Dry Socket

[justinandme]

Are there any clinical IMAGES of dry socket, large enough to serve as a clear and concise reference? Perhaps an image of what a normal, healthy extraction should look like- next to an image of a dry socket?
Also, are there "degrees" of dry socket? Are there initial visible signs BEFORE the full-blown agonizing pain? And if so, are there any preventative measures to take at that point?
Or is it really just some enigmatic 0-100 **** shoot?

[jessi_h0801]

I am a 28 yr old female. I had perfect teeth until about 4 yrs ago when  i got pregnant with my first child.However, i am also a smoker, so i have had dry socket everytime i have had a tooth messed with!! My dentist said some people are more proned to getting it than others.The problem for me is, the clove makes me vomit..VOILENTLY!! It is pure torture, and i just had a molar on the top pulled yesterday, I swear i can already feel the dry socket starting.

[Argus12]

I know your pain.  When I had my first extraction a couple of months ago, I was scared to death.  I was constantly worried about dry socket and whether or not I had it.  Every other day I would consult my dentist about the pain and what not.  I even went in there to get it checked out, which everything was fine. The pain was attributed to me being a smoker, as a smoker has a extended healing period.  I think you as well as I, scare ourselves into thinking we have or on the verge of having it.  I'm a smoker so I was at a high risk of getting it, but luckily I didn't.  Just keep with it, you don't have to keep checking all the time, and from what my dentist told me if I had dry socket I would be walking in with tears running down my face.

I think the best thing for you to do is go and see your dentist and have them look at it.  It should only take a couple of minutes and they should be happy to do it.  That really helped me in the first week of getting my extraction.

[justinandme]

Just wanted to add that I had an extraction this past Friday. It's Tuesday but I'm concerned. I must be.. because I've been in front of the mirror with a flashlight stuck in my mouth about 56 times in the past 4 1/2 hours.

[Jerome Bogin, D.D.S.]

I think you nailed it on the head with your last statement.There is no known cause and at this point no way to prevent it.