What does dry socket look like does anyone know?

[Aberforthsgoat]

I had a tooth out yesterday and I saw a few threads with people having the same thing (dentist said Christmas Eve is a popular day for extractions, he’d already done six by the time I was in!) and they mentioned dry socket. I wasn’t aware of this so I googled and now I’m in a bit of a flap.

I’ve been very careful, didn’t rinse for 24 hours, don’t smoke, no straws, eaten on the other side of the mouth. Only rinsed gently with saltwater today after eating and have eaten small, soft meals and things like cheese, fruit, eggs, porridge. Have forgone the tin of roses, sob.

But my gum is a little swollen and now I’ve peered at the crater (had left it well alone) it looks odd and like it’s sort of sunk and gone a bit white in places? It looks smaller than yesterday and I’m wondering if this is dry socket?! I’ve also got a bit of soreness - previously the pain was horrendous and in my ear and jaw and face as well as my teeth, and now it’s only faintly in my ear and soreness around the site that’s easily managed by painkillers. I just feel tired due to a week of no sleep due to toothache!

Am I being overly paranoid! Wondered if anyone had had it and what happened with theirs? I have to say I’m panicked because the idea of being in more pain that I was before makes me feel physically ill, I just have a low pain threshold as I wasn’t coping then!

The dentist gave me the information on how to look after the crater but didn’t mention dry socket specifically. I wish I’d never heard of it now!

I’m also already on antibiotics as they couldn’t see me previously and prescribed them incase the pain was infection

I have googled btw but all the pictures are different !

Sounds like it’s the healing the white? Mine looked a bit odd I didn’t look much tbh. It was a bit sore but well managed. But was a few years ago now.

Dry socket is very very painful can’t sleep/eat/think kind of pain.

www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/tooth-extraction-healing-white-stuff#white-tissue-possibilities

Dry socket is incredibly painful! That’s all I remember but you would know if you had it

I just wondered if it was the start or would the pain kick in immediately? Thanks for the links.

It looks very sunken with white bits and DH panicked me as he said it looked like bits of bone but when I looked some of it is the fragment the dentist left in and was there when I left. The rest is creamy and grainy and dark blood colour around the rest so hopefully healing?
I hate that even though the pain has stopped I am now spending Christmas stressing about pain I might not even get!

I’ve also been drinking (soft drinks) normally and then saw lots of posters on the other thread saying only take small sips so that’s made me worry too.
I do have form for health anxiety by the way so that’s probably why I’ve fixated on this a bit

Is the blood clot still in there? The treatment for dry socket includes antibiotics

I've had a dry socket and it was excruciatingly painful. I think you would know by now if you had it. It's not a pain you can manage with some painkillers. Mine was caused by drinking through a straw which I didn't realise was a big no no.

Not to terrify you too much but yes that sounds exactly like what happened to me earlier this year.

Two days after surgery I went back because the pain just wasn't fading and was occasionally getting sharper. They said that the clot had fallen out, it was mild dry socket, and packed it with some stuff, then had to redo it again a few days after that too. I was so, so super careful but the dentist said it was just more likely to happen after long or traumatic extractions (which mine was).

Please call them and ask if someone can take a look!

By the way, my doctor gave me extra strength codeine after the dry socket was diagnosed. It was actually fine pain-wise once it was treated. It just took a while longer to heal.

You will know if you have it believe me!! I had it (twice) a few weeks ago - put it this way I’ve given birth to two children without pain relief and I’d cheerfully do that again rather than have dry socket!!! If you do get it, just go to the dentist & they will dress it for you which helps.

Okay so I had dry socket and FREAKED OUT (like hysterical tears and sweaty hands) i geniunely thought my jaw would fall off after reading Doctor Google.
I was 100% wrong.

Don't stress if you do have dry socket. its crazy easy to treat. It also take months to become serious so you will be fine even of it takes a little while to see a dentist.

The main thing is I had no blood clot so could see the bone and there was a weird taste/smell from the extraction this was the dry socket so to speak.
It was treated with a poultice and was painless.

The white stuff is almost certainly granulating tissue that's filling the wound, not bone. Have a Google and see :)

Dry socket made my DH sob big, agonising tears. I hadn’t seen him cry like that since his DF died and he had to go and tell my DMIL.
YOU WILL KNOW if you have dry socket.

@zzizz oh poor you. I don’t have any pain when the painkillers kick in and I would say it’s mild when they wear off definitely nothing like the agonising pain I had before

I can’t tell if the blood clot has gone that probably sounds silly - there’s still a dark blood coloured area but it’s smaller than it was and is mixed in with the creamy white granulated kind of stuff on one side

You would know if you had it. Its the worst agony ever.

I had to have one out last year and I had this panic after a day too, but it was fine. After the first rinse after 24 hours I thought something was wrong because I saw what you are seeing, the socket looked very empty and like three little white dots which I thought were bone, but it was just the first stage in the healing process and turned out fine. I know it's not easy but try not to worry, it sounds exactly like mine and that was absolutely fine.

Okay so I’m more terrified than ever about getting it now but it doesn’t sound like I have it currently. As painkillers are managing the pain fine.
I guess I was just wondering if it started with the clot looking odd before the pain kicked in because it’s sunk a bit and looks a bit wet but also white but @Cailleach I did google and it does look a bit like granulating tissue so fingers crossed it’s that - so hard to tell.
I’ve been through the mill a bit and I’m just so anxious of finding myself in worse pain. I’ll try and relax a bit. My friend had never heard of it either and was merrily eating fish and chips for lunch the day after her extraction on Tuesday!

@FeminismIsForALLWomen thank you! That’s really reassuring. And I love your username

You're welcome, just try to remember that a dry socket is actually very rare, and even if it does happen it's very quick & easy to treat. But honestly it sounds fine, please don't spend the next week worrying about it like I did!

@Aberforthsgoat I was coming on to join in with the others and say its absolutely agony if it is dry socket. Good news that your pain is controllable with painkillers just now, but keep an eye on it. If they stop working then phone emergency dentist and say you think you've got dry socket - you won't even need to exaggerate as the pain is something else - the dentist can dress it to give a bit of relief and prescribe you something stronger if necessary.

Also, I know it's tempting (well to some of us!) but don't poke it "just to see"!

I had dry sockets in all three of my wisdom tooth extractions. At the same time. I thought I would die from the pain. You will know if you have it!

If you’ve got ‘a bit of soreness’ you don’t have a dry socket.

When I had a dry socket I wanted to slice the side of my face off to get rid of the pain!

Carry on with what you’re doing, and leave it alone. Sounds as if it’s healing fine.

I had dry socket once, apparently, according to my dentist.

Thing is, I hadn't had a clue about it because although it was very painful for a few weeks, it was nothing compared to the abscess that had developed in my gum leading to losing the molar in the first place.

I suppose these things are all relative.