Dry Socket Dental Pain Relief
I recently had a molar removed and was unfortunate enough to develop a dry socket. This is associated with extreme pain for a great length of time. Here I describe what I did to alleviate this pain to the best of my ability, and hopefully it will help other people that my be unfortunate enough to develop this dental condition.
Having recently opted to have a back molar extracted instead of getting a root canal I am now somewhat of an expert on the pain associated with Dry Socket. What is Dry Socket? Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) occurs when the blood clot at the site of the extraction is dislodged, exposing underlying bone and nerves. That’s the clinical definition, in reality it’s a condition FAR more painful than the sore tooth or the extraction process ever was.
About 36 hours after having the molar removed I started developing debilitating pain in my jaw and face. It would radiate throughout the whole side of my jaw where the molar was, down my neck and up to my eye socket and ear. Basically it felt like a root canal without the freezing (trust me – I’ve experienced that first hand too).
Upon returning to the dentist I was informed there was not much to be done other than to grin and bear the pain for up to 6 weeks! The dentist cleansed the socket with saline solution and packed it with some gauze soaked in “dry socket paste” which helped dull the pain almost immediately. Unfortunately it only lasted a few hours and I was back to popping pills.
So, after a week of this let me share what I’ve done to get some relief:
- One Ibuprofen (Advil or generic) and one extra strength Tylenol every 4-5 hours as needed works for me. Unfortunately for the first few days the effect of these pills would wear off after about two and a half hours but I had to wait at least four hours before I could take another dose.
- Take the antibiotics as prescribed by your dentist!
- Avoid hot drink for the first couple of days as it seems to irritate the fresh wound
- Do NOT use a straw as suction in your mouth will dislodge blood clots and irritate the wound
- Apply some clove oil diluted to 50% with vegetable oil directly into the socket with an eyedropper as needed. Be careful with this stuff as it will burn like cayenne pepper on your skin, tongue, lips etc! This doesn’t help too much but it definitely does provide some relief. (You should be able to get this at health food or alternative medicine stores). I *think* this is one of the main ingredients in the dry socket paste the dentist put in.
- Advil PM has been a savior at night. Before finding this I could not sleep through a night because the regular Advil/Tylenol would wear off after a couple of hours.
- Don’t use mouthwashes with alcohol (like Listerine) until your are better since they shrink the gums and kind of hurts! Try a mild salt-water solution for rinsing and rinse every time you eat something. If food gets stuck in the socket it irritates it and causes more pain! (don’t rinse or smoke for the first 24 hours after extraction though, it can dislodge the clots)
I’m not a doctor and don’t want to give anyone any medical advice so I would suggest talking to your dentist/doctor before trying anything!
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mark s | Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
Hi – when the clove oil was put on was it worth the effort – i.e. did it stop enough of the pain to make it worthwhile doing?
cagemaster | Mar 20, 2008 | Reply
it was definitely worth the effort even for a few minutes of relief. I’m honestly not sure if it actually helped stop the pain or if it just burned differently thus making me forget about the dry socket pain – either way it was nice. It was actually my dad that recommended it, apparently when he was a kid on the farm on the prairies, clove oil was the main remedy for toothaches.
hope this helps.
cagemaster | Mar 23, 2008 | Reply
Well, here i am about three weeks later and all is well – my dry socket pain is all but gone. I still have a sore jaw if i open my mouth too wide but thats all. The gums are healing nicely now.
I hope this article helps some people becuase my god the pain of this condition was horrible.
raquel | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
i too have dry socket. i got my lower right wisdom tooth extracted last monday,march 17th, and it is now tues, march 25th, and i am stil in agony. i have been to the dentist 3x already for dry socket paste,and have to go 3 moer times this week. this is the worst pain i’ve ever experienced in my life! my right gland is swollen badly, and my ear is killing me!! even vicodin doesnt help w/ this pain!! its pure hell!! im already done w/ my antibiotics! good luck to anyone getting a tooth removed!! this sucks!!!
cagemaster | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
try the advilPM if you can get them – its just ibuprofen with some sleep aid but it really helped me get some sleep (along with a couple extra strength tylenols)
best of luck – i know how awful the pain is – if you come up with anything that helps more than what i’ve suggested here please post your ideas. Thanks.
raquel | Mar 25, 2008 | Reply
im taking 800mg. of ibuprofen, and that doesnt help, and after 4 hrs., im popping 750mg. of vicodin that the dentist prescribed, and here i am, 3 and a half hrs., still in pain!!! i shouldnt even be taking so much ibuprofen because of my weight, im only 105 lbs. i cannot eat, only drink smoothies, i am physically and mentally worn down. had i known about dry socket before i got my tooth pulled, i would have put up w/ the discomfort from the tooth, which was NOTHING compared to this! this is the absolute worse pain i’ve ever experienced in my life! i wish the dentist gave me some of the dry socket paste to take home, to apply myself…i dont understand why they cant do that? they said they cannot prescibe it to patients..? why not? why do people like me, you, and others have to suffer like this? then having to go back and forth to the dentist for the dry socket paste , when all i want to do is rest(from not sleeping at night) waking from the throbbing pain, the nausea from antibiotics, not being able to eat etc… thank you for suggesting the advilPM, but i am already taking ambien to help me sleep, along w/ the ibuprofen, and im still am being woken by the excruciating pain! early monday morning , it felt like my right ear was going to explode! anybody know what’s in the dry socket paste exactlly?
cagemaster | Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
try to get your hand on some clove oil, mix it 50/50 with vegetable oil (so its not so strong) and use an eyedropper to put it on the socket and area. it WILL burn like hot pepper if you get it on your tongue/lips etc. you can put a couple drops right into the socket and maybe lay off the drugs a little… it did help a little for me. i got a little bottle at a health food store – had to call a couple to find one that carries it but worth the effort – if your local GNC store does not have it ask them for some other health stores in the area – thats what i did and they directed me to one that did have it in stock for $7.
my understanding is that the dry socket paste is part clove oil and part numbing gunk to temporarily numb the nerves.
best of luck – i hear you about the pain – it really is unberable.
raquel | Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
thanks for the advice..im just so scared to put anything in there..i woke up in excruciating pain AGAIN 5am, had to pop another 800mg motrin, went to the dentist at 1pm for the dry socket paste, and explained how im still in agony. can you beleive he wanted to, and i quote,”numb me up, and cut into the socket, scrape the area, to let fresh blood clot!! this guy is a butcher! i said, no way, just put the paste in thank you!! if i didnt “clot” the first time, why would i now? i cannot beleive this ordeal i am going through! the pure horror! im ready to get a second opinion….something’s not right..!
cagemaster | Mar 26, 2008 | Reply
it certainly would not hurt to see another dentist for an opinion – hope you feel a little better tomorrow.
