Riverwalk Dental

Friday, June 30, 2017

Preventing Dry Sockets

Patients at Riverwalk Dental rarely have to struggle with a dry socket, but when they do, we’re here to help. We generally try to avoid extracting patients’ teeth, but sometimes, overcrowding or damage leaves us little choice. Although there is a risk of the empty socket drying out, we try to make sure our patients understand how to care for themselves until it closes and how we will address complications, should they arise.


When a tooth is extracted there is expected to be a small amount of bleeding, which will result in a clot. This clot is what protects the socket from infection, foreign debris, and dryness. Therefore, it is important for the patient to disclose to us all the medications they are on, as some may interfere with clot formation. The patient must avoid disrupting the clot until the socket closes after a few days. This means no sipping through straws, no sticky food, and brushing the area around the surgical site very gently.


Dry sockets are rare, but they are more likely if we had to make an incision into the patient’s gum and suture it shut. The appointment to remove the sutures will supply us with an opportunity to ensure everything is healing correctly, but patients who experience a dry socket should contact us right away so we may provide cleaning and moisturizing therapy.


Riverwalk Dental is located at 540 6th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit RiverwalkDental.Ca.


 

No comments:

Post a Comment