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Dry Socket Symptoms With Wisdom Teeth

What is dry socket? If your child’s wisdom teeth have been removed, they may suffer from dry socket. Dry socket symptoms often occur after oral surgery, such as wisdom teeth removal. Dry socket feels like painful nerve exposure and can lead to mouth odor. 

If your child has dry sockets, visit a dentist immediately. Call Kool Smiles right away to schedule an appointment — we can check to make sure there is no infection present and help relieve the pain.

Keep reading to learn more about dry sockets and what you can do to help avoid them.

Dry Socket with Wisdom Teeth: Causes, Symptoms, Prevention

When wisdom teeth are pulled, the hole in the gum that is left behind is referred to as a socket. The body naturally forms a blood clot on the bottom of the socket to protect the nerves and underlying bone. But if the blood clot fails to form or becomes loose, it can lead to dry socket.

Though only 2% of tooth removals result in dry socket, those chances jump to 20% following wisdom tooth extraction.

Dry Socket Signs and Symptoms

Removing wisdom teeth often requires cutting below the gum line, and the large hole deep in the bone can lead to dry socket.

If you think your child may have wisdom tooth dry socket — especially if he or she just had wisdom teeth removed — you should contact your child’s dentist right away. Common wisdom tooth dry socket symptoms include:

  • Pain – Pain is common with dry socket. If the bone and nerves are exposed, there is little protection. The pain from dry socket normally begins two days after the tooth is removed. The pain starts in the gums or jaw and often moves to the ear.
  • Mouth odor – Dry socket causes unpleasant smelling breath, and can cause a foul taste in the mouth.

How does dry socket look?

According to WebMD, you can tell if your child has dry socket if you see “whitish bone” where the tooth was removed. GudHealth provides several pictures of dry socket to give you a better idea of what it looks like. 

Prevention and risk factors 

Eating hard, chewy, hot or spicy foods after a wisdom tooth extraction might cause dry socket because the foods can get stuck in the socket or irritate the wound. Some other factors that can cause dry socket include:

  • Spitting or sucking through a straw too hard
  • Unhealthy teeth
  • Hormonal changes due to menstrual cycle or certain medications
  • Learn more about causes of dry socket

Where to Find Help for Dry Socket Symptoms

When your child has wisdom teeth removed at Kool Smiles, we take extra care to be sure the socket is carefully cleaned. We encourage all our patients not to smoke, particularly after a wisdom tooth removal.

If your child starts to develop symptoms of dry socket after having their wisdom teeth extracted, call Kool Smiles right away for treatment. We can check to make sure there is no infection present and, if necessary, repack the socket to help relieve the pain.

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Sources:
MedicineNet: http://www.medicinenet.com/dry_socket_overview/article.htm#what_is_a_dry_socket

WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dry-socket-symptoms-and-treatment