Dry socket is the common problem which occurs after the removal of tooth. In medical terms it is called ‘Alveolar osteitis’. The part of the jawbone gets affected when the tooth has been extracted from the cavity during dental procedure. Once the tooth has been removed there will a hole or socket in that place which develops into blood clot. In some cases the blood clot gets dissolved thus leaving the underlying bones and nerves exposed to food and other fluids. Gradually this will turn into infection causing severe pain and inflammation.
Improper oral hygiene and smoking are the common causes for dry socket. Whenever your tooth has been extracted you should take precautions in the form of antibiotics. Sometimes individuals who use contraceptive pills are prone to develop dry socket after tooth removal. Rinsing and spitting activities can also trigger the formation of dry socket in some persons.
The hole underneath the tooth area gets exposed to all the food materials we consume. You cannot find a blood clot in such persons but the bones are exposed giving a dry look. There will be pain after a couple of days of tooth extraction and it turns into intense pain later. Sometimes the pain will spread to the nearby regions of ear. Due to bacterial infection the person may smell bad along with bad breath. The foul odor is due to the dislocation of blood clot which was earlier in place.
Pictures of Dry Socket :
Images, Pics, Pictures and Photos of Dry Socket
Once the tooth is removed you will have mild pain for 2 days but it will settle on its own. In case it develops into dry socket you can consult your dentist to take anti inflammatory drugs like aspirin and ibuprofen. Gentle rinsing of the area will help to reduce the pain originating from the dry socket. Sometimes the doctor will do a sedative dressing on the area for soothing effect to the inflamed area. It will generally subside after medicated dressing or by taking nonsteroidal drugs. He would further use healing medicine in the form of special paste which would heal the wound. Rinsing the mouth with salt water can help to kill the bacterial infection inside.