We recommend a gentle salt water rinse to clean the area that is healing and prevent food from getting caught. The salt water promotes healing and reduces the risk of complications. Be careful to use gentle swishing motions. Too much force while swishing the salt water could irritate and possibly lead to a dry socket.
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.
Do not rinse on the day of surgery; it may prolong your bleeding. Begin saltwater rinses the day after surgery and continue for 1 week. Rinse with warm salt water 3–4 times each day. To make the saltwater solution, dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in a small glass of warm tap water.
Avoid crunchy, hard, and tough foods for at least 2 weeks. These foods can dislodge the blood clot, damage it, or leave debris behind that will irritate your tooth socket. That means no chips, popcorn, almonds, and other such foods.
When Can I Stop Worrying About Dry Socket? Until the full recovery of your extraction site, a dry socket can form if you fail to follow the care tips. 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.
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.
Partial or total loss of the blood clot at the tooth extraction site, which you may notice as an empty-looking (dry) socket. Visible bone in the socket. Pain that radiates from the socket to your ear, eye, temple or neck on the same side of your face as the extraction. Bad breath or a foul odor coming from your mouth.
Saltwater rinsing acts as a substitute for brushing, keeping the socket clean. In addition, rinsing with salt water creates an environment that's hostile to dental bacteria. As a result, regular use helps prevent infection and other post-extraction complications.
A saltwater rinse can be performed three to four times a week, but it is important that you don't go beyond this because salt contains sodium, and too much sodium can impact your tooth enamel negatively.
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.
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.
Always consult your dentist about which medications to take after a tooth extraction. Ibuprofen, for example, can cause side effects, such as an allergic reaction or stomach upsets.
Avoid rinsing the mouth, brushing near the extraction site, and eating foods that require chewing for at least 24 hours. Patients usually can resume tooth brushing and flossing on day 2 of recovery, but should refrain from brushing on the extraction site for the first three days to ensure your clot stays in place.
Don't drink with a straw, suck on candy or ice pops, slurp soups or other liquids, rinse your mouth vigorously, or smoke for 24 hours. These things create suction in the mouth. This may dislodge the blood clot. Don't drink alcohol or use mouthwash containing alcohol for 24 hours.
Salt water can help to remove the plaque and bacteria from your teeth and gums. Salt has healing properties that can treat and heal inflamed or swollen gums caused by gum disease. Even though salt water is extremely effective in helping to treat gum disease, salt water cannot cure gum disease.
The symptoms of dry socket can vary, but may include: severe pain, visible bone, bad breath, a foul taste in your mouth, and radiating pain to your ear, eye, neck or temple. The partial or complete blood clot loss at the tooth extraction site looks and feels like an empty socket.
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.
Dry sockets become increasingly painful in the days after a tooth extraction. They may also have exposed bone or tissue, or an unpleasant smell. By comparison, normal healing sockets get less painful over time and do not cause any other symptoms. A dry socket can be very painful, but it is not usually serious.
A dry socket will occur in only one to three percent of all tooth extraction cases, but it becomes much more common in the extraction of lower, or what we call mandibular, wisdom teeth. Those who undergo tooth extraction can experience dry socket.
A dry socket occurs when the blood clot breaks down or is dislodged, exposing the bone and nerves. The first five or so days after extraction are the most critical, and it is during this time that the risk for a dry socket is the highest.
Dislodge the food by gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water (saline) solution. Avoid swishing the water around and don't spit—this can lead to painful dry sockets. If you received a syringe from your clinician, you can use warm water or salt water to gently flush the socket clean.
Dry socket is not something you should be afraid of or worried about. It is a temporary condition that needs proper treatment. It is common to have queries about dry socket and its treatment. The dental team at Frank Son DDS addresses some commonly asked questions by the patients.