Dry socket is a complication that may happen after tooth extraction. After your tooth is extracted, a blood clot forms in the extraction site. This acts as a scaffold, helping your jaw and bone tissue heal.
In dry socket, this clot is damaged or dislodged. This exposes the extraction site, slows down healing, and can even lead to other complications. Luckily, this complication is easy to avoid if you follow your recovery instructions from Dr. Anderson at A Street Dental. Read on and learn more about how to avoid dry socket after a tooth extraction:
Keep Your Mouth Healthy With These Tips
If you’ve recently had a tooth pulled, there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent complications like dry socket. Here are just a few of them:
- Rinse your mouth with salt water – Gently rinsing your mouth with salt water will help clean the extraction site and keep it healthy, and it can also help relieve some discomfort.
- Brush gently, and don’t start brushing the extraction site too soon – You shouldn’t brush the extraction site directly for 3-4 days. You can brush your other teeth. Once you’re ready to start brushing the extraction site, use a soft-bristled brush and be very gentle.
- Eat a diet of soft foods to speed up healing – Liquid foods like soup and shakes are great for the first day or two, then you can start eating things like mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs. Soft foods give your jaw and mouth a rest, and help prevent irritation of the extraction site.
- Follow any other steps recommended by Dr. Anderson – Dr. Anderson will provide you with a full set of recovery instructions. Follow them to the letter to make sure you heal quickly and without complications like dry socket.
Avoid These Mistakes To Prevent Dry Socket
Along with taking the above steps to speed up the healing process, there are a few things you definitely want to avoid to prevent dry socket and other complications, as follows:
- Smoking and tobacco use or use tobacco – Tobacco impairs healing, and the suction of smoking can also dislodge your blood clot. At the bare minimum, you need to avoid smoking for 72 hours after tooth extraction. Consider prolonging this to a week or two, if possible. This is a great time to quit tobacco use altogether, as it’s one of the most harmful habits for your oral health.
- Straws and forceful spitting – Sucking on a straw or spitting forcefully can knock your blood clot out of position. Don’t spit forcefully or use a straw for at least 3-4 days, or longer, if possible.
- Heavy exercise – You should rest and relax for a few days after your extraction. Exercising could cause pain in the extraction site, and may also slow down healing. Give it a rest. You’ll be back to your normal routine soon enough!
- Crunchy or tough foods – Eating hard, tough, and crunchy foods could leave debris near your extraction site. You may even damage or dislodge the blood clot. Follow Dr. Anderson’s dietary instructions, and stick with soft foods for at least a week.
What Happens If I Get Dry Socket?
If you do get dry socket, you’ll need to see Dr. Anderson for treatment. He will flush out the socket to remove food particles and debris, and to reduce the risk of pain and further infection. He will also apply a special medicated dressing to kill bacteria and speed up healing.
Depending on your situation, he may also prescribe medication for your pain. You may also need to use a water-filled syringe to rinse your socket once the dressing is removed, and keep it clean and free of debris.
Need A Tooth Extraction In Grants Pass? Come To A Street Dental Today!
At A Street Dental, Dr. Blake Anderson is here to help you get the help you need for troublesome teeth in Grants Pass. Our team specializes in gentle, pain-free extractions. To schedule a consultation and get the help you need, just contact us online or give us a call at (541) 476-9792.
