Terrified of getting dry socket

[beconsistent23]

Hello. I am four days post lower wisdom tooth extraction. Had a grim few days with pain/ jaw stiffness/ headaches but feeling a bit better today. Absolutely do not like the sound of dry socket so seeking your experiences. Am I out of the woods yet? If you did get it, how many days in were you? Good luck to all facing tooth extractions.

I got it, not sure when exactly (maybe day 4 or 5) but I went back to the dentist a week after the extraction because I was still in pain. I didn't even realise it was dry socket because the pain wasn't excruciating and was manageable with standard painkillers. So even if you do get it, it's not necessarily going to be that bad. But if you're being careful with what you eat, doing saltwater rinses regularly etc, chances are you'll recover just fine.

I got a dry socket on about day two and it was horrendous. The pain is absolutely horrible. I remember just being in absolute tears. I think it lasted around 5 days. It was awful awful.

Thanks so much. That is reassuring.

Oh that sounds horrible. Hope you got seen quickly.

According to Google after day 4/5 the risk of dry socket is low if that helps

I was also terrified of this 🙈 stuff I read online put the fear of God in me. Everyone says it’s worse than childbirth!!?

If you’re four days out you’re obviously doing it right, I’d just stay on the same path and introduce things back in very very slowly. I was a good 12 days living off Weetabix for breakfast, mash with gravy for dinner, and smoothies and yogurt! I was starving but worth it.

Yeah I went back to my dentist and they put like a medicated dressing and a paste over it to help it heal. Mine was also infected. Not nice.

As above, I'm 6 days post removal and just went back today with pain that wasn't getting any better, turns out it is dry socket and I've had it packed. What made me think it wasn't, was reading up and people saying it was the worst pain of their lives, mine was annoying and sore yes but I've had worse pain!

Ha - just polished off my mash and gravy! Had a cup of lukewarm tea with a dunked digestive biscuit today. A big treat! That’s really helpful thanks.

Don't drink though a straw, don't smoke, don't eat anything hard or crunchy that could dislodge the jelly plug that will be forming at the extraction site.
The longest estimate I found for how long it's a possibility was 10 days 😬

It struck me about day 2/3 I think. If you do get it your dentist can sort it easily though, I'm sure mine just put some clove stuff in the hole to sooth the nerve until it does away. I think you'll be fine though op

And yes it's worse than child birth as someone else posted like a burning poker going up through your eye 😵‍💫

That’s helpful thank you. I got through today with a lot less ibuprofen so hope it’s healing. Was totally unprepared for this recovery time. Receptionist said you will be back to normal duties in a day or two!

Thanks all. Poker through eye. Eeeeek. It seems a trip to the dentist helps quickly (as long as they see you quickly). I’m on antibiotics and have stitches so being super careful.

I got dry socket, it was awful. The dentist put a clove dressing on it and I had antibiotics. It was worse than childbirth for me, the pain. But it doesn’t sound like you will get it. I had four wisdom tooth extractions and only got it after one that was particularly tricky and afterwards the dentist said he should have done it surgically. The others I just kept on top of my ibuprofen and paracetamol for several days.

I was terrified of it after I had an extraction but luckily didn’t get it. It scares me when people describe the pain of dry socket because for me, the pain of the actual tooth infection before the extraction was off the charts. Codeine only took the edge off for two hours and then I was back to pacing the floor until I could take more drugs. It was worse than childbirth! I need to have another extraction and will worry about dry socket again- if it’s more painful than the toothache I had before 😩 Maybe I’m just a massive wimp!

I'm in the "it wasn't that bad" camp. It was definitely painful I'll admit that but not as excruciating as I feared and as some people do obviously experience. I found it manageable with painkillers and it eventually went away by itself

I had a difficult impacted wisdom tooth extraction, had dry socket after. It just took a bit longer to heal (I had to see my dentist again in about week's time as it did not feel right) but was not a biggie. I can hardly remember it now.

I had a wisdom tooth out last Monday - done at hospital, took an hour, very infected and impacted, stitches etc. Everything I’ve googled seems to suggest if you’ve got to around 5 days you’re out of the woods re dry socket: but who knows! I hope so anyway. I have struggled with the dissolving stitches more than anything - mine haven’t dissolved (I’ve got lupus and Sjögren’s which means I don’t produce as much saliva so healing is more difficult) and they’re driving me mad. If they’re still there in a couple of days I’ll ring and might have to go back to get them out.

Yes, I had it and it was excruciating, I'm also in the 'much worse than childbirth' camp. It was the worst pain I've ever been in and I couldn't open my mouth. It was probably worse though because it was a really tricky removal under GA and everything was swollen so my dentist didn't spot it until the second time (around a week later) I went in. Once he put the gauze on it went away pretty instantly.

My DH had it, it was in an extracted molar that only bled a bit. It was more sore than he expected by day 3 so he went back to the dentist who packed it and the pain went as it healed quickly. He didn't seem in that much pain, not like a dental abscess.

I didn't get dry socket but around a week after the wisdom tooth was removed I got some food stuck in the wound and it began to smell, taste funny and really ache. I saltwater rinsed but the food was well and truly trapped, so I had to go back to the dentist to get it all removed properly. And I was fine after that. I think after a week of boring soft foods I caved with stir fried rice and the rice got in there. Disgusting but all fine!

Seems very variable which I guess makes sense based on how traumatic extraction was etc. I think I’ve done too much reading now and freaked myself out. I can completely understand the urge for fried rice. My family had stirfty tonight and I had to leave the kitchen!

Hope they disappear soon. Mine seem a long way from dissolving. My cheek is quite sore which I think might be the most irritating thing atm

I got dry socket a few days after my tooth was removed. It was painful but not that bad. Not nearly as bad as child birth- can't believe it's that awful for some people! I thought mine wasn't healing well so I went to the dentist a day before my follow up appointment was scheduled and the dentist said I had dry socket. Try not to worry too much. If you do get it, the dentist can sort it out and relieve the pain very quickly