Temi presented in our clinic complaining of pain, a “throbbing pain” four days after undergoing tooth extraction from a nearby dental clinic. He was finally told he had dry socket by the dentist at platinum dental surgery

What is dry socket?

Dry socket is a painful complication that sometimes happens after having a tooth extracted.

A blood clot normally forms where the tooth was removed but when dislodged the underlying bone, tissues, and nerves are exposed.

Not every tooth extracted comes down with dry socket but it’s a reality that does occur in 10-20% of cases of tooth extracted. Dentists are not certain what causes dry socket, but certain factors could predispose an individual to the risk of developing it quickly

These Risk factors include:

• Smoking
• use of oral contraceptives or estrogen replacement therapy
• not following care instructions after the tooth extraction
• poor oral hygiene
• infections in the gum or teeth around the extraction site
• A history of having had dry socket in the past

Every dry socket case presents differently some symptoms

• A throbbing pain 3-4 days after an extraction
• Bare bone appearing whitish at the site of the extraction
• Funny bad taste from the mouth
• Sometimes comes with bad breath

Final take on management on dry socket includes;

• Following all the instructions are given following tooth extraction
• Continuing to take pain medication and antibiotics prescribed by the dentist
• Finally, call the emergency dentist on duty and book an appointment