In most patients, blood fills up the open tooth socket left after a dental extraction. The blood hardens and protects the socket while the gums grown over the top of the open hole. With most patients, the gums often completely grow over and close an open extraction socket in a week or so. After six months, the hardened blood is replaced by bone that grows into the socket. This can be seen on a dental x-ray.

          In a patient with a dry socket, blood does not fill up the extraction socket or the blood clot is lost. The gums can not grow over the extraction socket because there's nothing to grow over and the hole remains open. This opening causes a constant dull throbbing pain and the patient can often have a foul smelling breath and bad taste in the mouth. The dry socket can sometimes even cause ear pain.

          A dry socket begins hurting about three days after oral surgery. It's called a dry socket because the hole, or socket, that the tooth used to fit into becomes dry. Unfortunately, the pain lasts about a week after it begins. The dental name is acute alveolar osteitis. Acute means all of a sudden. Alveolar is the name of the bone that supports teeth. -itis means inflamed and osteo- means bone. Osteitis means bone inflammation. So acute alveolar osteitis means sudden inflammation of the bone that supports a tooth.

          Dentists don't know exactly what causes a dry socket. It seems to occur more with lower teeth than upper teeth and more with females than males. The problem occurs more often after difficult extractions. It may be that forceful pushing against the wall of the socket when the tooth is being removed causes the walls of the tooth socket to become crushed. This prevents bleeding into the socket because the blood vessels have been crushed closed. The lack of blood then causes severe pain.

          Anything that dislodges the blood clot can cause a dry socket. Forceful spitting or sucking though a straw can pull a blood clot completely out of its socket. Patients should wait at least a day before rinsing with warm salt water to avoid possibly dissolving the new blood clot. When salt water rinsing, spit gently to avoid pressure on the clot. Carbonated beverages should be avoided because they may bubble the clot out. Alcoholic drinks may prematurely dry out the blood clot and prevent healing. Avoid smoking for a few days after dental extractions because smoking can disturb blood clot formation. Patients who have recently had oral surgery should avoid anything that may irritate the extraction socket or anything that may cause the blood clot inside the extraction socket from being dislodged. Follow our oral surgery post operative instructions carefully.

          The dentists at the Atlanta Dental Group PC try hard to make the removal of teeth as gently as possible. In fact, dry sockets do not occur often in our practice. It is our belief that the more trauma to an extraction site, the more chance a problem will develop. All of our incisions are kept to a minimum and the gum tissue is disturbed as little as possible to help keep the blood supply intact.

         If you have dry socket problems and would like to consult with Dr. Padolsky, please make an appointment by calling 404-874-7428.