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Tooth extraction is one of most sought after treatments for numerous dental problems. In most of the cases where toothache remedies don’t work various dental problems are being taken care of post tooth extraction. However, in some instances post extraction, there are cases of dry sockets being reported by patients. This is incredibly painful and frustrating for those patients that experience this issue. Dry socket home remedies can help to ease the pain associated and even help heal the wound faster than without.
What are Dry Sockets?
Generally after the extraction of a tooth a blood clot forms. This clot actually ensures that the inner bone is not exposed under any circumstance to the debris in the mouth. A person suffering from a dry socket may get a feeling of the pain when the area from where the extraction of tooth gets exposed to any kind of fluid, food or even air.
This means if a person loses the blood clot within minutes or hours of tooth extraction then he/she is likely to suffer from excessive pain when they drink water or even breath through their mouth!
Generally, it has been found that most cases of dry socket occurs a couple of days after one’s tooth extraction and can continue for more than a week. Dry sockets are characterized by a very pungent odor along with excessive pain.
What Increases the Chances of Dry Sockets?
Like we already mentioned, about only 5 people get affected by dry sockets out of every 100 after tooth extraction; it happens more among people who undergo an extremely difficult process of tooth extraction.
Any kind of suction force within the mouth is also believed to aggravate the removal of blood clot from the gum. One should avoid the below mentioned actions, so as to decrease the chances of dry socket formation:
- Smoking
- Vigorous rinsing of mouth
- Sneezing
- Coughing
- Fluid intake through straw
- Spitting
- Not maintaining proper oral hygiene
It best to make sure that after the procedure you eat very soft foods; bone broth is an excellent choice. Make sure you have plenty of fluids to drink (without a straw) and be sure to follow the dentists orders, taking any medications prescribed.
What Does a Dry Socket Look Like or Feel Like?
Generally, after a tooth extraction a blood clot is formed and it is visible to naked-eyes as well. But in cases of dry socket, there exists no blood clot and a dry opening is all that can be seen.
People do not feel the pain the very day they get their tooth extracted and pain only starts to increase a couple of days afterwards. With each and every passing day, the pain becomes even more intense and at times the pain even radiates to ones ears.
The best part about dry sockets is that it is easily treatable. There are a few over the counter drugs available as well, which help in pain relief but in some of the cases they have been reported to be of no-help.
Dry Socket Home Remedies
In most of the cases suffering from dry sockets it has been seen that people living through pain just because their dentists are not reachable or they do know any medicines that can bring relief.
Dry sockets can easily be treated at home and you seriously do not need to consult a dentist to get rid of the pain. You can easily treat dry sockets at home by following the below mentioned steps:
1. Saline Rinse
Remove any food debris that might be stuck in the socket. It is suggested that one should use squeeze saline water with the help of syringe in the socket area. This not only removes instances of trapped food, but also heals the wound.
2. Eat Yogurt
In your meal, make it a point to add yogurt. Yogurt acts as an antibiotic and helps in the process of healing.
3. Make A Tumeric Paste
Prepare a paste by mixing salt, mustard oil and turmeric. Apply this paste in the affected area on a regular basis, it ensures quick recovery and also promotes better dental health. Tumeric is wonderful root that can help with inflammation and pain.
4. Use Tea Bags
You can also use cold tea bags. All you need to do is press the tea bag in the area affected, the tanic acid in the tea bags help in reducing the pain.
5. Peroxide Swish
Rinse your mouth with hydrogen peroxide solution to get an instant relief from pain. Remember not to swallow the solution.
6. Clove Oil
Clove oil is a simple treatment for dry socket that has been proven to work very well. It helps with regular tooth pain as well. Just dab a cotton swab in the clove oil and apply it directly on the dry socket. If it stings, just mix it a bit with water.
You can also use it as a rinse. Do this once or twice throughout a day. Eugenol will work as well.
With all of these options you can use ice packs on the outside of the face opposite to the dry socket. This can reduce the pain and calm the infection.
Try ice bags or cold towels placed on the face for about 15 minutes 3 times every day alongside one of the dry socket home remedies above to clear up the pain quickly.
There are plenty of ways by which you can treat dry sockets, but if the pain does not subside even after days of treatment at home, it is better to consult seek advice from a dentist. What are your home remedy treatments for dry socket?
Sources:
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric
- https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/qa/can-clove-oil-help-a-toothache