what is the difference between infection and dry socket?

i had 4 wisdom teeth removed on friday. by sunday i was in serious pain and swelling. i went back in on monday they said it was dry socket. the next day i was in worse pain and i started to swell from my ear down my neck. i could not swallow when i would lay on a certain side. today they said that i have an infection since sunday since my tongue has been swollen since sunday. just the littlest touch to my left side of my face is horibly painful! what are the different symptoms between an infection and dry socket? i just do not understand where this is all coming from. it hurts to swallow, it hurts to turn my head, my tongue hurts, the swelling is hard as a rock. will this pain ever go away? was my infection ignored this whole time? did i even have dry socket to begin with? when will i get better? it has been almost a week. i can not open my wide enough to eat with a spoon. they have to force my mouth open to repack my dry socket. i have felt as though i have had an infection this whole time and they kept on saying that it was not an infection. now they are saying differently. what do i do? when will i get better? what is the difference between the two opposits? please help me... i am desprate! i want to die! this is worse the giving birth and the pain after birth! not kidding!

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

From your explanation it would seem that you have some sort of post-op infection. Antibiotic therapy would certainly be appropriate, Usually dry sockets occur 2to3 days after the extractions after the clot is not formed correctly.  Ithas been my experience that a dry socket is not associated with this type of swelling.