How to know if i have dry socket after wisdom teeth removal reddit
Dry socket is suspected when extraction pain worsens after improving and may spread toward the ear with an unpleasant taste.
The short answer
Dry socket is suspected when pain becomes severe or worsens after initial improvement, often radiating toward the ear, temple, or neck. The socket may appear to have lost its blood clot, but only an examination can confirm it. Dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, occurs when the early blood clot is lost or breaks down before healing has progressed, leaving sensitive bone and nerve endings exposed.
What is the direct answer?
What does this question mean?
The socket is the bony space left after extraction. Dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, occurs when the early blood clot is lost or breaks down before healing has progressed, leaving sensitive bone and nerve endings exposed.
What can you do next?
Keep the area clean according to the extraction instructions, avoid smoking and suction, and do not probe the socket or place household substances in it. A dentist can gently irrigate the socket and place a medicated dressing for pain relief.
When should you seek dental care?
Contact the extracting dentist promptly for severe or increasing pain, pain spreading toward the ear, foul taste or smell, or an empty-looking socket. Seek urgent care for facial swelling, fever, difficulty swallowing, or breathing problems.
What should you ask the dentist?
Ask whether the socket contains a stable clot and whether the symptoms fit dry socket, infection, or normal healing. Ask if irrigation, a medicated dressing, and a review appointment are needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I diagnose dry socket from a photograph?
No. A photograph cannot reliably show the depth of the socket or distinguish dry socket from infection and normal healing.
Does dry socket always cause bad breath?
No. An unpleasant taste or odour can occur, but pain pattern and examination are more useful than odour alone.