If you're about to have a tooth extracted, your dentist has likely warned you about dry sockets. Although this common complication is rarely severe, it can be painful and discomforting. Thankfully, you can avoid it altogether by understanding more about it. Using the following guide, you can learn how to avoid dealing with dry socket after an extraction.

What Is Dry Socket?

After a tooth extraction, blood will gather to form a clot, which looks like a dark scab. This necessary process ensures the injury heals, protecting the underlying bones and nerve endings. Dry socket develops when the blood clot doesn't form or gets dislodged from the wound. 

Although the exact cause of the condition is unknown, suspected culprits of the problem include bacterial contamination and trauma at the surgical site. Drinking, smoking, and oral contraceptives can also increase the risk of developing dry socket.

Without a blood clot, your bone and nerves are exposed and vulnerable. As a result, dry socket can be painful, as well as delay healing. Common symptoms include aches that worsen over time, bad breath or a foul taste, and visible white bone in the socket. In most cases, the condition doesn't need extra treatment and will heal. However, visiting a dentist will help ease pain sooner.

How Can You Prevent It?

To avoid experiencing this condition after a tooth extraction, follow your dentist's recommendations for healing. Suggestions can include:

• Staying away from warm or carbonated beverages.
• Not drinking through a straw during the healing process.
• Eating soft foods rather than hard or crunchy ones.
• Resting for the remainder of the day after the operation.
• Rinsing your mouth and brushing your teeth while avoiding the extraction site for the first 24 hours following the procedure.

If you need a tooth extraction or help handling dry socket, turn to Peninsula Community Health Services. This community health center offers a broad range of health services to people of all ages. Whether you need a dentist, a pediatrics doctor, a psychiatric doctor, or diabetes management, you can find the medical care you need. Call (907) 283-7759 to make a dental appointment or (907) 262-3119 for all other appointments, and visit them online to learn more about their services.