How To Avoid Dry Socket

Post operative instructions exist for a reason. If you do not follow them, complications can ensue, ones that can get extremely serious. All of the post operative instructions are there so that you may heal without any problems, and if you choose to not follow one or more of them, be warned that you may experience some problems. One of the things you may experience that is definitely on the more serious side of the spectrum is a condition known as dry socket. Let me elaborate a little on the subject of what this disease is, and why it is so bad.

What Is It?

Dry socket is just what it sounds like , a hole that goes into the jawbone that is dried out and extremely painful. The reason you feel pain in your teeth and jaws at all is because the nerve comes into contact with air. Now imagine what that pain gets like when there is literally air corroding that nerve. That’s what it feels like to have dry socket.

When your gums or periodontium is injured, a bloodclot will form in order to protect the nerve and the jawbone. This bloodclot is a natural healing mechanism of the human body, and it arises when you have an extraction, a dental implant, or extensive oral surgery. Removal or dislodgement of this bloodclot is what causes the condition known as dry socket to arise.

How Do I Prevent It?

The way to prevent this condition is to follow your post operative instructions. When brushing your teeth, do not brush the area, as this will remove the bloodclot. When rinsing or using mouthwash, do not rinse the area, but make sure that you remove any food and other detritus that you may have. Do not smoke, drink alcohol or imbibe substances that may dry you out, as this may lead you to lose the bloodclot. Do not eat dairy or other products, as these may infect the bloodclot with live bacterial cultures, which will then go on to ruin your life.

You should also refrain from eating anything sticky or very sugary, as these may stick to your bloodclot and yank them off. Eating raw fruits and veggies is also discouraged, as these may also bump the bloodclot right off of your wound, and the hard bits may get stuck in the bloodclot or remove them. Do not drink through a straw either, as the sucking motion may dislodge the bloodclot. Do not exercise for at least 72 hours either, as this will also dislodge the bloodclot, leaving you with an open socket that will quickly dry out. All in all, just wait for the bloodclot to be absorbed before doing anything besides eating soup.

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