How to Prevent a Dry Socket?

Dr. Firoz Lalani

Medically Reviewed By Dr. Firoz Lalani

Table of Contents

A lot of people experience a “dry socket” which is a condition that occurs after a tooth and in particular wisdom teeth are extracted. This condition is very painful and the pain and discomfort felt can be much worse than that after the removal of a tooth. There are treatments and best dental services for dry sockets but, it is always advisable to try and prevent this condition.

Dry Socket

Dry Socket

After the removal of a tooth of an adult when the nerve or bone or both are exposed in the socket the formation of a dry socket begins to take place. According to experts at a dental care Houston, under normal circumstances, the formation of a clot takes place which protects the area. But in cases where the formation of a clot does not take place, the area in the mouth can become infection-prone and sensitive by anything that touches your mouth which can include air, fluids, and food.

After the removal of a wisdom tooth, experiencing a little pain and discomfort is natural, but in case the pain becomes very severe and begins to move towards the ear or brings a foul taste to the mouth, the best dentist in Houston must be consulted at the earliest.

Treatment of a Dry Socket

Experiencing a dry socket after the removal of a tooth is quite uncommon but a minimal number of patients do experience it. In case you are among those patients who experience it, it is always advisable to consult your dentist who will advise you with the right treatment, medication, and best dental care. The dentist will usually prescribe painkillers for relief from pain, advise rinsing or flushing of the mouth, refrain from smoking, avoid drinks having sugary content in them, avoid the use of straws for drinking as well as follow a regular routine of good oral care.

Prevention of Dry Socket

The formation of dry sockets occurs in very rare cases, but some people are at a greater risk than others. According to the best dentist in Houston TX, those patients have a greater tendency of developing a dry socket in case they have had the extraction of the wisdom tooth, are heavy and regular smokers, have a previous dry socket history, are using birth control methods, have had a painful tooth extraction because of an infection or an accident, are under medication which prevents the clotting of blood or don’t practice regular dental care hygiene.

After having a tooth extraction, it is always advisable to take the antiseptic solutions or oral antibiotics which have been prescribed by the Houston dental clinic as well as follow all the instructions on preventing of formation of a dry socket post the removal of the tooth.

Some of the instructions given by the Houston dentist are

  • Avoiding spitting or rinsing the mouth for a period of 24 hrs
  • Avoiding foods that are crunchy such are nuts, popcorn, chips, and more
  • Avoiding drinks and food which are hot
  • Refrain from consuming alcohol
  • Refrain from drinking from straws
  • Avoid smoking for at least 72 hrs, and
  • Restricting any kind of physical activity for at least a week

dry socket

Tips for avoiding a dry socket

It is essential to follow all the instructions given by your dentist after the extraction, but in addition below are some tips that you can follow on your own at home to avoid getting a dry socket.

  • Refrain from smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and more as the chemicals in these products can cause infections and slow down the process of healing
  • Before you plan to undertake the surgery, it is advisable to limit the intake of tobacco for a few weeks
  • It is best to eat soft foods after the first few days of the surgery
  • Avoid eating seeds, nuts, chips, and food that might stick to your socket
  • Follow proper oral hygiene as recommended by the dentist. This may include the correct way of brushing the teeth after the surgery. You may be required to just rinse the mouth on the very first day and from the next day onwards gentle brushing can be followed.
  • Anti-bacterial mouth wash can be prescribed by the best dentist in Houston as well as the use of gauze pads
  • Rinsing the mouth with salt water several times during the day to keep it clean
  • Intake of a lot of liquids
  • Avoiding beverages, food, and activities that may pose a threat to the blood clot
  • Keeping an ice pack next to your cheek for subsiding any external swelling

It is always advisable to consult your dentist at the earliest in case you are suffering from excruciating pain after an oral surgery or if there is any suspicion of having a dry socket. It is possible to treat a dry socket once you have consulted the dentist at smilebest dental Houston, s/he may examine the socket and rinse it, apply the required medication as well as recommend pain killers.

Healing of the dry socket generally takes a week or more after which you can go back to your normal routine.

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