What are Dry Socket Symptoms?

A painful condition called "dry socket" is one of the most common of the potential complications you might experience after a tooth extraction.  You may recall reading one of our other articles, where we address what you can typically expect after you have a tooth pulled.  Don't worry if you don't remember, though, because before we go into the symptoms of a dry socket, we'll briefly describe what a dry socket is. 

Normally, a blood clot forms over the site of a tooth extraction.  This blood clot plays an important role in the healing process by temporarily sealing off and protecting the empty tooth socket.  It functions in a way that is similar to a scab that seals off and protects a scratch or cut on your skin.  Without the blood clot, the nerves and underlying bone in the empty tooth socket will be exposed to food, fluids, other debris and air.  The condition called dry socket occurs if this blood clot fails to form over the tooth socket, or if the clot that does form either dissolves or is somehow dislodged.  Because of the significant potential for contamination of the wound, a person with a dry socket has a substantial likelihood of developing an infection accompanied by severe pain that could last as long as five or six days.

Dental professionals refer to dry socket as "alveolar osteitis."  Although dry socket can be extremely painful, once it's identified it's easy for your dentist to treat.  In addition, only a small percentage of patients develop dry socket after having a tooth extracted.  However, despite your low odds of developing dry socket, it's important to recognize its symptoms so you can obtain treatment promptly if necessary.  Some people are more likely than others to develop dry socket after a tooth extraction.  For example, people who smoke, have poor oral hygiene, use birth control pills, or have previously experienced dry socket following a tooth extraction are all at a somewhat greater risk for developing the condition.  It is also more likely to occur following a wisdom tooth extraction. 

We all expect to endure at least some discomfort or pain when we have one of our teeth extracted.  Most of the time, you can expect the pain to decrease steadily from one day to the next as a result of the normal healing process.  However, if your pain is moderate at the beginning but after a few days it becomes more severe instead of beginning to dissipate, you're probably experiencing dry socket symptoms.  The pain associated with dry socket can be moderate to intense, but it is often a throbbing pain.  It might be localized to the site of your tooth extraction, but it also might radiate to the eye or ear on the same side of your head as the extraction.

Additional dry socket symptoms include bad breath and an unpleasant or even foul odor and taste which appear to emanate from the empty tooth socket.  If you examine the site where the tooth was extracted, you'll probably see a dry-looking, empty socket instead of seeing a healthy-looking blood clot.  This is why the condition is called "dry socket."  Any blood clot you see will probably be minimal in size.  You might see some granular tissue, or you might even see exposed bone.

Swollen, enlarged lymph nodes in the jaw or neck are another potential dry socket symptom.  Your body is attempting to fight off the infection caused by the dry socket.  Enlarged lymph nodes are simply part of your body's response, but they are a distinct sign of an infection.

After your tooth extraction, your dentist will probably suggest that you bite down firmly and maintain steady pressure on the gauze packing over the site of the extraction.  Exerting pressure on this gauze normally facilitates the formation of a blood clot over the empty tooth socket.  Once the clot has formed, try to avoid dislodging, disrupting or dissolving it.  To that end, for the first few days you should refrain from smoking, drinking through a straw, spitting and rinsing your mouth vigorously.  If you rinse your mouth, do it gently.  You should also avoid drinking hot coffee, soup and alcoholic beverages for at least a few days after your tooth extraction.  Finally, you should temporarily reduce the amount of physical exercise you receive.