Dry Socket

On June 5 I had a lower molar extracted which became a dry socket. Dentist packed it four times in a ten day period. He did not want to pack it a fifth time as he said it needed to start healing.  I was also given a curved syringe to rinse out the socket after meals as keeping it clean helps the healing process which whenever I do rinse out seems to iritate the socket no matter how gentle I do it. It is now nearly a month later and I am still in pain..not as excruciating as in the beginning but still causing sleepless nights, etc. and still taking Vicodin at night so  I can get some rest. There are days that are tolerable and I think it is getting better and then the next day I seem to be back at square one with pain and discomfort.  I went to an oral surgeon for a second opinion and he said it does look like it's healing but that I have alot of inflamation (inflammation) in the socket area.  He said that I have a "classic" case of dry socket and that it is an up and down healing process and hard to say how long it will take. It is hard to believe that an extraction complication can "rule" your life. There are days that I cannot do anything except suffer with pain. Anyone out there that has had this experience, please tell me how long does this go on and how did you deal with this. Now I am in terror that if I ever need another extraction this will occur again.
Thanks for any tips, advice or moral support.

[pertykitty]

are you rinsing with warm salt water? are you a smoker? do you keep your mouth extemely clean?  those are things to look at.  smoking , well it will make it difficult to heal. other than that i dont know what to tell you, id hope after a month it would be healed past pain.

[joleena]

hi there we have the same problem but my dentist have given me a different treatment..i also had a tooth extraction last June 25 after 5 days of excruciating pain i went to my dentist last June 30 wherein she told me that I have a dry socket...my dentist had cleansed the infected area and told me that she has done something to the infected area that could cause me pain for 24 hours..i am sorry but i forgot the term that she used..anyway she told me that she has done it to promote bleeding of my gums and to promote proper healing...she also explained to me that i need to avoid rinsing my mouth specially the infected area for 2 days as it would irritate it more..she also prescribed clindamycin/dalacin c capsule as antibiotic and medicine for pain. After two days I noticed a big improvement in my gum area...and this was confirmed by my dentist after another check-up. She told me to avoid smoking and over-rinsing of my mouth as it irritates the gum. I only suffered for two weeks...Thank God! and now I feel good as new...I dont even have to take the prescribed medicine for pain anymore...i hope that my experience could help you in some way...

[veronicab]

Thanks for your help and glad to hear you are all right now.  I have heard of the treatment that you mentioned and I don't know the name either but for whatever reason my dentis chose not to do that.  I have also been on antibiotics. I guess it is just a matter of time but this surely does get old.

[veronicab]

No I am not a smoker  and yes I have been keeping my mouth extremely clean and rinsing with warm salt water.  Thanks for your help.