How to Avoid Dry Socket After a Tooth Extraction

Dry socket, alveolar osteitis in medical terminology, is a rare condition in which the healing after a tooth extraction is interrupted. Symptoms of dry socket include pain, foul odor and sloughing of organic material from the mouth. In some cases, there may be visibly exposed bone at the dry socket location. There are ways to minimize the risk of this condition.

• Choose the dentist who will perform the extraction carefully. A skilled dentist is less likely to cause trauma to the bone. Increased bone trauma during extractions has been linked to higher risk of dry socket. 
   


• Avoid creating negative pressure in the mouth. When a tooth is extracted, a blood clot forms over the wound, beginning the healing process. Sucking on a straw, smoking or spitting can cause negative pressure, which may result in the clot being displaced. 
   


• Refrain from smoking for at least two days after having a tooth extracted. In addition to potentially creating negative pressure in the mouth, it may impede healing. It is thought that smoking decreases oxygen, which the body needs in order to heal tissue. 
   


• Female patients should consider their hormonal cycle. Increased levels of estrogen may retard healing. Extracts should be scheduled for the last week of a female patient's cycle, as estrogen levels are lowest at that point. 
   


• Discuss medications with the dentist prior to the extraction. Medications taken for other conditions may interfere with healing. Hormonal birth control, for instance, can cause elevated estrogen levels. Aspirin therapy and blood thinners may hinder formation of the blood clot that starts the healing process.