Dry socket...what can I do?

dabner

A dry socket occurs when the blood clot that forms after an extraction remains in the empty socket area falls out. This usually happens due to smoking or drinking from a straw. You could very well get an infection from this. If you go to the dentist, he or she will pack the dry socket with a material to protect it until it heals. I understand that funds are low, but putting this off any longer could be a lot more costly than fixing the problem now. Good luck!

Tracy21

Hello,

I had all 4 wisdom teeth out the 12th of aug. I was in pain but i also have a low pain tolerance. the next week, I got a dry socket in the lower left side and still have it. I go in today to have the packing removed or repacked. It's still bothering me so dont know what to do.. As for low funds, I would suggest trying what I did. I applied for the Citi Health Card. http://www.citibank.com/us/cards/cardserv/healthcrd/ Take a look because I know I dont have alot of money and this is saving me. I would definately get into the dentist to get it fixed so you can feel better.

CARAT414

From what I have understood about dry socket, it wont go away on its own, and needs to be packed for it to heal correctly. Call the dentist and see if they will work out a payment plan or something, if not, go to the county emergency room.

Good Luck, my heart is with you.

Casey

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Christai77

actually a dry socket will go away on it's own, when your gums close over it the socket, but it will hurt like hell and can take as long as two weeks. and it's not worth trying to wait it out! go to the dentist trust me, you'll feel a lot better.

Kiedy

yes it will go away on its own, but like christai 77 said it may take upto 2wks. Phone your dentist and find out how much it costs to have material put into the socket, as most dentist will do it for free or at low cost. My dentist will check all problematic extraction sites for free and if necessary place material also at no cost.

Soul Astray

Thanks for all of the replies. I did a search on dry socket care and got the address to a dentist's site. There was a recipe for dry socket care and I did it for two days and my pain is gone. It's still a little sore around the socket but it doesn't hurt in my bone and jaw at all anymore. The site still isn't growing up but there's no pain and I'm taking extra care of it. I called my dentist and he said that what I'm doing is initially what he would have done so it's fine as long as there's no discoloration of the surrounding tissue because that could indicate an infection.

Here's what I'm doing for anyone who needs some relief:

I crush one aspirin and add enough water to make a paste then I apply it thick in and around the socket. Then I dampen a guaze and put it over it and apply pressure for about 30 minutes so the aspirin can dissolve well into it. If you're in excruciating pain, as I was, relief comes after about 5 minutes and lasts well up to 12 hours. It's so worth it and aspirin and guaze are very inexpensive. I have also been taking Alieve when I'm not at home to do the aspirin trick and it works way better than Lortab and there's no drunk feeling from it.

Thanks again.