What You Can Do to Prevent Dry Socket

What You Can Do to Prevent Dry Socket

Many people take good care of their teeth but for whatever reason may have to have a tooth pulled. While many people just experience discomfort for a brief period following this procedure there are times when it does not go away. If this happens it is likely something called dry socket has occurred.

What is dry socket?

The hole in the bone that a tooth sits in is known as a socket. When a tooth is pulled the socket becomes open.vThe natural response of the body is to create a blood clot so that tissue can eventually grow over and protect that area that once housed the tooth. However, on some occasions the clot does not form or dislodges. This exposes the underlying nerves, tissue, and bone to the environment of your mouth (air, food, water, etc.) and can cause intense pain and even infection.

Dry socket can be identified by its appearance (a dry socket instead of a healthy blood clot where the tooth was pulled from) and its characteristic pain which can at times radiate into the ear. Sometime this happens by chance but dry socket occurs more frequently in individuals who smoke, have poor oral health, use birth control, or have a tooth pulled because it is wisdom tooth. Naturally, one way of reducing your likelihood of getting dry socket is by refraining from smoking and taking better care of your mouth.

What you can do if you get dry socket

If you have dry socket there are few ways you can treat it.

The most common way is over the counter NSAIDs such as aspirin and just wait it out.

Another thing that is advisable is to see your dentist. This will ensure there isn’t an infection and if there is they can give you antibiotics, clean the socket, and place medicine in the socket to promote healing and keep it clean.

Dry socket isn’t considered very common, but is by no means rare and does occur. If you have a tooth pulled and pain begins a few days after the procedure examine your mouth and consult a dentist.

Tips for Preventing Cavities

Posted by Ronald Wagner on Sept 28, 2011 

Protecting your teeth has become easier than ever with today’s advanced technologies in both the medical and dental field. Science has cracked the code and discovered the many secrets to protecting your smile. One of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your teeth healthy is preventing cavities.

Tips for Preventing Cavities

Brush Your Teeth

One of the easiest ways to prevent cavities is very obvious; brush your teeth. It’s not always possible to brush your teeth after meals, but when you can you should always take time out of your day to do this. You can also contact your dentist and request information about ways to clean your teeth after meals when you are unable to brush.

Eating Healthy

Eating different foods is also a great way to prevent your teeth from getting cavities. Many people think that it is just sugary foods like candy that give us cavities. This isn’t entirely true. While sugary foods play their role it is actually foods that have sticky carbohydrates like chips, breads, and other grains. The way this works is that those foods stick inside your mouth (much easier than the simple sugars in candy) and the microscopic bacteria feed on them. The bacteria, having been fed by the small particles of food that won’t readily leave your mouth, then cause cavities and damage your teeth. It is for this reason why brushing after meals is double important; to remove not only excess bacteria, but the sticky carbohydrates as well.

Floss Your Teeth

Flossing is another great way to protect your teeth and not to mention your gums. If your gums become unhealthy, your teeth will rot so taking care of both of them is essential for overall mouth health. Brushing can miss the areas between your teeth and flossing will help remove what brushing misses. In conjunction with this, talking with your dentist about potential oral rinses or mouth washes may be beneficial as well.

Cut out Acidic Drinks

Cut down on consuming sodas and juices. Soda and juice tend to be very acidic. This high acidity level can wear down the enamel (a protective layer on our teeth) making the teeth weaker and more susceptible to decay. By replacing your beverages with things less acidic like water you can reduce the damage on your teeth. If you simply can’t live without your morning orange juice or your soda at lunch then you can help reduce the acid’s damage by drinking through a straw. Using a straw will help diminish the amount of liquid that comes in contact with your teeth, however this is not as effective as not drinking the drink at all.

Make Regular Dentist Visits

Last but not least seeing your dentist and getting regular cleanings in one of the best tips for preventing cavities. Oral problems in general develop over time and have many, but small warning signs. By seeing a professional regularly you can prevent these problems from developing. A dentist can also advise you in new ways to prevent cavities and ultimately keep your teeth healthy.