how to tell if you have dry socket?

Question

I had two upper widsom teeth pulled on Thursday and have had no problems up to now. After eating tonight my right gum area where the tooth was removed feels different. I cannot really see back there to see if the clot fell out or not. Is there a way to tell if you have developed dry socket, or is this even likely 5 days after extraction?

It is more a slight irritation to the area right now, not really painful it just doesnt feel the same as it did before I ate. Normally it feels like I have a piece of bread stuck up there or something. If I have a lot of pain or something i will get into the dentist. Thanks!

Answer 1

Usually dry sockets occur in lower wisdom teeth, not upper. It sometimes feels like an earache. A dry socket is where the blood clot isn't present and the bone surrounding where the tooth was becomes inflamed. It is not an infection and is not dangerous - they can resolve on their own. Most of the time the pain is very intense (can't get to sleep or wake in the middle on the night in a lot of pain). A dry socket usually appears 3-5 days after removal and you will definitely know if you have one because of the pain level. If you are comfortable, don't worry about it. Continue to keep the area clean (remember, gravity works with you on upper wisdom teeth and food particles aren't as likely to get caught) and follow all of the instructions you were given. You should be just fine

Answer 2

Not likely on day five, but not imposible. You might have just chewed a little harder food and noticed it was sore. Like hitting a bruise you don't know you have. Dry sockets are a constant dull ache that smart pretty good. Only way to tell is the dentist. He can fix a dry socket in two seconds painlessly. If you still hurt in the morning call for an appointment

Answer 3

It could be a dry socket but not likely. They are more common on the lower teeth and more common in females. It would be very painful and have a bad taste. Your dentist can tell in a matter of seconds whether it is or not and if it is, it can take several weeks to heal with constant treatment. They can happen 5 days afterwards but more common a little earlier b/c you are forming a clot, "scab" over the socket and it is lost for several reasons.

Answer 4

Generally a dry socket is caused by the resulting bloot clot from a pulled tooth not forming properly or being moved out of place and allowing air to strike the raw nerve that was left exposed by removal of the tooth. It is extremely painful and some women who have experienced one say that it is more painful than child birth. A dentist will simply remove the loosen or malformed blood clot to allow the wound to heal properly. He then will immediately repack the wound with sterile cotton batten. Amazingly the pain disappears as soon as the cotton cuts off the air to the raw nerve. If you are having this problem right now take a piece of clean cotton batten and moisten it with warm salt water and pack the gap yourself. Phone your dentist or go directly to his/her office ASP and ask to have it looked at immediately. I had a dry socket once and had used 30 phenobarbatol capsuals to try and kill the pain over an eight hour period only to discover that they had no effect at all but I was high as a kite. In fact after my dentist repacked my wound he payed for my $25.00 cab fare home because he was seriously worried about letting me drive home. lol

Answer 5

Excruciating pain in the jaw where the wisdom tooth was removed. Could also be a tingling. Caused by rinsing mouth too often and not allowing a clot to form. Be aware though that you can only have dry socket a day or two after the surgery not five. Otherwise the pain you feel might simply be the nervous seizing in your jaw.

Answer 6

i would know the answer to this ....u should ask your dentist