Dry Socket Treatment

Dry Socket Treatment

Learn everything about dry socket, how to prevent it and what's the right treatment if you get one!

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What is a dry socket?

 Dry socket is a painful condition that occurs after you've had a tooth extracted. It's usually caused by the loss of blood clot in your mouth, which allows fluids to leak from the healing tooth socket.


Dry socket can make it difficult for you to eat and drink normally, as well as cause severe pain. You may also experience swelling, tenderness, redness, and difficulty opening your mouth if your dry socket is severe enough.


If you have dry socket symptoms after an extraction, it's important to seek treatment right away. Dry socket can heal on its own over time, but it can also cause complications like infection or permanent damage to your jawbone if left untreated.

Dry Socket Symptoms

Dry socket is the result of a tooth extraction and occurs when the blood clot that forms during the healing process comes loose from its normal location. Dry socket is most common with teeth that have been extracted under general anesthesia or where there has been significant trauma to the area.


Common symptoms of dry socket include:

  • Aching pain in the empty socket
  • Toothache that feels worse when chewing on that side of your mouth
  • Sensitivity to hot or cold foods and drinks
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How to prevent a Dry Socket?

 Dry sockets are a common side effect of dental surgery. They can occur when the blood clot that forms inside the tooth is dislodged, allowing air to enter the socket. This can cause extreme pain, inflammation and sensitivity.


If you have had a tooth extracted recently, there are things you can do to prevent dry sockets:


  1. Try to avoid using straws or sipping through a straw immediately after surgery.
  2. Eat soft foods like applesauce and mashed potatoes until your mouth heals and becomes less sensitive.
  3. Rinse with salt water every hour for two days after surgery to help decrease swelling and bleeding in your mouth

What is the treatment for Dry Sockets?

Dry socket is usually easy to treat and will go away in a few days time.


The first step is to take over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen until your symptoms subside. If these don't work for you, a visit to the dentist is necessary to see other options for treatment like antibiotics or prescription medications.


In rare cases where dry socket does not respond well to medication treatment, surgery may be necessary to remove bacteria and dead tissue from your gums before infection sets in further down into your jawbone (mandible) which could cause permanent damage if left untreated.

Get your dry socket treatment in Casselberry, Florida!

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