While there are very few chances of getting a dry socket after wisdom tooth extraction, you may experience this painful event that also slows down the healing. Learning how to avoid dry socket will make you less worried, and you can be on your way to a speedy recovery.
How to Avoid Dry Socket
Recovering from wisdom teeth surgery will be much easier if you know how to prevent dry sockets. Follow the below tips for a healthy recovery.
Eat the Right Food
An important factor in prevention against dry socket is eating and drinking the right food items. It not only promotes healing but saves you the trouble of blood clot displacement. The right type is soft and easy to chew foods. Ice cream, boiled veggies, applesauce, and smoothies are to name a few.
For around 7-10 days after surgery, stay away from hard-to-chew foods as they can hurt you and can disturb the blood clot.
Avoid Straws and Smoking
To avoid a dry socket you’ll also need to refrain from using a straw at any cost. Any type of sucking can displace the blood clot. When you suck from a straw, your mouth makes a certain motion to bring the liquid up. This suction can be really bad for the extraction site. Avoid the use of straw at least for a week after wisdom tooth removal.
Another major cause of dry socket is smoking. Those who smoke are at a greater risk of getting dry sockets than the ones who don’t. Smoking includes cigarettes and other similar products.
Smoking tobacco creates a sucking motion that can displace the blood clot and give you a dry socket. Chewing tobacco can introduce bacteria that are harmful to clotting. As an alternative, you can go with nicotine patches.
Keep the Area Clean
Keeping your mouth clean is crucial for healthy oral and overall health. And this becomes more important after the removal of wisdom teeth. Brushing your teeth thoroughly and gently will keep the bacteria away from the surgery site and prevent any damage to the clot.
After the extraction, your dentist or oral surgeon will guide you on the proper way to brush your teeth. They may tell you to hold brushing for the first day and continue doing so later but in a gentle manner.
Rinsing your mouth with saltwater also keeps the mouth free from bacteria. If you plan to use an antibacterial mouthwash, go with the one recommended by your dentist.
Get Plenty of Rest
For a speedy and healthy recovery after surgery, it’s important to get an ample amount of rest. When you sleep, your body heals. So do it as much as you can. Also, during sleep, you’ll move your mouth to a minimum, and it will be good for wound healing.
If you follow the tips to avoid a dry socket, recovering will be much easier and quicker. But if there’s severe pain or bleeding after wisdom tooth extraction, it’s best to see your dentist right away.
Schedule an appointment with Smile Time Dental by calling 281-245-0711.