Avoiding dry socket

[GreenSlide]

Had a tooth out today - a horribly broken and dead old molar that was only ever going to cause infection so good riddance I guess!

I've not had a tooth removed since I was a child and needed braces but I did have an abscess last week and I'm keen to avoid that pain again! So how do I avoid dislodging the blood clot in the extraction site? I'm scared to eat or drink anything and I'm starving!

I remember being told not to suck from straws. Eat food but chew on the other side and sip water.

I hope you feel better soon

Nothing very hot, nothing fizzy, nothing bitty like rice that can get stuck. Don't use a straw or smoke or do anything that creates suction in the mouth.

Stick to cold drinks for now such as water or squash and eat stuff like sausages, chicken, chips etc that are soft and don't need a huge amount of chewing but are solid enough that you can keep it on one side of your mouth. Take small bites.

Don't brush or even rinse tonight but tomorrow start doing warm salt water rinses and brush the rest of your teeth normally. Don't use mouth wash.

When doing the salt water rinses, don't swoosh it around, just hold it in your mouth and tilt your head around so it runs over the extraction site then let it run out of your mouth rather than spitting.

With molar extractions sometimes it's better to sleep with an extra pillow to raise your head so it doesn't bleed in the night.

To rinse your mouth hold salt water in your mouth then let it ‘drop’ out. No straws, no no smoking, no brushing, eat something soft.

The only thing can think of that not already been said is you might feel like you got tooth ache later on but not toothache so make sure you got some paracetamol.

Thanks so much everyone

Defo do as advised as i had a cry socket once and it was terrible. I would not eat at all until the next day if it were me again

Hope you're feeling better....I too have had the bugger out...in same predicament as you right now, but at least we're not in pain anymore 🙌

Did they not give you any corsodyl? You can get it over the counter. Did you have a bone graft for a future implant? Just eat soft foods, rinse, & no smoking. You’ll be fine. I’ve had 3 teeth out (congenital defect) & never had dry socket.

i was puzzled by this thread title, as i was imagining an electrical socket

I had 4 teeth out two weeks ago and was terrified of dry socket but it didn’t happen. I rinsed my mouth very gently with corsodyl, and to be honest didn’t eat much for the first few days but would have been easier if it was only one side of my mouth!

Hi @Whywonttheyletmeusemyusername! It feels like we've been through the wars doesnt it - one whole side of my mouth is a swollen, tender, bloody mess! Glad you're on the mend

@UserX no and no, they just told me to rinse with salt water. I do have some
Corsydl in the house though from desperate attempts to self treat an abscess so maybe I should use that instead?

Do take care and follow all the advice given by pp. I once had a dry socket and it was painful beyond belief. Was so much more careful the next time I had an extraction!

@GreenSlide There is no pain like it !! My cheek sounds similar to yours, but I feel I've turned a corner today. I'm using the salt water method, but literally living on jelly and yoghurt atm 🤣🤣

Sounds awful. I gad s filling 4 weeks ago in a wisdom tooth. Ive had a continuous headache ever since radiating from my cheek. Paracetamol and nurofen ate my best mates at the moment. Dentist said it might have to come out soon though if the filling didn’t work. Im due for another small filling in another tooth (old fillings breaking up) next week so im gonna ask him to remove said wisdom tooth.

Thanks for the above advice and i hope you feel better very soon x

Don't use the corsadyl for at least 5 days. It can dissolve the clot. Salt water is best for the first week.

@nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut

Don't use the corsadyl for at least 5 days. It can dissolve the clot. Salt water is best for the first week.

Thanks so much, I haven't used it yet and I won't. Your advice has been invaluable so thank you!

@MrsDThomas

Sounds awful. I gad s filling 4 weeks ago in a wisdom tooth. Ive had a continuous headache ever since radiating from my cheek. Paracetamol and nurofen ate my best mates at the moment. Dentist said it might have to come out soon though if the filling didn’t work. Im due for another small filling in another tooth (old fillings breaking up) next week so im gonna ask him to remove said wisdom tooth.

Thanks for the above advice and i hope you feel better very soon x

It's really nowhere near as bad as you think it will be, I felt a bit sore last night but loads better today and I'm glad I was brave enough to get it out (I've an awful fear of the dentist)

Thanks @GreenSlide. Ive had one wisdom tooth out in the dentist chair and it was ok i guess as i cant really remember! And one lower one in hospital as it was impacted. Recovery was ok. I think the older i get I overthink things!

How are you feeling now @GreenSlide?

I had mine out today. It was tough, had to break the tooth with the drill as it was a tough old bugger. Still numb after 3 injections and 2 top ups. The loosening was the worst. Glad its out.

Had the shakes for a while, sat in the chair shaking like a leaf😂

You havent said if you do, but I was advised absolutely no smoking for at least a week. Just incase you do!

Non smoker! And so sucking through straws, no exercise. Im gonna gave a mashed banana for tea.

Im anticipating a few pounds lost over a few days. Bonus😂

@MrsDThomas oh that sounds rough!!! Not surprised you ended up with the shakes. Glad it's out now though and the worst bit is behind you. Enjoy the numbness while it lasts! It's my third day after extraction and I do wake up sore in the morning. I got back to normal food yesterday but got some stuck in the extraction site earlier so I used a calpol syringe to squirt a bit of salt water around it, the food came out but I'm a bit worried I've squirted out the new healing stuff too hopefully not!

It's surprisingly stressful taking care of post extraction wound, I keep convincing myself I'm going to bugger it up and I can still feel my mouth is different and wrong somehow. But having said that it's loads better than it was the other day and the two sides of the gum seem to be coming together nicely.

I keep wondering what they did before dentists and anaesthetic and stuff. Because it's pretty brutal and painful at times even with all our modern technology and pain relief!

Glad you are better. Its a right old process isn’t it? You’re back eating normally -well ish!? I had some jelly. Then some pasta with cheese sauce so no real chewing involved. Then a decent dose of 2 nurofen and now 2 paracetamol and dipping water. Im starving though😂

Thinking back to the shakes it was a right shock. Funny how your body goes into it when it wasn’t really that traumatic. Last time fo had that was after giving birth quickly!

Sipping water not dipping 🙄