How to Treat Dry Socket Pain After Having a Tooth Pulled

If you have ever had a toothache and had to have a tooth pulled, you know the relief you feel after the tooth has been pulled and the resulting pain it caused is gone. But wait, there is a danger that you will suffer a different kind of pain from what is called a dry socket that can be just as bad. This article will tell you what to do.

Instructions

• 1

  After any tooth extraction by a general dentist or oral surgeon, proper care of the open area to prevent a dry socket is very important and the aim is to eliminate all of the possible factors that can interfere with the formation of a blood clot, disturb or dislodge it after it has formed. After the procedure, you will be given analgesics for pain relief and will be given a sheet of instructions to follow for the first two to three days.

• 2

  The precautions discussed with you and noted on your printed instruction sheet will caution you to avoid smoking and excessive mouth rinsing. It is important that you continue good oral hygiene, eat soft foods and refrain from drinking any hot foods or drinks. You will need to refrain from drinking any foods through a straw, sucking or spitting

• 3

  If you develop severe pain and/or swelling in the area of the tooth extraction despite following the post extraction guidelines, do not hesitate to contact your dentist for an appointment. He or she will perform a routine examination and may perform an x-ray to confirm the dry socket and assess the extent and possible presence of infection. If a dry socket is present, the dentist will clean the food debris and infection from the socket and pack it tightly with medicated gauze dressings that contain antiseptics and analgesics. The procedure is somewhat painful and the dentist will most likely give you an analgesic or numb the area. You may need to return for daily treatments for a number of days depending on your dentist's assessment.

• 4

  If recommended by your dentist, and after he or she has directed, you may clean the dry tooth socket with a weak warm salt water solution or a mouth wash using a plastic syringe. This will help remove any possible food debris. If permitted by your dentist, a few drops of clove oil placed on a small piece of gauze or cotton ball can be gently placed in the socket. You may also use aspirin for minor pain relief, but only if given the okay by your dentist, since aspirin is a blood thinner and could prevent clot formation.