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The medical term for dry socket is alveolar osteitis. Osteitis is derived from the Latin term inflammation. Alveolus refers to the part of the jaw that supports the teeth. This medical condition describes a common irritation of the alveolus that is the result of an open sore inside the mouth. The sore is caused by a blood clot that is the result of loss of a tooth. The most common dry socket cases are the result of a tooth extraction of a wisdom tooth.

After the removal of a tooth the most common complaint is pain. Pain after a tooth extraction surgery of wisdom teeth is normal. The pain may be the result of gum inflammation, and resemble bleeding gums. After several days the pain will usually subside and the area will site of the tooth extraction will heal normally. If the pain in the area of the tooth extraction does not subside and increases in the days following the oral surgery you want to consult with your dentist to determine if dry socket has occurred.

Your dentist might ask you if you experience a bad taste in your mouth. Your dentist might also ask if you perceive a bad smell. In many cases of dry socket patients will experience pain through the head, neck, and ear regions.

The most common area to be affected with dry socket are the wisdom teeth. The wisdom teeth refer to molars located at the back of the mouth. These are referred to as mandible wisdom teeth and maxillary wisdom teeth. In most people wisdom teeth will appear in the late teen to early twenties. Wisdom teeth will appear on both the upper and lower levels and on each side. Normally adults have four wisdom teeth, but it many times more appear. These additional wisdom teeth are called supernumerary teeth. When wisdom teeth do not appear normally or come out crooked they can become impacted or affect nearby teeth. If the wisdom teeth causes problems they are extracted to improve oral health.

A dry socket is not an infection. Since it is not an infection antibiotics are not recommended. Dry socket is a result of swelling in the jawbone. The affected area is part of the bone that lines an empty tooth socket.

Since a dry socket is the result of a healing process your dentist will recommend strategies to improve healing. The site of the oral surgery will normally heal on its own, but in cases your dentist might have to intervene to prevent painful discomfort. If the pain in the affected area does not subside and is the result of a blood clot, your dentist might have to perform oral surgery to repair the site. Treatments offered by your dentist will not speed up healing time they will only help the process along. Your dentist might also recommend mild analgesics to help mitigate the discomfort.

Dry socket prevention is a topic that has been debated for many years. There are many factors which increase the likelihood of experiencing dry socket as a result of a tooth extraction. The most important thing is to make sure you are working with a qualified dentist. Dentists know that the chances of dry socket increase with the amount of trauma in the affected tooth area. Sometimes trauma in the affected tooth area is not avoidable. As a result patients are more likely to develop dry socket. All dentists know that there is always a possibility for dry socket to occur after tooth surgery. Your dentist can try to mitigate these factors but attempts are not always successful.