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People who seem to forget the importance of taking care of their oral health usually experience unwanted situations that lead them to visit their local dentist for help. Whether it’s due to a forming cavity, an emergency tooth extraction, or an overdue cleaning, it’s crucial to maintain your oral hygiene alongside taking regular visits to see your dentist.
If your condition is too late to be saved by proper oral care alone, you will need to undergo a surgical tooth extraction. It’s a necessary procedure that will help keep your teeth and mouth healthy and free from bacteria.
Sometimes, it’s possible to experience complications after a procedure. One known rare condition is called the dry socket, and it is often painful for most patients. If left unattended, it can impact your oral health further. Keep reading below to find out more about treating a dry socket.
How a Dry Socket Develops
After you undergo a tooth surgery, such as wisdom teeth removal or other instances where you get a tooth taken out, a blood clot typically develops on your empty socket. It’s a natural way for your mouth to recover while protecting your bone and nerves from particles in your mouth from affecting it.
In some cases, the buildup of blood doesn’t go all the way, failing to cover the entire hole of your missing tooth. As a result, the sensitive tissues underneath are exposed and at risk of being infected due to the different particles in your mouth.
It usually takes about 3-4 days before experiencing the pain after developing a dry socket, which lasts for the following days. Its pain can feel dull and pounding, and it sometimes comes with an unpleasant smell or bad taste.
You can get a dry socket if your lifestyle includes smoking, taking contraceptive pills, or you do anything that can place unwanted stress on your fresh tooth surgery. When you brush your teeth, and you forget about your extraction, you can expect to affect the blood clot and end up with a dry socket over time.
How to Prevent a Dry Socket
It’s crucial to take precautionary measures after having oral surgery so that you can prevent experiencing a dry socket. After your procedure, you should take extra care of your oral health by brushing your teeth while avoiding the surgical area.
It would also help if you didn’t rinse with too much force because it can impact the affected region. If you smoke, you should skip that part of your daily routine in the meantime until your mouth heals. Avoid using a drinking straw or consuming hot beverages as well.
If the dry socket appears while you’re at home, you should make an appointment with your dentist and see them right away, so they can provide the necessary care. They will apply a medicated dressing to help reduce the pain you’re feeling.
Take note that you will have to regularly replace the dressing to ensure the site is clean, you’re relieved from pain, and the recovery will be significantly faster. Dry sockets are only temporary and can be eliminated in time. While it can be uncomfortable to manage, you will just have to follow your dentist’s instructions to ensure it goes away promptly.
Conclusion
Maintaining good oral hygiene is just as important as taking care of your body and overall well-being. A dry socket can be prevented so long as you make an effort to take extra care of your teeth and mouth after oral surgery, do what your dentist tells you, and come back regularly for any required procedures and treatments.
Are you looking for an affordable dentist in Ann Arbor to help manage your oral health? Dental House MI is a dental practice that offers preventive dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative dentistry using our advanced dental technology. Get in touch with us today to book an appointment!