raquel | Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
thanks..only someone who has been through this actually knows how debilitating the pain is.took my last trip to the dentist today for “paste”, seems it’s closing up, but now i have a new set of problems…noticed the severe pain in my jaw, still have the swollen glands, and pain in my right ear. i always had problems w/ my jaw popping, clicking,etc., read up on tmj, and i beleive getting my tooth extracted made this condition 10x worse.(when the dentist extracted my tooth, he put an extreme amount of pressure on my jaw, while i guess, trying to break the tooth apart). i wish i would have researched all the complications that could go along w/ having a wisdom tooth removed…u wrote on the 23rd that your jaw was still sore, has that gone away? my ear keeps popping when i talk, and im really worried that i need to see a tmj specialist.
cagemaster | Mar 28, 2008 | Reply
hi – glad to hear its a little better anyways. My jaw is now 99% fine – barely noticeable anymore. Mostly its just if i yawn too wide it still hurts a little but thats it – nor more painkillers even. I was popping a lot too for about a week but thankfully that has cleared up for me too. I’m still careful what i eat as to not agravate the extraction site but generally now its healed (although not fully filled in with gums yet – still looks like a hole).
raquel | Mar 29, 2008 | Reply
thanks again, when exactlly did you have your tooth removed? just curious as to how long it takes for the gums to fill in? the tooth directly infront of the extraction site is very sore,(dentist took x-rays, n said it looks fine)i wonder if its so sore from having the pressure of the wisdom tooth taken off of it, or, if the nerves from the extraction site are just shooting over to that tooth? i have to eat very carefully on the left side of my mouth. are you having to do the same thing as well? or are you eating w/ both sides? it’s 4pm, and i havent popped any pain killers yet,(knock on wood), my glands on the right side of my neck are still swollen though, and im having these weird twitch -like muscle spasms around my jaw line here and there….any of this sound familiar to you w/ your experiance? not to mention the fullness i still feel in my ear……
cagemaster | Mar 30, 2008 | Reply
yeah, the tooth in front of my molar (i had the back one out) was really sore – i actually went back to the dentist and told him i thought my bite had changed so that when i closed my mouth i thought the top row was only pressing on that tooth and it hurt. he checked it and said it was even right across and he was right – now it feels normal. i could have sworn that that tooth was much higher than the rest since when i closed my mouth its all i felt! Yes, i am STILL eating on the other side of my mouth, mostly because i dont want to break open the new gums and ive kind of gotten into the habit.
my jaw was popping too, and my glands were really swollen too. my ears were plugged and after the pain started dying away i took a few ADVIL COLD AND SINUS – they basically unplugged my sinuses and ears and took the pressure off. All this is all gone now and everything seems 100% fine – just kind of slowly died away – pain started to go away one the socket closed over with gums. once that happened it changed fast. Oh yeah, for quite a while i had to remember to slowly open my mouth a little more day after day since it had sort of gotten used to being closed and really hurt if i opened it more than 1/2 and inch or so – i would go to each and kill myself by opening my mouth. That too as gone away.
best of luck
raquel | Mar 30, 2008 | Reply
i need all the luck i can get right now, so, thank you again. i was gonna write about my bite feeling really off yesterday, but thought maybe i’d sound crazy..! wow, so you too have experianced this weird feeling…? glad to know im not alone..i thought i was losing it from all the stress. i could swear too, that my teeth layed across eachother much differently, than before i had the tooth extracted. feels really weird. i keep looking in the mirror to see if they appear differently , but cant tell…just feels messed up. i dont even dare to try and bite down on the sore tooth AT ALL. hurts like hell right now. before i left the dentist office on friday, i asked him how long will it take for the gums to “fill in”, and he had told me that they werent going to fill in, that the area would just shrink, then called in another patient, as to ignore me. this guy was a real ass. im NEVER going back to him. but, what does shrink mean? is the hole going to “shrink”, and stay there? what is that? a couple of yrs. ago, i had three wisdom teeth pulled all at once, without any complications, and my gums healed normally. right now, there is no gum tissue to support the tooth that was infront of the extraction site, so, i wonder how that all goes? im so disgusted w/ the dentist that pulled my tooth, he didnt take the time to explain the healing process to me, he just didnt care. i’ll tell ya what, even though the dry socket is supposidly closed now,(the dentist said the hole closed), or better yet, the layer of skin or gum tissue closed over the exposed bone and nerves, i found that when i talk, the extraction site starts to hurt like hell again! and my gums on that side of my mouth are inflamed, around to my two lower front teeth. it’s one thing after another…im gonna get some advil cold and sinus asap. these swollen glands, and ear are still causing major discomfort. im still waking up with my mouth, and jaw sore, i just want this ordeal to be done with, but i know it’s gonna be a while. i just want to say, even though i dont know ya personally, your sharing your experiance w/ me has made me feel a little better about the whole thing, cause’ like i said before, i cant explain the amount of pain, (agony), nor the discomfort to anyone i know, they cant comprehend how horrible having a dry socket is. so, thank you for taking the time to write back..i really appreciate it….im glad everything healed up nicely for you. hope im as lucky…
raquel | Mar 30, 2008 | Reply
just wanted 2 say, something must b wrong w/ my computer, cause’ i didnt put all those / in my message! lol….
cagemaster | Mar 31, 2008 | Reply
i was brushing the rest of my mouth normally then using my index finger with a little of the toothpaste and doing the last tooth manually like that. you can also rinse with a mild solution of baking soda and water too if that feels better than salt water. Ensure shakes and soup are always good too to keep you strong.
cheers
raquel | Apr 2, 2008 | Reply
thanks for the baking soda tip. i bought some arm and hammer toothpaste yesterday. that’s getteing the back tooth cleaner. i also take some of the toothpaste and mix it w/ some warm water to make a rinse for after i eat/drink something. still feels like my bite changed, im praying i dont have nerve damage to my other tooth. hope your still doing well……im still in pain over here…..my throat is killing me,glands are very swollen still.
cagemaster | Apr 7, 2008 | Reply
hi – hopefully you are feeling better by now?
HML | Apr 12, 2008 | Reply
Got all four wisdom teeth pulled out on the 10th of April. Only having some trouble with the lower left one. Last night felt sharp pain in jaw around 4am, took meds and went back to sleep. I had felt like this must be the beginning of dry socket, but when I got up this morning pain isn’t as bad and even tho meds have worn off, and to my surprise I see that part of the gooey clot has pooped out, but is still attached.
Yesterday I ate a baked potato and avocado, but today I guess I’m going back to liquids. Anyone have any advice about what to do? Should I put gauze back on clot?
cagemaster | Apr 13, 2008 | Reply
personally, if it doesn’t hurt too bad i would leave it be and just be careful not to aggravate it and hope you get by without developing a worse condition.
