Dry Socket: How to Tell, Pain Symptoms, Healing

Dental Health Dental ConditionsByKathi ValeiiUpdated on May 01, 2024 Medically reviewed byEdmund Khoo, DDSTable of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsHow Much Pain Is Normal?Risk FactorsPain ReliefHealing TimeHygiene Tips Dry socket, clinically called alveolar osteitis, is a healing complication that occurs after tooth extraction, often with wisdom teeth removal. Poor oral hygiene can place you at greater risk of dry socket. Food particles that get stuck in your extraction site and not cleaned out can dislodge the blood clot that protects the site. Lots of other things contribute to developing the condition, including drinking through a straw, smoking, and rinsing and spitting too much after your dental procedure. Those activities can dislodge the blood clot over your extraction site. This article explains how to differentiate dry socket pain from expected oral pain after tooth extraction, how to find pain relief, and expected healing time. Dry Socket and Mouth Pain: Understandin...