Dry Sockets

Patients undergoing tooth extractions at Bishop & Bishop Dental have our guarantee that they will be given the best possible care. Extractions are generally a simple process with a short recovery time. There is, however, one major potential complication, which is a dry socket.
A dry socket occurs when the empty socket left after a tooth extraction lacks a blood clot to seal its moisture in. It could be that the blood never clotted at all—some medications inhibit clotting as a side effect, which is why patients need to disclose all the medications they’re currently taking to us. It is also possible for a clot to form but be knocked or sucked loose before the socket is closed. This is why it is important for patients to follow our instructions not to sip through straws or brush hard near the extraction site for a few days after the surgery.
If the patient experiences severe pain within forty-eight hours of the extraction, they should request a follow-up appointment right away. Extractions which required sutures are more likely to result in dry sockets, but patients shouldn’t wait until the appointment when the sutures were set to be removed to ask for help. We have medicated wound dressing to treat a dry socket and will want to closely monitor its recovery.
David Bishop, DDS and Dorienne Taylor-Bishop, DDS, operate Bishop & Bishop Dental at 8830 Cameron St, #504, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. To set up an appointment, call 301-608-9270 or visit Bishop Dental and fill out a contact sheet.