I hope for your sake it doesn’t develop into full blown dry socket!
good luck
nextstep | May 9, 2008 | Reply
Hey everyone thanks for the tips. Got both bottom wisdom teeth pulled(actually cut) out Tuesday. Not much pain until rinsed with salt water this evening (Thursday). Of course dentist closed. Read to try warm tea bag and put on dry socket. Using it right now and immediate relief, although I feel like I may choke with them both in. Used a spice tea figured the cloves in it would help. Almost a miracle REALLY. Hope this can help someone else doing what I am. Using the internet for medical help. Great asset and cheap.
cagemaster | May 17, 2008 | Reply
hi nextstep – hope you are doing ok – what an awful condition this is!
dentist | May 26, 2008 | Reply
Not to bash on cagemaster because he is doing his best. I would recommend seeing a dentist for dry socket treatment because a few things in his post are incorrect. Antibiotics are not taken for dry socket treatment and the dentist can apply a paste that will drastically reduce the pain within the same day. There are many other factors and specialized instructions depending on the patient and medical history.
cagemaster | May 26, 2008 | Reply
absolutely -see your dentist- but the dry socket paste only lasts a few hours and you have to go BACK EVERY DAY to get it re-applied – this does not help at 3am. im just trying to give some at home remedy advice that saved me a world of hurting!
Yasmine | May 30, 2008 | Reply
I appreciate you cagemaster, because my flippin’ dentist left for the Memorial Day weekend on Friday knowing I was in agony, and told me she didn’t want to pack my socket because it delays the healing process. So, of course, I was either drugged or in pain all weekend. Couldn’t eat, sleep, and stressed. The worst part was I couldn’t get drunk, or smoke either so I was a nightmare. I decided that if I wasn’t going to enjoy the weekend neither was my dentist, and I paged her constantly over the three day weekend so she could be constantly reminded of my agony. Finally on Monday she tells me to come in Tuesday just so she can end up packing it, making me feel immediately better. So guess what she didn’t do it on Friday because I would’ve had to see her the next day and she would have been off enjoying her 3-day weekend. I am so bitter! I will never go back to her. She’s great, and I love her, but this experience nearly drove me clinically insane. So thank you cagemaster!
My whole neck, and mouth still ache. I am constantly thirsty and I have cotton mouth so long story short-ARGH!
cagemaster | Jun 3, 2008 | Reply
wow – that really sucks – i wouldnt go back to her either. hope you are feeling a little better now!
Jessica | Jun 17, 2008 | Reply
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed on Thursday, which were all impacted. On Sunday, I woke up and when I tried swallowing it felt like there was something stuck in my throat so I called the emergency number and the dentist on call said it sounded like I had an infection that was spreading to my throat so he prescribed me anti-biotics and said I needed to be seen the next day. I went in yesterday and the dentist I saw said I have a dry socket on the bottom right side.. the weird thing is that it doesnt hurt. The right side of my throat hurts and it feels like something is stuck in my throat. The dentist said my throat looked fine and packed the hole. I had to go back again today and I saw a different dentist and he said I have a dry socket and wasnt sure about my throat so once again the hole was packed. I have to go back tomorrow to have it checked out and packed again. I’m becoming frustrated and confused. Any ideas about my throat???
Thanks!
LakeSdPrk | Jun 19, 2008 | Reply
Wow, I appreciate all the comments…I had 3 teeth pulled 6 days ago, and have been in agonizing pain since. The whole right side of my face and jaw, including ear are killing me. I thought it was something I had done but apparently its more common than I thought. I’m going to try some of the suggestions in previous posts, and just really pray for relief. Good luck to all.
Nicole | Jun 19, 2008 | Reply
I had one of my wisdom tooth’s pulled out Monday because I was in such pain. I thought it was goint to hurt, I was nervous like crazy in that chair. The dentist came in there tapped it and said I was going to feel a little presure and then the tooth came out. I was good after that. My right wisdom tooth has been gone fot three days now. Do I still have a chance of getting dry socket?
Whitney | Jun 24, 2008 | Reply
Wow I wish I found this place a couple days ago. I got all 4 wisdom teeth taken out about a week ago, and I’ve had a horrible migrain for the last 5 days straight. Everybody said if you have a dry socket you will know b-cuz it hurts so bad, but my teeth never really bothered me. It was the migrains that were killing me! Anyways I tried to stop taking all of the medications b-cuz I read that sometimes if you overuse them they can actually cause headaches, and it actually seemed to help a little.
Well I called the dentist and he said I probably had dry sockets b-cuz apparently migrains from them usually are located in your temples and forehead. So today I got them “packed”, and it was the most painful experience ever. I walked out of the clinic crying. How often does this need to be done? Does it stop the healing process b-cuz it’s in the way? And how long until everything stops hurting and I can eat normal foods again? Can I eat normally when the packing is in place, or do I still have to keep it to strictly soft and liquidy foods? I CANNOT WAIT until this whole ordeal is over! Thanks for any help
cagemaster | Jul 14, 2008 | Reply
well, its been about 4 months now since i had this horrible affliction and i just thought i’d write to let you know all is well.
once it went away i was a little sore for a little while but now seem to be 100% ok.
best of luck to everyone!
SR | Jul 23, 2008 | Reply
Oil of cloves is the way to go,the dentist I use packs dry sockets with this sort of fibrous wadding that is soaked in oil of cloves,it works wonders and kills the pain almost instantly,I didnt get a chance to see the name of the manufacturer on the tin though,as time goes on the fibrous stuff does eventually start to come out and you may need to go back and have it repacked.
Most important of all though after an extraction is do not smoke and avoid anything that involves sucking as this will dislodge the blood clot in the socket,also Corsodil mouthwash from the chenist is a god send too,tastes really foul but does the job and speed up healing and prevents dry sockets/infection.I know a bit about this after having 21 teeth extracted,plus four impacted wisom teeth,only 5 real teeth left now,was going to be six but the surgeon accidentaly broke one of them!!
Aaaah!Dentures,you cant beat a good fitting set,and if you break a tooth of fancy a change just pop them out fix/repair/modify and put them back in,so much less trouble than real teeth.
