How to Treat Alveolitis (Dry Socket)?

Alveolitis represents an uncommon complication after a tooth extraction. It manifests a few days after the surgical procedure and causes intense pain that leads people to consult without delay. Understanding this phenomenon well and respecting a few simple precautions can spare you this unpleasant ordeal.

Understanding alveolitis: characteristics

The pain appears three to four days after the procedure. It corresponds to an inflammation of the walls of the cavity that housed the extracted tooth. Several profiles seem more vulnerable to this phenomenon: smokers, diabetic people, women on hormonal contraception or in the first half of their menstrual cycle, as well as patients who do not respect the postoperative instructions given by their practitioner.

Two forms of alveolitis are to be distinguished:

• dry alveolitis (or "dry socket"): this is the most common. It is called so because it does not produce pus, but it is no less very painful;
• suppurative alveolitis: it manifests later, and the presence of pus indicates an established infection.

Explanation

Bleeding systematically occurs in the alveolus after the removal of a tooth. This normally leads to the formation of a blood clot that acts as a natural dressing and protects the wound against infections. The healing process is therefore compromised when this small accumulation of blood takes time to form or comes loose too early. The bone then finds itself exposed to air, saliva and bacterial aggressions, which prevents healing from proceeding normally.

Symptoms

The signs usually appear from the third or fourth day for dry alveolitis, and sometimes after several weeks for the suppurative form:

• intense pain, which can radiate to the ear and face (especially in dry alveolitis);
• unpleasant breath;
• unpleasant taste in the mouth;
• difficulty opening the mouth;
• fever between 38 and 38.5 °C (suppurative alveolitis).

Preventing and treating alveolitis: treatment

Properly managed, this condition resolves within about ten days. While waiting for your appointment with the practitioner, you can apply cold compresses for twenty minutes, several times a day. Your pharmacist will be able to recommend a specific local painkiller to apply in the socket. Clove essential oil is also effective, at a rate of two drops diluted in fifteen drops of olive or coconut oil. Warning: it is contraindicated in children and pregnant women.

The treatment carried out by the dentist in Cannes ensures complete healing and avoids possible complications:

• cleaning of the cavity to remove food debris;
• sometimes a curettage, in order to restart bleeding and the formation of a new clot, in dry alveolitis;
• eugenol-based dressing to calm the pain, or impregnated with antibiotics when pus is present;
• mouthwashes;
• painkiller, possibly oral antibiotic if necessary.

Note: if the pain persists beyond 72 hours, an X-ray is essential to identify any foreign bodies or another origin.

Prevention

Here are the prevention measures to adopt:

• impeccable oral hygiene before the extraction;
• compress on the socket, to be renewed after two or three hours;
• ice pack on the painful cheek during the first two days;
• mouthwashes (2 to 3 times a day) performed gently;
• tooth brushing away from the socket;
• avoid smoking for the first three days;
• very soft diet so as not to have to chew at first, then chew on the opposite side of the extraction site;
• prohibit any sucking movement: do not spit vigorously, do not run your tongue over the cavity, do not use a straw.

These measures, ultimately very simple, contribute to your recovery as soon as you return home. They are most often enough to prevent intense pain and possible additional care.