Dry Socket (cont.)

1. Shocking Mouth Diseases
2. Dental (Oral) Health Quiz
3. Teeth Whiteners That Work

A patient may first notice signs of a dry socket 3 to 4 days after extraction of the tooth by feeling moderate-to-severe pain that could last anywhere from 10 to 40 days. The exposed bone of a dry socket is very sensitive and leads to an intense dull aching pain that throbs and radiates around the affected side of the jaw often to the patient's ear. Frequently, the patient affected by a dry socket will also complain of a bad odor or bad taste in their mouth.

Treatment for dry socket is intended to make a patient more comfortable by reducing dental pain but it generally won't accelerate the healing process. It is very important to diagnose the dry socket correctly and not confuse it with something equally as painful like a root canal problem. It is diagnosed by visualizing or probing the exposed bone of an extraction site and noting the patient's symptoms of pain and foul odor or taste.

The dry socket is treated by flushing the extraction site with warm salt water solution and packing the socket with gauze or a gelatin sponge coated with an antiseptic dressing. Clove oil when mixed into a paste has been used effectively in treating dry sockets due to its soothing properties. The dressing is replaced every 1 to 3 days, depending on the severity of pain, until the pain goes away. As soon as the pain is gone, the socket must be allowed to heal on its own.

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