Lisa | Jul 30, 2008 | Reply
Hello! I had a tooth extracted on a Wed and by Friday through the weekend I was in pain. During this time I took Ibuprofen about every 4-6hrs. and Tylenol with Codeine. Monday morning came and I went to the dentist and he said I had a dry socket. The dentist said he would have to pack it with medicine. Luckly before I went I dosed up on tylenol with codeine. The Dentist procceded to pack my socket with this fowl smellin brown greenish stuff. He said it was some sort of Bark from a tree and they get it somewhere. I felt him push this stuff the size of a peanut M&M in my socket. The pressure was enough to make me moan of agony. As soon as he quit playing with it it no longer hurt. I went the rest of the day happy go lucky. Towards the end of the night the packing fell out from i guess all my saliva and water drinking. I fell asleep on my tylenol with codeine and awoke the next morning with no pain at all. The socket looks red around the edges and pink in the inside and you can no longer see the bone at the bottom. I don’t remember what that stuff was but, it worked. I just take a ibuprofen every 8 hrs because I do not want to feel the pain just incase. The dentist said i could go back and keep getting it packed if i feel pain or I need it. I opt for no more packing since they dont numb you up i don’t want to feel that pressure again. And if I do feel any pain I rather feel a little than have to have him pack my socket again. OMG! It hurts but just the thought of it scares me. I dont have any pain at all. I just keep looking for the hole to shrink. Have a dental appt on Monday we will see what the dentist says then on the progress of my dry socket.
cynthia | Aug 13, 2008 | Reply
Thank you so much for this site, I’ve been suffering with my dry socket for a week now and have times where literally I think I’ll crawl out of my skin in pain. The oral surgeons have been rude like I’m being a baby, so I went back to my regular dentist for the packing. I just want to feel like me again!
Chris | Aug 16, 2008 | Reply
This pain does go away…right? I had one of my back lower molars removed and have dry socket. I have been in agony for over a week. My oral surgeon keeps telling me the pain should end soon, but I feel like it will last forever. Nothing helps with the pain. I have been on Vicodin and another prescription pain killer, but they do not seem to work at all. I have had the socket packed, and I do not get relief from that either. Clove oil is the only thing that seems to semi work.
cagemaster | Aug 18, 2008 | Reply
hi – it will go away… eventually.
really sucks
glad the clove oil helped!
chell | Aug 27, 2008 | Reply
hi just sitting reading the comments on dry socket i have had it since getting back tooth taken out last friday i have never in my life felt pain like it can’t sleep or eat think you going to crack up glad it’s not just me went to dentist on monday got it packed told i’d be fine in day or 2 not . I have taken pain killers like never before not helping got antibiotics then took ill and ended up in hospital side effects from all the pain killers and antibiotics so just so you no i no how you all feeling
David Lee | Aug 30, 2008 | Reply
iHi There thank you Everyone for posting your storys helped me alot to understand what i shouldent do lol i just had all four of my impacted Wisdom Teeth Removed they had Cavities on all four of them as well so i got them removed nd this is day number three for me and i feel great i left my Gauz in for three days
and took it out as soon as it started to get uncomfterbul they stiched my gums togather so i would be at less risk for a dry socket and they say if i drink any fizzy stuff like pop it will disolve my stiches thats got me a little scared because they prescribed me this mouth wash and im afraid it might disolve my stiches to anyon can shar there opinion on this i would be greatly in your debt.
Lisa | Sep 4, 2008 | Reply
Thank you cagemaster for making me feel like im not going insane…my dentist pulled 3 teeth out last wed, a wisdom and two molars. they were abscessed, he put me on vicodin and penicillin. by that night i was uncontrollably throwing up. had to call off work. called the pharmacist in the morning, he wanted me to wait and take 1/2 tab of vicodin,to see what was making me sick, i waited and took it a few hours later…i was violently ill from it…and for about 16 more hours….needless to say, went back to work friday afternoon and sat still in pain, and living on ibuprofen(and way overdosing i might add) by sunday i couldnt take the pain any long…had been on antibiotic for 2 days, and the dentist couldnt see me till 8am Labor day, monday…dry sockets…which i figured after researching…he packed it for 3 days and said it looked good. said i should be fine…i said that i was in excrusiating pain, he said “its going to hurt a bit”…sent me out the door, never gave me another pain pill…called him, prescribed me perks, i dont want to take them for fear of being sick from them too, plus i heard they make you whoozy, how can you work?…my friend gave me me 800 ibs and their keeping the pain dulled at best….slept my first nite thru in 3 weeks…but i was still not sure y ive been in such pain til i read your sight….im still in pain…eating oatmeal and soup…and wondering how much more i can take??? and for how much longer?
Lisa | Sep 4, 2008 | Reply
Thank you cagemaster for making me feel like im not going insane…my dentist pulled 3 teeth out last wed, a wisdom and two molars. they were abscessed, he put me on vicodin and penicillin. by that night i was uncontrollably throwing up. had to call off work. called the pharmacist in the morning, he wanted me to wait and take 1/2 tab of vicodin,to see what was making me sick, i waited and took it a few hours later…i was violently ill from it…and for about 16 more hours….needless to say, went back to work friday afternoon and sat still in pain, and living on ibuprofen(and way overdosing i might add) by sunday i couldnt take the pain any long…had been on antibiotic for 2 days, and the dentist couldnt see me till 8am Labor day, monday…dry sockets…which i figured after researching…he packed it for 3 days and said it looked good. said i should be fine…i said that i was in excrusiating pain, he said \”its going to hurt a bit\”…sent me out the door, never gave me another pain pill…called him, prescribed me perks, i dont want to take them for fear of being sick from them too, plus i heard they make you whoozy, how can you work?…my friend gave me me 800 ibs and their keeping the pain dulled at best….slept my first nite thru in 3 weeks…but i was still not sure y ive been in such pain til i read your sight….im still in pain…eating oatmeal and soup…and wondering how much more i can take??? and for how much longer?
Lisa | Sep 5, 2008 | Reply
Sooooo….your not going to believe this, last night after crying my eyes out, i took tylenol Pm and slept all night got up, a friend went to the store for me…(TAKING CARE OF ME…AWW) and bought clove oil, she said she talked to me, dont remember, so tired and so worn down from this pain that tylenol pm just knocked me out. So she stopped over before i went to work and brought it to me, i had just taken ibuprofen and used the oil. Ended up just dabbing it with a qtip and thats all i used ALL DAY! After using pain killers every two hours for the last 3 weeks, this was a BLESSING. Thank you thank you! Ill keep you posted!!
cagemaster | Sep 27, 2008 | Reply
hi all, glad to see my original comments have helped some of you!
dry socket REALLY sucks and i wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
try the clove oil and advil pm if you can get it. it really does help.
best of luck to all!
