Dry Socket Treatment

[HomeschoolMom]

My 16 year old daughter had her wisdom teeth removed 18 days ago.  4 days after the extraction she was diagnosed with a dry socket in 1 of the lower sites.  The oral surgeon has been packing it for almost 2 weeks now.  If she continues to experience pain after 14 days of packing, the surgeon wants to make another incision and "scrape" the bone to start the bleeding again.  I can find no evidence on the web that this is the recommened treatment for a dry socket.  Can you advise?

Thank you very much.

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

Two weeks in my experience is a long time to suffer with a dry socket. I am not an oral surgeon but the treatment he is suggesting does sound plausible. I would go with it.

[mike1105]

that treatment is correct. a dry socket forms because the clot (which aids in healing of the socket) does not form correctly. sometimes it is necessary to "scrape the bone" as you say to cause new (minimal) bleeding and start the clotting formation again, so the bone can heal properly.

[HomeschoolMom]

Thank you for your response, Mike.  I was concerned because I had found some mention of "currettage"?  in regard to possibly contributing to osteomyelitis.  It has been almost 3 weeks now since the extraction and I am very concerned about a bone infection.

[mike1105]

take the advice of the oral surgeon if you are confident with him/her. you can always go for a 2nd opinion to another oral surgeon. if it's been 3 weeks, i would be opposed to doing nothing.

[HomeschoolMom]

Should I request that an X-ray be taken first?  I have read that there may be a bone or root fragment still imbedded in there causing the lack of healing?  Will the OS be able to adequately determine this on inspection w/o an x-ray?  Thank you again for your time.

[mike1105]

you can suggest it. I would take one if I was the surgeon. tell him it would make you feel better-- which is the truth.

[mike1105]

if a root or fragment broke off during the extraction, it would have probably been evident when the Oral surgeon inspected the tooth after extracting it. If there was a broken fragment or root, he or she was obligated to tell you. these things sometimes--- but usually the surgeon will try to retrieve it right after noticing it and they are usually successful. If you were not told of such, then it probably did not happen.

[HomeschoolMom]

Thank you so much for your time.  My daughter had the procedure done today and is in more pain now than when the extraction was done.  I assume this is because the site was already very "angry and inflamed".  The surgeon did take an xray first and said there was nothing of note, just an empty socket.  Hopefully, now she can heal properly.  The bleeding has lasted much longer this time and we are being extremely careful about the site.  I am having her keep the gauze in place (going on 12 hours now), until the gauze is completely free of blood.  Thanks again.

[jujusmommy]

Did the bone scraping work???

I have been suffering with a dry socket for almost 3 weeks, 10 packings, 2 rounds of antibiotics and more pain pills than i care to think about.

Need Help!!!!!!!

[ebc32903]

I had surgery 8 days ago to remove 3 wisdom teeth.  I have been in a lot of pain, so I called the surgeon to see what I should do different and he wanted to see me.  Needless to say, it's a dry socket.  I had medicated packing put in and I have to go back and have it done again in two days.  I am so nauseasous and extremely sick to my stomach.  I have vomited stomach acid twice and there was a lot.  I am so sick to my stomach, I can't even sleep.  I just have to sit still.  Is all of this common with packing? It's like the novocaine from the packing I am swallowing is making me sick.  Has anyone else had this with packing?

[Mistress_raven]

A related discussion, pain or packing, which is worse? was started.