Dry socket – Explained by Newington CT 06111 dentist

Dry socket, also referred as alveolar osteitis is a painful dental condition that involves inflammation of the jawbone due to tooth extraction.

After a tooth extraction , blood clot is formed as a first step in healing, which protects and covers the underlying jawbone. In case  the blood clot does not form properly or is lost due to some reason, the underlying bone gets exposed and delays the healing process. Therefore, dry socket is usually caused due to partial or total blood loss in the tooth socket after a tooth extraction. 

What causes a dry socket?

Dry socket may be caused  by bacterial, chemical, mechanical or physiological factors.

Bacterial factors– Any bacterial infection present in the mouth  prior to dental extraction such as periodontal disease can lead to dissolving of blood clot in the socket. This condition further delays the process of healing and recovery.

Chemical factors – The presence of nicotine in cigarettes can decrease the blood supply in mouth of smokers which will inhibit the formation of blood clot.

Mechanical factors – Mechanical factors such as aggressive rinsing, spitting, and sucking can also result in dislodgement of blood clot.

Physiological factors – Physiological factors such as poor blood supply or dense jawbone can also cause prevention of proper blood clot resulting in dry socket.

Who are at  risk?

Dry socket  may occur more in people who:

• smoke 
• have poor oral hygiene
• have wisdom tooth extraction
• use birth control pills

In case you have any more questions regarding dry socket contact Green Meadow Dental, 3579 B Berlin Turnpike, Newington, CT 06111 (860)-865-0056. Many people from Berlin come to our office because we are conveniently located next to Target. Our flexible hours and family dental practice makes it easy for busy families to schedule visits for both parents and children.We also service patients from surrounding areas including West Hartford, East Berlin and Meriden.