Kelly | Oct 13, 2008 | Reply
I got my wisdom teeth our 5 days ago. I had all four taken out and all four were impacted. i had the worst five days of my life with the worst pain i ever felt. today i went back to the oral surgeon and he packed gauze with a solution on it. it really helped numb the pain but now i’m afriad if i eat, the medicine will wash out. will it? I finally feel some comfort after sitting around 5 days with 2 dry sockets. when will it go away? honestly if i knew it was this painful, i would have never gotten my wisdom teeth out it hurts so bad.
cagemaster | Oct 18, 2008 | Reply
oh my god, cc, i hope this goes away for you. You HAVE to get some dentist to look at this for you before it gets any worse! All you can do on your own is numb the pain like described in the article – your surgeon – or a surgeon – has to look to make sure its healing ok though.
cc | Oct 19, 2008 | Reply
Cagemaster- the Oral Surgeon said as far as he was concerned it was phantom pain -that was three weeks ago – the pain I have is exactly as all of these people have described–again I have been thru things I didn’t even list and this is by far the worst-my mouth (inside) looks traumatized–but the hole–(can’t believe there is a hole-4 wisdom impacted & removed yrs ago and no holes at all)looks like a holes semi healing–he acted as if he saw nothing which was garbage–you don’t see problems with root canals doesn’t mean you don’t have pain but this is clearly different from one side of my mouth to another plus my face is swollen-I called every Maxo in 100+ mile radius and they said that they’d clearly take my $200 consult but would refer me back to the original surgeon–I don’t know why they-or maybe I do–don’t feel a need to call this doctor and challenge him on finishing his job–but remember we are in pain and they don’t know what this kook may have done to me and don’t need someone elses problem–turning these people in, may be later, but that stuff takes time and a healthy long time documented fight–been there before and you might get a response (from the board) in years from now and short of rape by a doctor, basically, the discretion always goes on the side of the doctor–and they (the doctors) know it!! So you lose unless a criminal complaint is filed simultaneously-And the PD doesn’t usually like filing that-that’s left to the DA-which is hard to meet direct–I did that for a living as well and the system sucks-and this is not criminal-although I feel he didn’t fully perform his services for the CASH I paid up front. Everyone else you beg for help thinks you are derranged and wants no part of you–I must say the pain plus the hate for the callous way I have been treated makes this worse then ever……..if he would have said lets try this or that and I promise I won’t stop trouble shooting this until we get you healed-or I need to refer you to a colleague…-that would have been hopeful and he could have helped me by documenting our stages and that would be of some relief–but that was not the case-Plus knowing no one will look at me is so scary or they will look $$$ but admittedly not treat.
I know this is dry socket –he didn’t even have the sense to give me a followup after the extraction-I know 4 things this could have been and that’s all on my own research–he could have given me those 4 conditions and slowly eliminated one at a time–he did nothing and it’s taken me 3 weeks to understand the possiblities of whats going on here–my thing is–if this is-say for a minute it is-(I tried to ask this question and no one or professional office will answer…..)if this is Dry socket and you deal with the pain will it ever go away??–or does it have to be stimulated with packs or scraping or whatever to reform a healing process–does it have a normal range of shelf life, say if it’s only dry socket–I need to have a light at the end of the tunnel-what is so weird is how many areas this affects on the side of your face head and neck–this is more bizarre then a spinal injury or nerve problems (have both) without this dialogue you have, I wouldn’t believe a tooth extraction could have this consequence and one more thing–as for the two reasons this happens (dry socket)–one of course is the patient not following orders or drinking or whatever that list of birth control pills, smoking, drinking, there is a list- can causes drysocket so don’t do all of those well,–I never drank, smoked or took those pills in my life (extreme) and as for hygene in my mouth-it’s impecible–the second reason this happens is a sloppy doctor – a doctor that causes more trauma to the bone during the extraction that is deemed necessary–well now we have an answer–this doctor wanted to put me under full anesthia for this procedure for extra $300 I hate that drug and love to know what they are doing-not afraid in the least-I watched my root canal thru a mirror-very little phases me and quite frankly I am fasinated-he literally ripped this out of my mouth in less than 30 seconds and then callously said you are the longest extraction I have had–I have never had anything done so fast and remarked that to him at that time as well as told at least 20 people that he wanted to put me under for hours thinking he was doing some complicated large operation–what would it have took then, one second or would he have had the janitor do it with pliers–anyhow if you have the answer to some time allotment or any of the other victims reading this, I’d appreciate feedback–I believe the soreness is what is too follow for 6 weeks but how long is this nightmare-I tried the clove oil –nothing–mixed it with ambesol as well…..According to many things I read this pain starts 3-4 days following an extraction, lasts as long as 5 days and lingers up to 3-6 weeks in the jaw etc but doesn’t really hurt like the five days of hell???? I’m way past that…..thanks for listening……
Mammawof3 | Oct 28, 2008 | Reply
I can sympathize with all of you. I had a very large rooted molar from the top/back of my mouth removed on 10/13/08. 2 days afterwards, I couldn’t sleep, eat, think, nothing! I have had the worst pain from this extracted tooth than I can remember since I gave birth, TWICE! After 3 days, I called the surgeon and told his nurse how bad I was hurting and she tells me he’s out of the office for the next 5 days with no backup Dr. She called in more Hydrocodone, and I ate those like candy, along with Advil PM and Flexiral (muscle relaxer). I aso called my regular dentist whom I’ve seen for over 13 years. And for the 1st time, I cried my eyes out to him. He just said that he could irrigate the canals but said he wasn’t sure that would help. He ended up calling in a bottle of mouth wash that people with Gingivitis use and told me to swish twice a days and gave me 2 refills on. This bottle is large and with 2 refills, that sounded scary to me. Why would I need so much of it? Is this going to linger?? Today, I can’t take any more, I called the surgeon and told them I still hurt and they are shocked and have scheduled another appt. When you can’t sleep, eat, think, talk, or just basically rest, you become someone you and others don’t like very much! And now I feel like I can’t function without the pain meds. Will this ever end???
Amy | Oct 31, 2008 | Reply
I got a top back molar extracted from a oral surgeon 10 days ago. It took me a while to decide to extract this tooth or do a root canal, unfortunately cost reasons I went with the extraction. I now wish I had did the root canal. I am in unbearable pain, I can barely sleep, or get through the day. The office was not the nicest to say the least, 4 days after the extraction called the office told them I was in severe pain and the receptionist tells me to wait it out the weekend, then a few days later finally agreed to see me. The dentist tells me looks like it is healing good and that I should just give it a few more days, said it did not look like dry socket. So I grinned and beared it another 3 days and today went in and was told by a different dentist that I most likely have dry socket and he packed it with the clove paste. I did not immediately get pain relief it took almost an hour and then I was good for 4-5 hours, I thought maybe this was going to be the end of the pain. Low and behold here I am up in the middle of the night with this awful pain, in my ear, cheek, jaw and even soreness in the front of my neck near my glands. I have been taking advil and tylenol and it doesn’t seem to help. I got a rx for percocet and it did not help just made me have a big panic attack. I am due to go back in for another packing of the clove her in about 5 hours and I worry since it is friday what I will do this weekend. I pray this pain ends soon, I am starting to feel this pain will never go away and this is how I will live. I feel sorry for anyone else having this pain, helps to know you are not alone. I will keep everyone posted on my progress.
grace | Oct 31, 2008 | Reply
http://cherschers.blogspot.com/ – i forgot to add this…just in case u might want to follow my dental experiences.
