Dry socket is the condition whereby the tooth extraction wound builds complication when healing. It is a condition that is known as alveolar osteitis whereby the alveolar refers to the part of the jawbone surrounding the teeth while osteitis means bone inflammation. Therefore we can say that it is a bone inflammation of the jawbone. It is a painful experience and affects majorly the molars and pre molars

There are various causes as to why the dry sockets appear but the major reason is yet to be determined. But obvious there are some reasons as to why it happens but what we should note is that anything that interferes with the healing process then causes pains which results in the dry sockets.

After tooth extraction blood forms and clots and after that the blood should be replaced with the granulation tissue which in normal terms means that it is the healing tissue. So in the case where the dry sockets appear it means that the tissue did not replace the clot due to the fact that they did not grow or maybe they were disrupted as they grew.

One thing that is positive about dry sockets is that they do not appear on the first day so one can prepare themselves in advance as from the third and fourth day.

Women are more susceptible to dry sockets compared to men regarding the fact that estrogen slows down the process of healing so dentists prefer to remove the teeth during the final week of the menstrual cycle as the release and production of estrogen is minimal. Also it should be noted that women who smoke and also the ones that use hormonal contraceptive are at risk of experiencing dry sockets.

If one had previously experienced dry sockets before then they are likely to experience it once again if another tooth is extracted. The other problem that patients face is that the pains that come with it cannot be taken care of by over the counter drugs such as pain killers. So the best way to go about it is to inform your dentist who will rinse the wound using an antiseptic at most and even saline solutions. This will go ahead to remove the debris that remain. The doctor will also perform sedative dressing though placing it directly. This soothes the affected bone and also supports the development of granulation tissues which are meant for healing.

Ignoring this problem will lead to complications and pains. So deal with it by visiting a dentist and avoid tooth extractions at home, go professional.