Scared, mixed messages, dry socket, healing and wisdom tooth?

Hi there, well 2 days ago I had an upper wisdom tooth extracted at the dentist, it was just with a local and seemed to be over pretty quickly. I went home and bled for about 10 hours, yesterday there was a bit of blood, today none I think, this is day 3... I am quite swollen and sore and tender. Mostly TERRIFIED about a dry socket, and the fact that I am going on holiday in 4 more days. I have been getting mixed messages reading other posts on this.


1. Some posts say 3 days all good no risk of dry socket, others say a dry socket can happen up to 5 weeks?


2. Recovery, some say one day others say one month? I know that everybody is different but for a simple upper extraction what am I looking at?


Thanks heaps.

Scared, mixed messages, dry socket, healing and wisdom tooth?
The younger you are, the less likely you'll have a dry socket (provided you follow the rules). Don't smoke - that's the number one cause of dry sockets. Don't drink anything through a straw - that's the number two cause of dry sockets. Suction is what causes the clot to be lost. It's not uncommon for you to be swollen and sore for a few days, although it should disappear fairly quickly. From what I've been told, if you had a dry socket now, you'd know it because it's incredibly painful.





As far as your chances of still getting a dry socket, the longer you go, the less likely it is. Just follow the rules, like I said above, and be careful. Recovery depends on the person, how much work had to be done and your age. The younger the better, because the roots continue to grow as you age. I was 36 when I had my wisdom teeth taken out, and I was back at work three days later, and comfortable in a week.
Reply:i got a dry socket after 2 days, go to the dentist, they suck and hurt
Reply:rinse with warm salty water will help it heal quicker,don't swish the water,you don't want to break the blood seal where the tooth was.Then it will take 3 X's longer to heal up.
Reply:First it would help you to know what a dry socket is to help alleviate your anxiety and avoid it if possible. A dry socket is simply the result of the blood clot(you know the scab over the wound)falling out and the bone becoming exposed. The pain from this is severe.


Swelling, pain, and a little bleeding are normal following an extraction. Remember, you just had surgery in your mouth which you cannot avoid using until healing is complete.


To help avoid getting a dry socket, do not smoke, do not use a toothpick or other object to dislodge food/debris because you will likely dislodge the clot while you are at it. Keep your mouth clean, brush as normal 24 hrs after the surgery. Watch your diet. If you experience flu-like symptoms in conjunction with swelling and/or an increase in pain after surgery, you need to go see your dentist.
Reply:You should be out of the woods 3 days after having a simple upper extraction, they are usually just that simple. You are more likely to get a dry socket with a lower extraction than an upper. If you are not having any problems as of yet, you will be fine to go on vacation with no worries.