Amy | Oct 31, 2008 | Reply
Hi Grace, sorry to hear you are living the dental pain nightmare like myself. This completely sucks andit makes you feel like you are losing your mind. I went in to the surgeon today for my 2nd day of clove packing and he tells me that he really doesn’t know why I am in still so much pain! He says” Try not to think about the pain”, uh hello how the hell can you not think about it when you feel like you are dying. He said that the socket looks like it is healing good and he hardly has any room to even pack the clove stuff into it. Since last night my ear has started hurting worse and now my throat near my glands is super painful. He went ahead and gave me a rx for antibiotics and tylenol 3. I go back monday so I hope and pray I will show some improvement. I swear you would think a doctor seeing so many patients with pain would have more of a bedside mannor!!
Grace | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Hi Amy, how was your halloween weekend? My ‘dry socket’ pain started to subside late Saturday. I skipped my 4th clove packing scheduled Saturday. I wanted to see if I could do w/o it. I took Tylenol extra strength and it helped. My dentist said the same thing…my socket is healing just fine and the hole is closing up. It’s Monday and I haven’t really felt any pain…maybe a few sting here and there but it’s much better. I’m on my day 9. I’m still being careful though and still eating mushy food and brushing gently. I’ve used the clove oil that I bought a few times to give me a temp relief and it works. You had your molars out, so your healing time might be longer than mine. I just had my bicuspids out. I hope you’re feeling better. T3 doesn’t really help me. Just makes me really drowsy and awake at the same time coz of the pain. I’m getting my impacted wisdom teeth (bottom) out next year – i’m scared…really scared.
Amy | Nov 3, 2008 | Reply
Hi Grace, My Halloween was ok, I had been in so much pain I told my kids we would have to miss trick or treating this year. Well at the last minute I decided I would go, I have shown some improvement over the weekend. I still have a few flair ups of pain, my pain is mostly in my ear, and throat and jaw. Did your pain come in waves? Like I would have pain but tolerable and about 4-5 times a night would get a episdoe with extreme intense pain and all you could do is just wait till it passed. Uhhh I am feeling a little hopeful, I canceled my appointment today with the surgeon and told them I would wait a few days and see if I kept improving. I haven’t even took my tylenol 3 cause I am afraid, I took a pecocet earlier in the week and it gave me a panic attack on top of this horrible pain. I think we need a vacation after having dealt with this crap! I feel for you, I know it is scarey to think about another dental procedure when you had such a bad experience this time. That is why I took so long to get this tooth taken care of. Well I am so glad to hear you are doing better, take care of yourself
Grace | Nov 4, 2008 | Reply
I did have flare ups – I was usually fine in the morning but when it gets around noonish i get an excruciating pain on my right jaw. Nights for me was fine but I did wake up in the mid-of the night w/ major pain and i’d take Tylenol for it. I had panick attacks too when I took T3 for the first time. I had a few minor flare ups yesterday but today I haven’t had one yet. My dentist called me and asked if I was alright…they deserve an xmas gift for being so caring to their patients. Vacation? I’m taking one next week! hahaha working w/ dry socket is hell. I’m crossing my fingers for you and hoping you’ll get better really really soon. You take care.
Dieter Hentz | Nov 8, 2008 | Reply
hope I never want that
cagemaster | Nov 15, 2008 | Reply
Grace: sounds like hyou hve a great dentist! hang on to them! Some just want your money and want you out the door.
dawn | Nov 16, 2008 | Reply
can you develop dry socket after 4 days since extraction, my extraction site looks white so I dont know how its supposed to look
although its hard to see properly because its a very back upper tooth next to the wisdom tooth.
Rachel | Nov 17, 2008 | Reply
hi all,
last monday (10th nov)i had a tooth pulled from the roof of my mouth, thursday i went back because of the pain and was diagnosed with dry socket, the lady filled it with something (no idea what) which took the pain away for a few hours. been taking ibuprofen and paracetamol against each other which as kind of helped with the pain, something else i have also found to help i have an electric toothbrush and brushing the gums on that side helps also (im guessing that as it is an electric one its kind of massaging) this morning i woke with headache but pain not as bad, or maybe the headache was worse than toothache so i didnt notice as much?
anyway i wasnt given antibiotics but the lady said if it carries on she will prescribe me some, thing is how long do i leave it before i go back?
cagemaster | Nov 20, 2008 | Reply
rachel – i wouldnt let it go more than a day or 2 if you think you might have an infection. better safe than sorry!
LOLO | Dec 11, 2008 | Reply
Hey, been reading up on dry sockets all morning then came to this site. I’m not 100% I have dry sockets, I still have holes and a lot of pain, but its been a week since I got 4 wisdom teeth extracted!
Barry, Aberdeen, Scotland | Dec 19, 2008 | Reply
I can understand what you are going through i had a upper back tooth extracted on Wednesday, The Dentist was great she was very kind and it did not hurt at all, But last night thursday i had the worst pain of my life, i have had several dry sockets before which were extremely painfull but last night has got to be the worst, I am 6ft male 245 pounds and i was crying like a school girl, i went back to my dentist today and had it packed and was given antibiotics as i already had an abscess before the tooth was pulled and supposedly it has spread. within 2 hrs of being packed i am back to being in agony again. Lets hope it heals soon!
Shannon G. | Jan 8, 2009 | Reply
Wow, so I am glad that I cam across this site…as I lay here in bed after taking 2 10mg Percocets and my 2nd 875mg Amoxicillin of the day with my heat padding across my face! I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed on the 29th of December. The top two are perfect…would argue that I even had them removed, LOL. Now the bottom two….HOLY GOOD GOSH!!!!!! I was in INSANE pain went back to my oral surgeon and he packed me with the dry socket dressing. I felt “ok” (that being in comparison to what I had felt like) for the past 2 days but now I am back to the WTF is going on stage! I have a super high tolorence for pain pills so while the average person can take motrin and vocodin and feel a little bit of relief, I feel nothing. I am talking like I went through 40 10mg Percocets, a small bottle of Motrin AND about 10 5mg Vicodins THE FIRST WEEK!!! Crazy, huh?!?!?! I am just glad to see that I am not being a whiny baby like I feel like I am. This is a horrible thing to go through, I am happy to see that I am not alone…although I wouldn’t wish this upon anyone!!!
