Tag Archives: dry socket

Dry Socket and Its Management


What is a dry socket?

Dry socket or also known as alveolar osteitis is a common complication occurring after the extraction of a permanent teeth especially the lower wisdom teeth. The term ‘alveolar’ refers to the jawbone that supports teeth while ‘osteitis’ refers to the inflammation of the bone associated with the extraction socket.

The condition has generally been characterized by degraded or delayed healing associated with breakdown or dislodgement of the blood clot in the extraction socket. It is usually accompanied by persistent, radiating pain in and around the extraction site within a few days after extraction that is not easily relieved by pain killers. The premature loss or breakdown of the blood clot is accompanied by exposure of the underlying bone. Continue reading

Guide to Wisdom Teeth Removal

© worlddental.org

The emergence of wisdom tooth normally occurs between 18 to 24 years of age. The prevalence for at least one impacted (which the path of eruption of the tooth is blocked by another tooth or bone which therefore prevents it from assuming a normal position in the mouth) lower wisdom tooth is 72.7% in an age of 20 to 30 years. An impacted tooth is not a disease in itself but is considered an abnormal state. Continue reading

What Is a Dry Socket?

Dry socket or alveolar osteitis is a complication of delayed healing following tooth extraction. Dry socket occurs when the blood clot is lost from its socket exposing the bone to air, bacteria and fluid. Loss of blood clot can be due to excessive fibrinolytic activity caused by bacterial, salivary factors and etc. (For your information, fibrinolysis is a process that prevents blood clot from forming) In the absence of a blood clot, healing of the extraction site is delayed because soft tissue must grow from the gum margins to cover the bone and fill the extraction socket.

Continue reading

What Is a Dry Socket?

pain after third molar removal

A tooth socket holds the tooth in place by connecting its roots to the underlying alveolar bone. After a tooth is pulled, a blood clot forms over the socket to protect the bone and nerves underneath. Dry socket also known as alveolar osteitis is a common condition occurring few days after an extraction where the clot becomes dislodged or dissolves. It attracts air, food, fluid and almost anything that enters the mouth which leads to bacterial infection and results in severe pain. Dry socket delay healing of surrounding tissues and alveolar bone. Higher incidence of dry socket occurs after removal of impacted mandibular third molars followed by upper molars, premolars, canines and incisors. It occur twice more often after single tooth extractions when compared to multiple extractions completed at the same time. It occurs in those around the ages between 20 and 40. Continue reading

About Dry Socket

© Dry Sockets

Have you ever experienced severe pain a few days after having your teeth extracted with no swelling on your face? Then you may be suffering from dry socket.

What is dry socket?

Dry socket, or otherwise known as alveolar osteitis, is by far the most frequent painful complication of tooth extractions. However it is uncommon overall, affecting only 1 to 3% of extractions. This condition of delayed healing, but not usually associated with infection, is common after wisdom tooth extraction due to the large tooth socket that is left behind which can easily dislodges the blood clot that is formed.

The term ‘alveolar’ refers to the jawbone that supports the teeth, while ‘osteitis’ refers to the inflammation of the bone which is limited to the site involved. Continue reading

Common Inflammatory Disease of the Jaw Bone

jaw boneInflammatory Disease of the Bone

Inflammation is a protective tissue response to injury or destruction of tissues, which serves to destroy, dilute, or wall off both the injurious agent and the injured tissues. The classical signs of acute inflammation are pain (dolor), heat (calor), redness (rubor), swelling (tumor), and loss of function (functio laesa). Continue reading