It's not just food or drink that can cause pain, but simply breathing in air from your mouth can irritate the nerve. The area is sensitive and can become infected if not taken care of.
The greater number of oral bacteria can increase risk of infection at the extraction site. To avoid dry mouth, you should breathe through your nose as much as possible.
In non-smokers, dry socket is uncommon. It can still occur with negative pressure that occurs during drinking through a straw or vigorous spitting. It may also be more common in those who mouth breathe while sleeping because the mouth can dry out and the blood clot may break down.
By sleeping with your head elevated, you can help to minimize the risk of developing a dry socket and promote faster healing after your wisdom tooth extraction.
Risk factors
Factors that can increase your risk of developing dry socket include: Smoking and tobacco use. Chemicals in cigarettes or other forms of tobacco may prevent or slow healing and contaminate the wound site. The act of sucking on a cigarette may physically dislodge the blood clot prematurely.
Dry socket may be caused by a range of factors, such as an underlying infection in the mouth, trauma from the tooth extraction or problems with the jawbone. The condition occurs more often with wisdom teeth in the lower jaw than with other teeth. You are also more likely than others to develop dry socket if you: smoke.
Dry socket can occur anywhere from 2% to 5% of the time with the extraction of a tooth. Mandibular teeth are affected by this condition more often than maxillary teeth. Dry socket is most common in molar extractions and especially in wisdom teeth, where it can occur up to 30% of the time.
Drink plenty of clear liquids to remain hydrated and to prevent nausea that may be associated with some pain medications. Rinse your mouth gently with warm salt water several times a day. Brush your teeth gently around the dry socket area.
Dry socket pain can last 24–72 hours. According to the Canadian Dental Association, dry socket typically occurs within 3–5 days of the extraction and lasts for up to 7 days. The pain is severe and can persist for 24–72 hours.
Rinse Your Mouth With Salt Water
In a study published in Evidence-Based Dentistry, researchers discovered that patients who didn't rinse their mouth with salt water after their surgery were more likely to develop dry sockets as opposed to those that did. Doing this will also help speed up your recovery.
Based on a meta-analysis, tobacco smokers had a more than three-fold increase in the odds of dry socket after tooth extraction. Overall, the combined incidence of dry socket in smokers was found to be about 13.2% and in non-smokers about 3.8%.
Try to prevent yourself from opening a wide mouth, such as during yawning. This prevents excessive force on the extraction site.
You should try taking it easy for at least 1-2 days after the tooth extraction. When you are resting or sleeping, try to lie down so that your head is above your heart. This will lower your blood pressure and help control bleeding.
During the initial stages of healing, the tooth extraction site may ooze. Because of this, sleeping on your side is best, at least for the first night. Plus, if you lie flat on your back, you might experience more swelling. That could increase your pain and make resting an even greater challenge.
Dry socket usually occurs within 3-5 days of an extraction and more commonly in the lower jaw. Symptoms include severe pain, a throbbing sensation, an unpleasant taste, a fever, or swollen glands. It can last for up to 7 days. By following your dentist's instructions carefully, dry socket can usually be prevented.
Always sleep with your head elevated for the first few nights after the wisdom tooth extraction surgery. If you struggle to put yourself in that position, get support from a few pillows. Keeping your head elevated at a 45-deg angle while sleeping ensures faster recovery. It also minimizes swelling in the surgical area.
Usually, a week (7-8 days) after wisdom tooth extraction, you can stop worrying about a dry socket as gums take this much time to close fully. But remember, every patient recovers differently, which depends on the age, oral hygiene, and the care taken.
A dry socket pain doesn't always begin right away. It can take several days before the pain begins. Most of the time, the pain starts small and gradually gets worse over time. Other times the pain can begin without warning and can be excruciating in which case you should seek an emergency dentist immediately.
Maintaining proper oral hygiene after a dental operation is one of the most crucial ways of preventing dry sockets. Gently rinse your mouth on the first day, followed by gentle brushing on the second day, is a sure way to avoid infection and germs from destroying the blood clot.
Who gets dry socket? Research shows that women are slightly more likely than men to develop dry socket. This is probably due to estrogen, as the hormone may dissolve blood clots. Additionally, dry socket happens more often on the lower jaw than the upper jaw.
Within the first 24 hours after tooth removal surgery, you should avoid consuming anything that involves chewing. Try to limit yourself to liquids exclusively. If they don't fill you up and you want to consume solid food, go for soft meals that don't need much chewing, like pudding or oatmeal.
Dry socket is a condition professionally referred to as “alveolar osteitis”, and it is one of the possible complications that can occur after a tooth is extracted. It is actually a fairly rare condition, with only 20% of wisdom tooth removal patients experiencing this condition.
What is the most difficult tooth to extract? Impacted wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth that have failed to erupt properly. They are generally considered to be the most difficult teeth to extract.
The highest risk for this condition is between days 2-3 after tooth extraction. After day 4, the risk of dry socket is passed. This condition rarely happens (about 4% of all extractions) and is most common after bottom wisdom teeth extraction.