Kayla | Jan 11, 2009 | Reply
Ahhh, I got mine out last thursday and they have all healed pretty well except one thus far
i would also argue i never had the top ones out! the bottom left is raw and a little swollen but it doesnt hurt a bit
ive been on vicodin since i got it done.. and now im on percocet and lots of ibprufen
i also have a high tolerance i guess and the painkillers arent doing anything for me!
i called and he said i probably aggravated it and got food stuck or something!
the teeth on my bottom right are all extremely painful to touch although one is a crown
should i be worried abotu an abcess or is it just a dry socket?
i’ve been bawling all day and it just keeps getting worse
What can i do to help relieve the pain before I can get in to get it packed with the dressing?
does a heating pad do anything? or ice?!
kris | Jan 28, 2009 | Reply
Had an extraction last Thursday as well as a large abcess removed.
Pain is getting worse, surgeon said I have dry socket. After reading the above I am definately nervous. Am taking 800mg motrin as well as, a new prescription for vicodin and the pain at night is almost unbearable!
I will be searching for clove oil tomorrow.
v | Feb 12, 2009 | Reply
I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted 3 weeks ago and now I have dry socket in my two bottom ones. It has been a very painful and very slow recovery process. I was given pain meds but just couldn’t function while I was taking them so I stopped taking them about a week ago. My bite feels really crooked and strange and my jaw joint is really sore/tight and overall I’m still very uncomfortable. I had the “dressing” put in twice but the surgeon told me it slows the healing process so I opted out of having it done a 3rd time. It hurt like HELL the first time they put it in – oh my gosh that was worse than any pain I’ve ever felt aside from a bad bladder infection (I wont go into details). I still have to flush out my empty sockets regularly and I swish with salt water regularly too… I can only chew in my lower left mouth…I can’t WAIT to be back to NORMAL!!
Susan | Feb 20, 2009 | Reply
Hi,
I am in the midst of suffering from a dry socket. Had a tooth extracted a week ago – upper left. No blood clot ever formed- and I thought “uh oh”. Sure enough 3 days later I was in unbearable pain -went back to my dentist who numbed me up to put in the dry socket dressing BUT then mangled around again to make it bleed in the hope of forming a clot – it STILL did not clot.
Its been just over a week and still in incredible pain. I cant take anymore Advil as I am getting esophageal reflux badly. I can’t take anything with codeine in it as I was once addicted to codeine so that is a NO NO for me.
I am trying the oil of cloves – it does provide a little relief.
Swishing out with warm salty water feels good at the time but I seem to be in MORE pain after doing it – anybody else feel this?
This – is a bugger and I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. I am on antibiotics (Keflex) and just hoping this will all clear up and heal over – I can see little bits of exposed bone.
I am not going back to the dentist Ive decided to let nature try to take its course!! Something that has helped is sleeping with my head raised a little more than usual – I guess to do with blood flow to the area.
I sympathise with anybody going through this.
HUGS!
Carmelle | Feb 22, 2009 | Reply
So nice to hear that I am not a wimp. I had two widsom teeth out Monday (it’s Sunday now) and my bottom one developed a dry socket Thursday. I NEVER felt pain like it. I had it packed twice now, but the second lot dropped out this evening. Scared I may spend the night in agony again and supposed to be going back to work this week. Most people on here seem to be having theirs’ packed every day or every couple of days but my dentist didn’t seem to think I would need to come back. How long is this likley to go on for? I am getting toothache on the other side now from constant chewing. I think I would have left the tooth in if I had known this would happen. Dry socket is worse than infected wisdom teeth. Why does no one mention this possibility?
rachel | Mar 16, 2009 | Reply
This is ridiculous my dentist broke half my tooth while he was trying to get it out.
Im going overseas tomorrow and just want this pain to go away.
My blood clot came out and now im on amoxycillian and using friars balsam.
Any other ideas?
Kim | Mar 22, 2009 | Reply
Well… almost three weeks and still in pain (though a lot duller) and I still can’t open my mouth very much. Everyone thinks it is so crazy that I am still in pain etc. and my Dr. says it will take another week or two for the wound heal and another 3 weeks for the jaw to heal. I have a question… should I still after 3 weeks, a dry socket dressing (which was removed to promote healing), and massive amounts of ibuprofen should I still be avoiding straws etc? My dr. told me to rinse with mouthwash to clean the hole… I live in France and my French is find to understand but I can’t speak it very well and my dr. has broken english (well a bit better but not much)…
I just need to know what I should still be avoiding if anything… I need this dull ache to go away before my husband divorces me.
cagemaster | Mar 28, 2009 | Reply
i would not rinse with mouthwash that has alcohol… can lead the temp shrinking of gums and open the wound! try salt water if you can stand it… just mix it yourself.
if you still are concerned about the socked definitely dont use straws and the pressure can pop open the wound.
after this long i would not be packing with the gauze anymore… i would try the oil as stated above for the pain…
best of luck….
c.c devil | Apr 4, 2009 | Reply
hey i been reading the post hear and i have also had a wisdom tooth pulled(cut out)yesterday and let me tell u the pain was unreal when i came home for the office.when he was pulling it the assistant and doc had to hold me down in the chair it felt like he was going to brake my jaw or something. it wasnt to bad but the after effect was (nuts)the pain made me cry and everything i took 2 advil liquid gels and the doc office and when i got home i took 5 apo-ibuprofen 400mg and it did work the pain kinda went away.its now day 1 after getting it done and my face is swelled out of shape and i cant close my mouth . other wise then that it is ok lol.
I want to no can u get dry scoket when u have 4 stiches in ur mouth were the tooth was ..all this talk about it is driveing me nuts … please someone tell me
Cheryl Staton | Apr 8, 2009 | Reply
Hey everyone…..I too have a dry socket……for the third time!!!! It flipping hurts. Had upper molar removed Monday and today pain started…..I’m not happy, did all I was told to minimise the risk but it hasn’t worked…..I’m taking Tylex capsules (500mg paracetamol+30mg Codeine Phosphate) to take the edge off the pain. Going back to dentist in the morning. Will prob opt to have it scraped and cleaned….it hurts like hell but it worked the last time, a new clot formed…..happy days!!! Let’s hope it works this time as I can’t stand the pain much longer.
