Dry socket
Inflammation where a tooth was removed, when the clot has been lost; pain returns after two or three days.
What it is
After an extraction, a blood clot forms in the socket, protecting the bone and starting healing. When the clot comes away or dissolves too early, the bone is left exposed and a dry socket develops.
The signs
Pain eases in the first days, then returns stronger, usually on the second or third day, sometimes towards the ear, with a bad taste or smell. The socket may look empty.
What to do
Call us: it is easily treated at the practice by cleaning and dressing the socket, and the pain eases quickly. You reduce the risk by following the first-day instructions: don't rinse, spit, smoke or drink through a straw. Step by step in Recovery after a tooth extraction.
Reviewed by Dr. Voinea ·
CMDR Romania · Galați University of Medicine and Pharmacy · General Dentistry