Symptoms of dry socket: More bleeding than usual (if you get dry socket within the first 24 hours) Intense throbbing pain in the tooth socket that radiates to the bone or the face. Pain upon cold temperature.
It is normal for your gum to continue to bleed for an hour or two after a tooth was extracted. However, if the area starts to bleed excessively, it may mean your body has a problem forming a blood clot. If that happens, contact your dentist. They can let you know if there is a problem with the site of the extraction.
However, the main difference between a dry socket vs normal is that your pain level will begin to escalate as time goes on. You may experience throbbing that spreads across your jaw, all the way up to your ear.
A dry socket looks like an empty hole with a light color at the bottom of the extraction site. The light color is from the white-ish bone showing. A normal extraction site is a socket with a dark red blood clot formation covering the bone.
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.
When your dentist or oral surgeon removes a tooth, a blood clot forms in the socket (a hole in the bone where your tooth was). Dry socket happens when that blood clot dislodges (moves) or doesn't form at all. Without the clot, your bone and nerves are exposed to the oral environment.
When you develop dry socket, it can be extremely painful. The condition is also considered a dental emergency because it interferes with your recovery from a tooth extraction.
In most dental patients, blood fills up the open socket in the bone left after a tooth extraction. The blood hardens or clots and protects the tooth socket while the gums grow over the top of the hole. In most cases the gums completely grow over and close the tooth extraction socket within one to two weeks.
If pain worsens after a tooth extraction, contact your dentist or oral surgeon immediately for evaluation and treatment. If you don't have access to the doctor who performed the surgery, don't delay in getting emergency help from an urgent care facility or emergency department.
Swallow as you normally do on a daily basis. Once the gauze pads are removed, eat and drink. Foods that are conducive are light and soft (i.e. pasta, eggs, soups, milk shakes, mashed potatoes, boiled chicken, turkey, flakey fish etc.) If you don't feel like eating much, drink a lot of fluids, and stay well hydrated.
Severe pain following a tooth extraction is often enough for your dentist or oral surgeon to suspect dry socket. He or she will also ask about any other symptoms and examine your mouth to see if you have a blood clot in your tooth socket and whether you have exposed bone.
After a tooth extraction, eat only soft or liquid form foods for at least the first 24 hours following the surgery. Do not vigorously chew anything. Avoid hard or crunchy foods that can further traumatize the extraction site and cause further bleeding. Do not consume hot liquids as they will dissolve the blood clot.
Post-surgery bleeding should only last a few minutes. While gauze is necessary, you don't want to sleep with it.
Removing a somewhat dry gauze from over an extraction site can pull the developing clot out of the socket.
Dry socket
It's where a blood clot fails to develop in the tooth socket, or if the blood clot becomes dislodged or disappears. This can happen 3 to 5 days after surgery. The empty socket causes an ache or throbbing pain in your gum or jaw, which can be intense like a toothache.
Patients who develop dry socket typically complain of pain 3-4 days after surgery that is worse than it was initially. This can be on only one side or both. They are more common in the lower jaw. The pain often radiates to the ear or neck or other areas in the jaw.
How is dry socket diagnosed? If you have severe pain after a tooth extraction, see your dentist or oral surgeon. They will talk to you and examine you. You may need an x-ray to rule out other conditions such as osteomyelitis (a bone infection).
How will I know if my blood clot fell out? If you develop dry sockets, the pain will let you know that your wound is no longer protected. Swelling is also an indication you have lost your blood clot, as is the taste of blood in your mouth.
The drawing action of sucking in, and the force applied when spitting, can dislodge the blood clot. Sneezing and coughing can also dislodge a blood clot. Hard or crunchy foods can displace the blood clot. Sticky foods can pull the protective clot right out of the socket.
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.
Yes, you can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), such as aspirin or ibuprofen to ease the discomfort of dry socket pain. Often times these over-the-counter medications aren't strong enough to relieve the pain and you'll need a doctor to prescribe a stronger drug or anesthetize the area.
Dry socket will heal on its own in most cases, but professional help from a dentist can speed up the healing process, lessen pain and discomfort, and reduce the risk of infection.