socket is a blood clot. Keep your mouth shut :)

Reply: When your tooth is pulled, you get a blood clot. That blood clot is supposed to be there, as it helps the healing process. Problem is, the clot is fragile, and certain things (drinking through a straw, smoking, spitting too forcefully, among others) can dislodge or dissolve it (and sometimes, it can even do it on its' own), and when that clot disappears, your gums take longer to heal, which causes more chance for the hole to get debris, bacteria, food, and irritants into it, which causes severe pain (as those things aren't supposed to be there), and *that* is Dry Socket.

Severe pain caused by the loss of the blood clot that helps with the healing process.

Answer 4

Mostly it happens when the blood clot that has formed to promote healing has been sucked out some how. Smoking or using a straw or even blowing your nose or sneezing can cause a loss of a blood clot. Some times it can happen form poor dental hygiene after tooth extractions too. The best way to prevent it is: 1. Dont smoke for the first 3 days 2. Take the meds your dentist gives you. One will be like a pennisillin. Take that till its gone! 3. Do NOT use straws! Or anything you need to suck on like popsicles! 4. Use the salt water rinse like your life depends on it! 5. And finally, get lots of sleep. Your body will heal faster!

Answer 5

A dry socket is when the blood clot that is part of the healing process comes out. If this happens it could cause the healing to slow, and could also cause an infection. To avoid dislodging the clot :

• Avoid spitting for the first few days
• Don't smoke.
• Don't drink soda or hot liquids
• Don't drink through a straw

Follow the Dental Surgeon's instructions and you will be fine. Most wisdom tooth extractions heal well and will soon become less sensitive.

Answer 6

The best way I can describe this is the "collapse" of a cavity. Example: having a tooth removed, sucking smoke, or liquid from a straw, too hard, and the inside walls of the new hole in your gums touch each other. My ex had this happen after he went against dr's orders and smoked after he had his wisdom teeth removed. It was VERY painful for him.

Answer 7

Alveolar osteitis, or dry socket, occurs were a tooth extraction results in inflammation of the alveolar bone under and within the gums that is exposed as a result of an extraction without the formation of a blood clot in the space vacated.