How to Stop the Pain of a Dry Tooth Socket

Dry Socket

A dry socket is a blood clot that forms in the socket or hole from which a tooth was extracted. When the area heals, the blood clot is slowly replaced by bone and gum tissue. Dry sockets can be very painful. Smokers, women on birth control and people with diabetes have an increased risk of getting a dry socket. There are ways to stop the pain of a dry socket, or at least lessen the severity until it heals.

Things You'll Need

• Gauze
• Saline
• Pain reliever

Instructions

1. Visit the dentist to be sure that your pain is actually caused by a dry socket. The dentist will go over your symptoms and examine your mouth. The dentist might also want to take x-rays to check for tooth and bone fragments.

2. Change your dressing regularly, if it is not the kind that will dissolve on its own. The dentist probably will clean the socket with saline or antiseptics and remove any debris that might still be there. A medicated dressing will be packed into the socket, and you will have to change the dressing until the dentist tells you otherwise.

3. Irrigate the dry socket with warm saline. Irrigating will help keep anything else from irritating or lodging in the socket, especially when the dressing is out.

4. Take any medications your dentist prescribes. If the dentist does not prescribe anything, take over-the-counter pain relievers to help dull the pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, such as Aleve, can help the pain as well.

Tips & Warnings

• Brush and rinse your mouth carefully for a week or so after the tooth is extracted.

• Avoid smoking after the extraction for at least two weeks. Do not drink through a straw or spit frequently, as it could dislodge a blood clot.

References

• Dry Socket (Alveolar Osteitis); Aetna; October 2007
• 4.16 Dental Pain Post Extraction (Dry Socket); NCEMI
• The Duke Encyclopedia of New Medicine; The Center for Integrative Medicine at Duke University; 2006