Once you’ve had your tooth removed, you can put your worst fears behind you. You won’t have to worry about oral infections, decay, and so on. Still, an anxious thought may nag at you: Will you get dry socket after treatment? The space left by an extraction often seems vulnerable to threats. Thankfully enough, your Leesburg dentist is here to put this final worry to rest. Here’s a primer on dry sockets and why, if you’re diligent after treatment, they aren’t something you should worry about.
Remind Me: What’s Dry Socket?
Dry socket is a condition that can happen after a tooth extraction. It occurs when your socket’s blood clot doesn’t form or becomes dislodged, exposing its underlying bone and nerves as a result. This often leads to worsening oral pain in the short term.
The most common symptoms of dry socket are:
- Intense pain within a few days of the extraction
- Loss of the blood clot at the removal site
- A bad taste or foul odor in your mouth
- Pain that spreads from the socket to your ear, eye, temple, or neck
A Dry Socket is Unlikely
Following a tooth extraction, you’ll be at some risk of getting a dry socket. However, it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll actually develop one.
Gum tissue heals quickly after an extraction, often recovering in 7-10 days. That means the period where something could disrupt your blood clot is fairly narrow. In fact, the healing is so fast that only 1-3% of all extraction cases involve a dry socket.
Of course, you’ll want to see a dentist immediately if you show relevant signs. Better to be safe than sorry!
How to Prevent Dry Socket
After your extraction, your dentist should provide some guidelines that help you avoid dry socket. These post-op instructions will likely include the following:
- Practice Good Oral Hygiene – By brushing and flossing after treatment, you’ll prevent germs and infections from breaking down your blood clot.
- Eat Soft Foods – Only eat soft foods (applesauce, yogurt, mashed potatoes, etc.) during the first post-surgery day. By doing so, you won’t disturb the treatment site.
- Don’t Smoke or Drink – Patients who frequently smoke and drink are at high risk of dry sockets.
- Avoid Straws – Drinking with a straw could cause suction, which could dislodge your blood clot.
It’s quite unlikely that you’ll get dry socket after tooth extraction. With that said, consult your dental provider to ensure your recovery goes well!
About the Practice
Downtown Family Dental of Leesburg is based in Leesburg, VA. Led by Dr. Jennifer Pham, our practice blends effective dental care with a warm and friendly setting. You can trust us to tailor our preventive, cosmetic, and restorative treatments to your preferred wants and needs. That way, your care –
from dental checkups and crowns to tooth extractions – will go super well! For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (703)-666-3867.