Dry Socket - Causes, Risk Factors, and Treatment

What Exactly Is a Dry Socket?

Sometimes after extraction or removal of teeth, there is throbbing or pinching pain in the region of extraction with a foul smell. This condition is termed as dry socket or alveolar osteitis. It generally occurs two or three days after removal of a tooth.

What Can Cause a Dry Socket?

It occurs due to disintegration or destruction of the clot formed after the extraction or removal of the tooth, which can be due to:

• Extraction or removal done with a lot of trauma to the surrounding region of tooth, that is the gums and the bone.
• Because of bacterial contamination in the region of extraction.

Mandibular third molar removal is causes the majority of dry sockets or alveolar osteitis than other teeth in the oral cavity. But, it can occur after extraction or removal of any tooth in the oral cavity.

What Are the Risk Factors for a Dry Socket?

• Smoking and tobacco consumption: People who have a habit of consuming tobacco directly or through smoking are more prone to dry socket.
• Poor sterilization and disinfection during extraction: Use of any infected instrument increases the risk of a dry socket or alveolar osteitis.
• Alveolus infections: The presence of any alveolus infection in tooth socket prior to removal can lead to a dry socket or alveolar osteitis.
• Thorough spitting after extraction: Vigorous spitting after extraction can cause changes to the clot formed, which may cause a dry socket.

How Is a Dry Socket Detected Clinically?

• After two or three days of extraction, the patient suffers severe throbbing or pinching pain and foul or unpleasant smell.
• The affected alveolus is empty or denuded.
• The bony surface is soft and very sensitive, and is covered with yellowish-grey necrosed tissues.

How Is a Dry Socket Treated?

The patient should consult the dentist immediately. The affected region is cleaned, and a dressing of Zinc Oxide Eugenol is applied and the patient is asked to follow-up after three days.