What Can Your Dentist Do To Reduce Dry Socket Risks?

If you need to have your wisdom teeth removed due to overcrowding, compaction, or jaw pain, then you may be concerned about the possibility of experiencing a dry socket. If you are having a surgical removal, then the risk of forming the condition is higher than if a non-surgical procedure is completed. However, your chances of developing dry socket are still relatively low at about 15%, according to some studies. Dry socket can be extremely painful though, so it is best to avoid the complication as much as possible. There are several things your dentist can do to help lower your risk.

Antibacterial Rinses

When a tooth is removed from the mouth, a blood clot will typically form in the empty socket. This clot will protect the bone and the nerves from exposure. As you heal, the clot is slowly replaced by bone cells. Coarse bone forms first, and then the tissues turn into more dense bone material. If the clot disintegrates, does not form, or becomes dislodged, then dry socket will develop. Dry socket occurs as the socket opens and pain sensations come from the bone and the nerves in the region. 

Bacteria in the tooth socket can cause this painful condition. Bacteria release enzymes that break down or dissolve the blot cot after it forms. Your dentist will try to cut down on the amount of bacteria that are introduced to the extraction site by using sterile tools and equipment. However, you will have a great deal of bacteria in your mouth already. In fact, you probably have around 20 billion bacteria living in your mouth at any given time. While most of the bacteria are relatively benign and unlikely to cause an infection, you may have more infection-causing bacteria in your oral cavity than usual if you have gingivitis or periodontitis.

Inform your dentist about any gingivitis issues or past gum disease problems you have had. The professional will most likely ask you to use an antibacterial rinse, like chlorhexidine, before the wisdom tooth removal is performed. In some cases, the dentist may ask you to use the rinse a few days ahead of the surgery. Make sure to speak to the dentist well in advance of the removal so this can be arranged if there is a need.

If your dentist thinks that you may have an increased risk of infection, then they may also place antibiotics inside the tooth socket. Antibiotics mixed with saline may be applied to the area, or the dental professional may choose to place a small surgical sponge in the region that holds the antibiotics. A surgical sponge made out of gelatin will likely be used that dissolves over time. 

Gentle Removal Methods

Trauma to the bone along the extraction site can cause a dry socket issue as well. Trauma often occurs as wisdom teeth are forced out of the mouth with extraction forceps. The metal tools are used to loosen the tooth in the socket and to rip the tooth out of the jaw. The bone that makes up the tooth socket is often damaged when the force is applied. Damaged bone cells can become necrotic and start to decay. This releases chemicals that can dissolve the blot clot.

Also, a great deal of force can damage the tissues that line the tooth socket and the blood vessels that supply the tissues with food and oxygen. Damaged and crushed vessels will not release a good volume of blood, which can cause clotting problems. Broken tissues will swell and can cut off blood to the area to the point that a clot cannot form. 

To prevent these trauma issues, speak with your dentist about the type of wisdom tooth removal that will be performed. A scalpel should be used to complete a gentle extraction instead of forceps, so make sure to ask about this. The scalpel will be used to separate the tooth from the gums, and the tool can then be used to cut the tooth into several pieces. Forceps can then be used to remove the pieces of the tooth.  

For more information on wisdom teeth extractions, contact a dentist like Dale D. Lentz DDS.