What does a dry socket look and feel like?

A dry socket looks like a hole left after tooth extraction, where exposed bone within the socket or around the perimeter is visible. The opening where the tooth was pulled may appear empty, dry, or have a whitish, bone-like color. Typically, a blood clot forms over your empty socket.

How obvious is a dry socket?

You often cannot see a dry socket. Discoloration of a healing site is normal. A normal clot will often appear white in the mouth as it matures. The pain may keep you up at night and is often not fully treated by over the counter pain medicines.

Is dry socket pain immediate?

Does dry socket hurt instantly? You will not feel a higher amount of pain the first two days after the extraction. However, if healing does not progress well and if the clot falls out, then you will start to feel a dull, throbbing, and radiating pain that keeps increasing to the point of becoming simply unbearable.

How easy is it to get dry socket?

Only a very small percentage — about 2\% to 5\% of people — develop dry sockets after a wisdom tooth extraction. In those who have it, though, a dry socket can be very uncomfortable. Fortunately, it’s easily treatable.

How do you know if you have dry socket?

The presence of pain and other symptoms of dry socket is usually enough for the dentist or oral surgeon to make a diagnosis. The dentist will also examine your oral cavity to check if there is a blood clot in your tooth socket or if there is an exposed bone.

What are the symptoms of dry socket after a tooth extraction?

Your dentist or oral surgeon can offer treatments to relieve your pain. Signs and symptoms of dry socket may include: Partial or total loss of the blood clot at the tooth extraction site, which you may notice as an empty-looking (dry) socket

How long does it take for dry socket pain to start?

Overview. If you develop dry socket, the pain usually begins one to three days after your tooth is removed. Dry socket is the most common complication following tooth extractions, such as the removal of third molars (wisdom teeth). Over-the-counter medications alone won’t be enough to treat dry socket pain.

What are the possible complications of dry socket?

Tooth or gum infection. Current or previous infections around the extracted tooth increase the risk of dry socket. Painful, dry socket rarely results in infection or serious complications. However, potential complications may include delayed healing of or infection in the socket or progression to chronic bone infection (osteomyelitis).