By Reno Laser Dentistry
January 23, 2012
Category: dental

Most of us have had the opportunity to have had a tooth extraction usually not by chose, but necessary. Have you ever had a dry socket? Well, if you’ve never had one, do you know what it is? Well let’s just say it’s no fun for anyone!

According to an article at healthmantra.com “Dry Socket- A post dental extraction complication”

Dry socket is a condition which affects millions of patients around the world who undergo tooth extraction. This painful event can be avoided in majority of cases by proper understanding. It will then save unnecessary agony to patients and loss of countless hours of dentist’s practice in dealing with it. We have compiled this section in the hope of achieving this goal.

This condition occurs after tooth extraction, particularly after traumatic extraction, resulting in a dry appearance of the exposed bone in the socket, due to disintegration or loss of the blood clot. It is basically a focal osteomyelitis without suppuration and is accompanied by severe pain (alveolalgia) and foul odor. It is also called alveolar osteitis and alveolitis sicca dolorosa. (Dorland, 27th Ed)

The most common most dreaded and most painful complication of tooth extraction, clinicians call it a “dry socket” a misnomer that fails to stress the importance of infection in its etiology. Affected person complains of unbearable pain and sensitivity of intake of food or drinks. Dry socket usually develops after 3 to 5 post-surgical days. The pathogenesis of dry socket (also called fibrinolytic alveolitis) is a subject of debate with two main opinions. The first one is based on the presumption that there is an absolute absence of blood clot. According to the second opinion there is initial blood clot formation, which subsequently gets lysed leaving behind an empty socket. Streptococci have been implicated as causative organisms, but lysis might occur without bacterial presence also.”

You can read the full article at http://www.healthmantra.com/hctrust/dry_socket.shtml

No Dental professional wants any patient to go through this pain, Contact Dr. McElhinney’s dental practice located in Reno so I can help you with all your dental needs.

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