Dry socket?

[TeddyBearsPickAndMix]

Apologies for posting in aibu but I'm sure anyone who has dry socket phobia will understand! Lower molar extracted yesterday, wound stitched. Only bit on gauze for a few minutes as per advice of oral surgeon. Very painful all day yesterday but much better this morning. Has started to get a bit niggly again this evening when smiling etc but not too bad. Had a look in mirror and saw the site looks grey/black. Cue frantic googling which shows the dreaded dry socket. Can any dentists/ fellow extracted advise please?

Sorry meant to attach photo also

I had to have an extraction last year just after lockdown as hadn’t been able to have the necessary treatment. I also got major dry socket fear and spent days googling photos of other peoples cavities 🤣. Fwiw yours looks like mine did at the same time and mine was fine.

I had dry socket years ago after an extraction and it was absolute misery, so painful I couldn't think straight

I had dry socket in two extraction sites. Cant remember the visual appearance but what I learned was:
A. It's very common and
B. It hurts like hell. So, so bad. I went back to the dentist three times to have the socket packed with some gross tasting cotton wool stuff. If you're worried, speak to your dentist.

You can use a couple of drops of clove oil on some gauze on the site if it does develop. Only use this for a couple of days as clove oil can damage surrounding tissues. It will act as a local anaesthetic and take the pain away.

If it was dry socket, it would be more than niggling you and it would probably be visibly empty. Black is coagulated blood, good thing, grey is a bit of plaque on top the black blood coagulated plug. Leave it alone and stay away from sucking if possible, especial through straws. I had dry socket, upper canine, the pain was so bad I wished for death at times.

yes if it was you would not need to ask! OMG Dry Socket was one of the most awful pains I have every had - and I include a burst appendix and child birth in that!

No harm in asking you dentist but I agree that looks like dried blood - leave it be!

I think that's just the scab. However I had one out earlier in The Times of Covid and the medicated mouthwash you can buy helps. Chlorhexidine I think it is.

It looks like a blood clot which is normal

That looks normal

I had dry socket. It was really painful. After the extraction I had to bite on a cloth and then was told the blood clot needed to stay in the cavity. Sadly the next day it came out. It was sore to even breath air over it. The dentist fixed it by dipping some kind of gauze in something them smelt and tasted like cloves, although I think it had some medication in it. From then on it never hurt again and healed perfectly. So if it hurts even when you breath get back to the dentist asap. Best of luck xx

I had it and it was sore. The dentist put a medicated dressing in and prescribed pain killers by them.

It's a bit early for dry socket, I think it is more likely at 3-5 days after extraction

I'm a dental assistant. The black is the blood clot, it looks perfect. Dry socket literally looks creamy white, that black clot would be gone and you'd be looking at bone. You're doing great! Like others said, avoid anything that creates suction like using straws. Just take it easy and be gentle with the area and you should be fine.

If you develop a dry socket, you will know. It's intensely painful and there's no mistaking it. Much like the difference between a Braxton-Hicks contraction and labor transition.

If you have it you'll know! Agonising pain that you can't escape. Codine & tramadol not touching the sides level of pain!

Oh my, the clove dressing gauze strands. I had that too. I spent lord knows how many days randomly retching from the taste of that stuff, took all my willpower not to chuck, bleurgh (shudder), necessary effective stuff but pure evil in taste. It is the flavour I imagine the devil's spunk would taste of.

I've never had dry socket, but I've read so much about how agonising it is that I'm not surprised you're terrified of getting it. So am I!
From several posts above it looks like you haven't got it and I sincerely hope it stays that way, but I do sympathise, both with the pain you're in and with the fear it might get considerably worse. Fingers crossed the blood clot will stay in place and you'll soon be feeling better.

Cross-posted with the dental assistant. I bet you're relieved!

If you have dry socket you will know. It is horrifically painful very suddenly.

Dentist here.
The socket looks pretty normal for one day post extraction. A dry socket happens when you lose the blood clot prematurely and it leaves the socket empty so it fills up with food etc. If you have been using hot salt water mouthwashes too early or any mouthwash for that matter you may have disturbed the clot.
Follow the instructions you were given and hold the mouthwash over the socket rather than swish it around, also don’t over do it (that 3-4 times a day rather than every 10mins.
You’ve had a tooth ripped from the bony socket using heavy duty instrument so it will be uncomfortable for a few days. I found it painful for a week or so after an extraction. A dry socket is incredibly painful sometimes more so than the abscess that may have necessitated. You will not get relief from painkillers and sleep will be difficult.
Dry sockets tend to develop after a couple of days and will not respond to antibiotics ( they are not really due to infection more like a scab coming off a wound too early leaving exposed bone), they need packing with a dressing.
If the pain increases signicantly over the next 24 hrs contact your dentist who will organise to see you.

Same as others... when I had it it was so painful I couldn't even open my mouth properly and literally didn't sleep for days with the pain. I think it's a bit like flu... if you have to ask if you've got it, you probably haven't! ☺️

As above, you will know if you have it!! Childbirth is a walk in the park compared!

Thank you so much everyone for all the replies. Really appreciate it. Sorry to hear so many of you have experience dry socket . I've not eaten a thing since the extraction as been so paranoid about the clot coming away, only been drinking milkshakes and water. Just a bit worried as when I've had previous extractions (upper wisdom teeth) the dentist advised me to keep the gauze in for 30minutes. But only had the gauze in for a few minutes yesterday when the surgeon then took it out and then sent me on my way. I didn't have stitches though with previous extractions maybe that's why .

I had to have an extraction a few months ago due to an abscess, only option given.
I too was terrified of dry socket and my advice would be not to go poking around it.
I had no stitches but left the gauze on for quite a long time, even replaced it. I was so wary I hardly ate anything for days and it was certainly over a week before I attempted anything solid.
Try not to sneeze or cough either incase you dislodge the clot. Good luck.

Just read the PPs who've had dry socket. I know I said it is so so bad and it was but not as bad as others have had it, I could sleep through it mostly (with painkillers obviously), and that was having two dry sockets at once.