Wisdom teeth patients should follow their oral surgeon’s advice
to avoid this painful condition.

Having a dry socket may sound bad, but it actually feels worse.

Advancements in wisdom teeth removal as a procedure has been streamlined to become safer than ever (just as long as the procedure is performed by a qualified oral surgeon). But one possible outcome that still tends to happen sometimes is known scientifically as alveolar osteitis but patients know it as dry socket. Dry socket can lead to serious infection and pain. To combat this from happening to you, we have outlined a series of steps that will prevent dry socket from happening if followed correctly.

A protective blood clot forms in the space where the wisdom tooth (or teeth) were extracted and this helps to guard the nerves in the jaw and the jaw bone. In a few cases, that protective blood clot may become dislodged or dissolve from the site before healing is complete. This unfortunate occurrence exposes the empty socket to bacteria and opens up the possibility of infection. If a dry socket does happen, we usually treat this complication by washing out the area and applying an ointment. Depending on the severity of the infection, some patients need antibiotics, as well.