“Will a dry socket heal on its own?”
I was diagnosed with a dry socket. Is it serious? Will a dry socket heal on its own?
6 Answers
DentistDentist
Usually yes
Dear Reader,
Good question. Fortunately, dry sockets generally do heal on their own in 10-14 days and are more of a nuisance than anything else. A dry socket is inflammation of the area generally due to the lack of the formation of a fibrin clot or one forming and falling out after tooth extraction. Either way, the wall of the socket is exposed to the oral environment and it becomes inflamed. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medications such as ibuprofen help. If it is too uncomfortable, your dentist or oral surgeon can place medication in the socket to help alleviate your symptoms until it feels better.
Hope this helps,
Steven Chamish, DDS, FAGD, FIOCI
Good question. Fortunately, dry sockets generally do heal on their own in 10-14 days and are more of a nuisance than anything else. A dry socket is inflammation of the area generally due to the lack of the formation of a fibrin clot or one forming and falling out after tooth extraction. Either way, the wall of the socket is exposed to the oral environment and it becomes inflamed. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medications such as ibuprofen help. If it is too uncomfortable, your dentist or oral surgeon can place medication in the socket to help alleviate your symptoms until it feels better.
Hope this helps,
Steven Chamish, DDS, FAGD, FIOCI
Unfortunately, it won’t heal on its own. You need to go to a dentist to clean the wound, put a medicated dressing, and write you a prescription with antibiotics to get rid of this dry socket. .
Yes, it usually does, but it generally takes a long time. It is caused by the premature loss of the blood clot in the socket and an infection that results. Your general dentist or oral surgeon can treat it and it usually goes away in a matter of days. It often occurs a few days after the surgery when the area was feeling pretty good, then a severe pain develops. It is more common on the lower jaw than the upper. You'd think that it would be the opposite, that the clot on the upper jaw would simply drop out due to gravity. But the lower jaw has a far more limited blood supply, so the clot is often weaker and more easily dislodged. Even if you follow all the post-operative instructions to the letter, about 30% of surgery patients get dry sockets anyway. If you don't follow all the instructions, your chances of getting a dry socket increase tremendously. If you have a dry socket, get treatment. It's not worth the long wait with pain until it heals naturally, and the treatment is usually simple.
Dr. Conrad
Dr. Conrad
Dry sockets can heal on their own, however, they can be quite painful. Your dentist can place medication that will reduce the discomfort almost immediately. It is advised to follow up with your dentist so they can get you on the quickest road to healing.
Hope this helps,
Jossi Stokes, DDS
Hope this helps,
Jossi Stokes, DDS
Dry socket is uncomfortable. I wouldn't define it as serious. It will eventually heal. If you were diagnosed with dry socket, why wasn't it treated?
