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!

My clot went a greyish white after a day or so. It means it's healing. Sore is normal but if it hurts or throbs get it checked.

Mine wasn't agony, just a bit sore
The sign for me was my mouth tasted and smelt vile
Dentist packed it with the clove stuff and it went v quickly

I've had dry socket. Apart from the terrible pain mentioned by others, I had a totally vile taste in my mouth and my breath stunk. The pain from dry socket is just as bad as extreme toothache. Extractions cause bruising and ligaments holding the tooth have been cut. Some soreness is perfectly normal.
I'm surprised your dentist didn't tell you about it dry socket, I was given a leaflet about it last time I had a tooth out.

It sounds horrific, truly. Is there a cut off where you’re clear of it? Like two or five days or whatever? I feel like I’m going to be worrying myself silly over it.

I feel totally normal on painkillers at the moment, so I’m hopeful that’s a good sign! The sockets look so weird when they are healing it’s hard to tell when it’s ok or not.

DH worried me because he said it looked like a clot yesterday then said today he wasn’t sure as it looked different and smaller but I think that’s because it looks a bit white and weird now

I’ve managed some Christmas dinner and am about to saltwater rinse that bad boy (I say rinse I mean gingerly hold the water in my mouth and tilt my head )
Thanks for all the replies it doesn’t sound like it’s going that way at the moment and hopefully that will continue
Serious sympathy to everyone who has suffered it I think I’m even more nervous because the dentist I go to is shut til Tuesday now!

Dry socket is easily the most painful thing I have ever experienced. I insisted on antibiotic cover after the second time. I think you’d definitely know it if you had it, fingers crossed you don’t!

DH worried me because he said it looked like a clot yesterday then said today he wasn’t sure as it looked different and smaller but I think that’s because it looks a bit white and weird now

A friend of mine was kind enough to point out to me, when I was worrying, that I'm not a dentist and therefore didn't have a clue what I was actually looking at! You don't actually see the clot that forms, you just see the white stuff on top of it. My dentist said if it hadn't happened by day 5, it almost certainly wasn't going to happen.

Well if you've got it then you've got it, and if you haven't then you haven't... there's no changing it either way OP, so try to stay calm and focus on breathing, relaxing etc.

Having said that - did they give you no emergency contact details at all? Because that's pretty poor!

It'll be granulation tissue. Leave it be, you want it in there. Avoid mouthwash for a few more days and use warm salt water to rinse instead. Also avoid fizzy drinks as the carbonation can cause the clot to break down.

If it's dry socket, you'll know. It will look hollow and greyish white and the pain will be excruciating. You don't wonder if you've got dry socket. You KNOW it.

Sorry pressed post too soon. The granulation tissue forms over the clot to protect it, yours sounds totally normal. Its easy to dislodge though so just think about what you're drinking and whether it would dissolve it. If its a lower tooth then I'd say a week to 10 days and you're clear of dry socket. If its an upper, maybe 5 days to a week. Apparently something like 70% of dry sockets are lower extractions, it's rarer on upper jaw. That guess is for molars btw, a smaller tooth will probably be quicker. The pain from dry socket, I think comes from exposed nerves. Tooth sockets heal from the bottom up. You're out of the risk window when your wound heals enough underneath that the nerve is covered by new gum tissue.

Believe me OP you don't have dry socket. You'd be sobbing in agony if you did. Avoid alcohol, straws, fizzy drinks and very hot drinks and you'll be well on the mend by new years eve.

That’s really helpful thank you. I’ve been drinking squash but nothing fizzy, no alcohol, had a coffee but it was lukewarm and I didn’t fancy it all.

I’ve rinsed after every meal (which hasn’t been many) since the 24 hours were up and am taking paracetamol and codeine for the pain and once they kick in I have no pain at all.

I think my confusion was over the white appearance as I read that’s what dry socket can look like and although it doesn’t look hollow it looks deeper now if that makes sense but I think that’s because it’s shrunk a bit
And yes you’re right I’m not a dentist and have no idea what I’m looking at

These replies have been really helpful though. It’s a lower molar so I guess the risk window is bigger unfortunately but hopefully by New Year’s Eve I’ll feel a bit more relaxed

The stench really is appalling with dry socket my cat would not leave my face alone when I had it recently

I've had all four wisdom teeth out and got dry socket with one. It's on a par with childbirth pain- near delirium!

@NeurologicallySpeaking yes I’m really really really not keen to experience it! I’ve followed all the advice and am being super cautious and it looks like it’s healing over as loads of granulated white stuff on top now but I’ll be holding my breath for the next week or so I think
After last week and the pain I was in I’m desperate to avoid anything like that again, obviously!

The memory of having dry socket as a smoker (who probably smoked on my way out of the dentist ) in my early 20s was enough for me to give up my 20 year smoking habit. I was just too frightened to smoke and possibly have it again. Haven't smoked since (that was 3 years ago)
If you have dry socket, you will know.

If the pain is so bad you would willingly consider slicing your own head off with paper scissors - it's dry socket.

Otherwise it's probably just the natural healing process.

I had a tooth out a year ago and did too much googling, then got myself convinced I’d got dry socket when I also saw the white parts you describe. But actually although it was tender and a little sore (I was very careful) it wasn’t the horrendous pain I’d read about with DS. I think it’s just bad luck if you get it , but the white you see isn’t an indication in itself and is probably just where it’s healing up.
I was actually amazed at how quickly things improved.
Take care. Hope you’re ok x

I would rather go through agonising birth again rather than have dry socket.

It is awful.

If you have it, you will know.

I had it when I was pregnant. All I could take was paracetamol. I didn’t sleep for a week, I just cried every night. Honestly, you will know if it’s dry socket!!

@PippinStar oh my god that is horrific I have such such sympathy for past you. You poor thing, I don’t know how you coped!!
It does amaze me the level of dental pain people are expected to deal with when it wouldn’t be expected in any other area of medicine.

Thanks for all the tips and advice I’m hoping the white stuff is healing stuff as there’s dark blood underneath it I think so it looks like it’s tissue starting to form over the blood clot

I’ve had dry socket and you don’t need to ask if you have it- you know it. I was actually contemplating how I could kill myself it was so so bad. I would have given birth to ten children one after the other rather than have it.

Yeah it does bed down a bit. After about 7 days I'd say the risk of dry socket is small. It doesn't have to heal completely, just enough to cover the exposed socket, then you can start getting back to normal.

It just sounds so awful that people have to just get in with the pain of it. What you’re all describing sounds in humane.
Mind you I could barely talk and was rocking back and forth with the pain of toothache before I had it out - still doesn’t sound as bad as what you’re describing - but the only thing I could compare it to is labour. It’s the only other time I’ve experienced all consuming pain where you can’t think about anything else

olasmile.com/post-extraction-care/ Here OP this site has really good post extraction advice. Also just for reference the first pic is of healthy granulation tissue. The second is of a dry socket.