My latest ordeal is dry socket and it sucks. I don't know if you guys have ever had it, but I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Below is a description of what it is, but add to that a golf ball sized lump on my jaw bone. Plus, I've got bruises from my ears to my chin, from my jaw bone to my cheeks. Owwww.
In a patient with a dry socket, blood does not fill up the extraction socket or the blood clot is lost. The gums can not grow over the extraction socket because there's nothing to grow over and the hole remains open. This opening causes a constant dull throbbing pain and the patient can often have a foul smelling breath and bad taste in the mouth. Ear pain is another possible dry socket symptom.
It's called a dry socket because the hole, or socket, that the tooth used to fit into becomes dry. It begins hurting about three days after oral surgery. Unfortunately, the pain lasts about a week after it begins. The dental name is acute alveolar osteitis. Acute means all of a sudden. Alveolar is the name of the bone that supports teeth. -itis means inflamed and osteo- means bone. Osteitis means bone inflammation. Acute alveolar osteitis means sudden inflammation of the bone that supports a tooth.



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