What causes a dry socket after wisdom teeth? i'm going to have my wisdom teeth removed, and am worried about dry socket. what causes it?

"Dry : "dry socket" refers to a condition where the blood clot that develops in the socket after a tooth extraction breaks down or is sucked out resulting in the exposure of the underlying bone. This this condition exposes the underlying nerves leading to extreme pain, death of the superficial layer of exposed bone and delayed healing. Pain medications are not capable of controlling the pain. Treatment, performed by the extracting dentist, consists of irrigating the socket out to remove debris and placing a sedative dressing. This procedure is repeated over the next several days. Patients at high risk include smokers who inhale the hot caustic gases. Trying to smoke with gauze in the mouth does not prevent dry sockets. Though second hand smoke has been documented to have a detrimental effect on your health it will not in and of itself cause a dry socket.

Difficult extraction: Excessive trauma is thought to be the main cause. Very difficult impactions are best handled by an oral surgeon to maximize skill and minimize post op complications. However dry sockets do occur from time to time.