How to Prevent Dry Socket After a Tooth Extraction

When you think about getting a tooth pulled (extracted), the situation you imagine might involve some pain. Actually, though, the most uncomfortable part of getting your tooth out should be the quick pinch you feel when we inject anesthetic into the area. 

You’ll feel some pressure as your tooth comes out, but you shouldn’t experience any serious pain during the procedure. In fact, the biggest pain point (literally) with tooth extractions is a complication that can arise afterward called dry socket. 

As tooth extraction experts, we have extensive experience helping people heal afterward — and avoid dry socket in the process. Dr. Sujay Trivedi, Dr. Michael Westcott, and our Family Dental Care team have some tips to help you prevent dry socket. 

When you have a tooth extracted at our office in West Palm Beach, Florida, we send you home with specialized aftercare instructions. To help you prepare now, though, let’s take a closer look at this painful complication and how you can prevent it. 

Understanding dry socket

After you get a tooth pulled, a blood clot should form in the now-empty socket. This clot protects the nerves and bones that would otherwise be exposed with the tooth gone. 

Sometimes, the clot doesn’t form or falls out. That leaves the nerves and bone exposed, creating a “dry socket.” You can usually diagnose this condition yourself by looking in your mouth. If you see an empty hole with a whitish bottom where your tooth was, you have a dry socket. The white part you see is bone. 

Even if you don’t see white, you might have a dry socket if your pain is getting worse, not better, a few days after your extraction. 

Tips to prevent dry socket

Fortunately, you can take steps to prevent that exposed bone. Implementing a few short-term changes helps you prevent dry socket. To avoid this complication after tooth extraction, follow this guidance for a few days afterward, or until the extraction site is fully healed:

• Don’t smoke or chew tobacco
• Don’t use a straw (the sucking can dislodge a clot)
• Don’t spit
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol (including mouthwash with alcohol)
• Avoid carbonated and hot beverages, which can affect the clot
• Avoid strenuous exercise

Do drink lots of water after your extraction. Choose soft foods for the first few days and chew carefully on the opposite side of your mouth. 

Also, follow our care instructions. We’ll tell you how to keep your mouth clean (usually, you’ll only gently rinse for a couple of days instead of brushing). And we might recommend additional steps to protect the socket, like keeping gauze there. 

If you do end up with a dry socket, schedule an urgent care visit ASAP. We can help you protect that exposed socket and manage the resulting pain. Call Family Dental Care at 561-556-1698 today, or book an appointment online at your convenience.