| A common worry for patients facing a tooth | | | | in extreme pain and discomfort. Sometimes, even |
| extraction is the dreaded "dry socket." While dry | | | | without any stimulation, the nerves will be stimulated |
| sockets do occur, they are far from inevitable and | | | | and will fire pain signals to the brain. |
| often avoidable with proper care. | | | | Dry sockets are treated by placing a medicated, |
| When a tooth is removed it leaves a hole in the bone | | | | synthetic clot in the tooth socket. The artificial clot, |
| (the tooth socket). As the socket fills with blood, the | | | | made from gauze or a spongy material called |
| blood congeals forming a protective clot that covers | | | | gelfoam, is usually replaced every day or every other |
| the exposed bone left by the extraction. If the blood | | | | day. The treatment is uncomfortable, requiring a local |
| clot is dislodged after the bleeding has stopped, | | | | anesthetic when changing the artificial clot. If the pain |
| another clot is unable to form. This may lead to | | | | is severe enough, a prescription analgesic is |
| alveolitis, or dry socket. | | | | prescribed until the tooth socket heals enough for |
| Without a protective blood clot, the freshly exposed | | | | the pain to start to subside. |
| nerve endings in the tooth socket are left to sense | | | | Painful dry sockets can be avoided by carefully |
| every change in the mouth's environment. Changes in | | | | following postoperative instructions given to you by |
| the mouth can be from food, liquid, and even cooler | | | | your dentist. Faithfully following the instructions and |
| air entering the mouth when the jaws are opened. | | | | careful treatment of the extraction site, should lead |
| Each change stimulates the exposed nerves resulting | | | | to a quick and relatively painless healing period. |