How common is dry socket after having a wisdom tooth extracted? i'm going to have two wisdom teeth out in a little over week, and have heard horror stories from friends about how they had dry socket. is this common, and something i really need to worry ab

Hard : Hard to give you exact percentages, but it does happen from time to time. Basically, the blood clot that forms in the socket after the extraction somehow gets dislodged, leaving exposed bone. This can be treated over a week or two using a soothing ointment that is placed on gauze which is inserted into the socket (this is done by your dentist). A rule of thumb is do not rinse for 24 hours after the extractions. You can spit out gently if there is some blood, but you need to avoid disturbing the clot. No gargling with salt water or listerine. Sometimes, even if you don't rinse, you still get the dry socket.

The : The socket is the hole in the bone where the tooth has been removed. After a tooth is pulled, a blood clot forms in the socket to protect the bone and nerves underneath. Sometimes that clot can become dislodged or dissolve a couple of days after the extraction. That leaves the bone and nerve exposed to air, food, fluid, and anything else that enters the mouth. This can lead to infection and severe pain that can last for five or six days. Some people may be more likely to get dry socket after having a tooth pulled. That includes people who: smoke have poor oral hygiene have wisdom teeth pulled have greater than usual trauma during the tooth extraction surgery use birth control pills have a history of dry socket after having teeth pulled rinsing and spitting a lot or drinking through a straw after having a tooth extracted also can increase your risk of getting dry socket. Basically there is no one true answer to getting a dry socket but listen to your doctor and follow their post op instructions. Keep in mind even if you follow the instructions to a t, you still may get one. The chances are low. Good luck!

DRY : Dry sockets do not happen all the time most of the time recovery from wisdom tooth extraction is uneventful, the teeth are taken out, you are stitched up and you rinse with salt water for 5days and then you have your sitches out and you continue the salt water mouth rinse for another 10 days or so. If you are a smoker, and if you drink alcohol and if you are on the birth control pill, then you may be at risk of having a dry socket. A dry socket is when the bone lining the area where the tooth was taken out dies, and the body isolates the dead bone and sheds it fro the body. This can take a long time and is painful. The primary cause of dry sockets is the dislodging of the blood clot fro the socket from which the tooth was drawn. You should ask you oral surgeon to explain all the ins and out of this issue good luck dr neil mcleod dds dentistry that lasts - quality that counts.