Dodi | Apr 30, 2009 | Reply
OMG! I am so glad I found this page. I thought I was going crazy! Had my right bottom molar pulled last week because of intense pain & I couldn’t afford any other treatment, as I’ve already maxed my insurance out this year. So I thought after I got it pulled, I would gradually see some relief. Oh, but it lasted only for a day or two. Then the pain got worse yet again, even worse maybe than it was before the tooth was pulled, I’m unsure. So I’ve been doped up on Tylenol w/Codeine & now Vicodin all week. Then today the dentist finally agreed to see me – turns out I have a dry socket. So he packed it, yes it hurt for a minute while he was poking that stuff in there, but then it immediately started feeling much better. The pain wasn’t quite gone, but much much better. But now, not even 8 hours later, my packing just slipped out & I swallowed it in an instant. I wasn’t even drinking or eating anything at the time. I don’t know how long the packing was supposed to stay in there, but I assumed 2 or 3 days at the least. Now it’s starting to hurt again. I’m scared to even drink anything to take the pain meds, but I did it cause I know I gotta do something! The pain is almost unbearable when it gets worse! I guess I will call the dentist again in the morning to see if it can be packed again. I don’t know. I just know that I wouldn’t wish this pain & experience upon my worst enemy – it’s horrible!
Tonya | May 26, 2009 | Reply
On the 13th I had a upper jaw tooth pulled, came home layed down and my mouth filled with blood which let me know that I had lost the clot. Called the dentist and they said all would be well. Well it wasn’t…I started hurting the next morning. So finally on the 18th the dentist decided to see me again and said I had dry socket. He hurt me so bad by giving me numbing shots but the worse pain you ever want to feel is when he gave me a shot directly in that socket. I almost had a heart attack…really I felt my heart skip a beat because that hurt me so bad I almost passed out. He put paste in and said I wouldn’t need to come back in because he put enough in there to last until it heals and that it would dissolve. It’s the 25th, Though the pain isn’t at the point to where I want to shoot my mouth off, it still is nagging and hurting me. I’m honestly scared to go back to my dentist any dentist for that matter. I’m almost out of pain meds and done with the antibiotic and don’t really know what else to do. I can’t take the chance of going back and having him hurt me the way he did. Everyone else I know say they have never heard of a dentist giving so many shots, especially directly in the socket. The shots didn’t help because I felt everything he did and was literally crying. All he said was that if I had insurance he would charge it but since I was a paying customer he wouldn’t charge me. What a freaking joke!!!
IceQueen2027 | May 28, 2009 | Reply
I went this morning to get my dry socket looked at and he put this nasty tasting stuff on it and told me I could come back if I wanted too and sent me out the door.
Lola1 | Jun 25, 2009 | Reply
I have had two dry sockets from lower wisdom teeth removal. I definitely recommend Red Cross Dental Kit. You can buy it almost any where. Grocery stores, Kerr Drug, Walgreen, etc. even Wal-Mart. It is the best pain reliever I have used. Be careful not to get it on your lips, tongue, or swallow it. I have had two dry sockets in the past three months and this is definitely a life saver. And it says use for one minute and remove. You can leave it in up to 12 hours. This is what my dentist recommended. You do need to see your dentist for “their dry socket packing” but this works if you cant get into see them.
GApeachinHawaii | Jun 29, 2009 | Reply
I had all four of my wisdom teeth extracted on the 11th of this month. I ended up with dry socket on my lower right side. Went back to the oral surgeons twice. The first time they packed it. It became dislodged and I ended up swallowing it by accident. I went back and they did nothing and told me it would no longer hurt. Ha! I have been in pain since the day after that visit which was over a week ago. I havent been back and took all the ibuprofen and hydrocodone I had and now I am doing tylenol extra strength. I have never taken so much medication in such a short period of time in my life. I keep the socket clean with the syringe and saline solution but I am definitely in pain after that. Also after I brush my teeth I am in pain. The whole right side of my face is hurting at this moment.
andrea | Jul 19, 2009 | Reply
I wish to god id have been warned about the risk of gettin “dry socket” before i had 2 wisdom teeth took out last week,and id have never have had them removed.Ive never experienced such excruciating pain in my life,i had 7 ops on my leg which i broke very badly,but at least they give you morphine! Ive had it 4 days now,and was hopin id got over the worse,but looking at other comments,this can last up to 2 months! Theres no way i can take it! People should be warned before hand by their dentist,of the risks of this happening.
gruvygramma | Jul 21, 2009 | Reply
Had a back molar removed last Tuesday. Should have known complications were coming when the bleeding did not stop after the hour or so. Three hours of bleeding through the gauze, spitting blood and repacking. By Friday I was back at the dentist for refill on Vicodin and penicillan. (sp?) Dental assistant even looked at the site and said it looked good. No dry socket there. LOL Horrible weekend! Pain! Nausea! Migraine! Finally, they wanted me back in today. Well..sure enough..dry socket. Packed it and did get relief after an hour. But the packing came out on its own after just 3 hours. Not in pain yet, but I am ready. Told my husband I was gonna google dry socket and packing and what do you know? I am not alone. found this site and got some real good advice. Now I’m gonna pass on some of my own. I have suffered from migraines for 15 years. Many of those years I was on prescription meds. Because of the side affects and costs- I have been treating myself with excedrin and aleve combos. I know I take way to much aspirin and I know the longterm risks. But shall I worry about my liver and be in constant misery or get through the pain TODAY? Just saying this because that is why the extraction site never clotted. Would have been nice to know all this before. I’m not blaming anyone. But I had no idea a “dry socket” existed, much less that it was a possibility. I would have lived with the bad tooth. This is horrible! Going to get packed one more time tomorrow and then to buy the Red Cross Dental Kit at the drug store. I have fond memories of it from childhood. Should have gone that route from the get go.
andrea | Jul 23, 2009 | Reply
Hi,yeah i was same as u,i`d never heard of dry socket until last week when i needed some sort of miracle to rid me of this agonising pain,and found this site,I cant believe so many people get this,and majority are unaware it ever existed from reading thru the comments.The only complication i was told of,was the numbness of the chin.Me too would never have had the tooth took out,had i`d have known.Ive lost a stone in weight,in 9 days,at least one good thing came out of it ey lol! The pain as now is just like toothache,with occasional \\\”nervey\\\” pains shooting through my face,but nothing compared to what it was.I feel now there is some light at the end of the tunnel,hope ur feeling better,andrea xx
Amy | Jul 27, 2009 | Reply
Hi I visited the Dentist 3 weeks ago and had my back lower molar on the left side pulled and my upper back right side molor pulled, just now I am developing soreness in my jaw and my gland on the left side is killing me and swollen it seems as though the clot is still there, but the pain of the swollen gland and trying to open my mouth all the way is almost unbearable, it has been fine up until now I thought I might have developed an infection of some sort, I had to pay cash for having my two molars pulled and the xray because i don’t have dental insurance and really can’t afford to go back at the moment anyone experiance this please let me know thank you so much a head of time
Alan | Aug 3, 2009 | Reply
At last…sanity where I thought I was being a baby.
I had a molar removed last Thursday and the dentist said call back if I had any problems. The dentist won’t be open until Tuesday so here I am wondering why I had this tooth removed…the pain was mild in comparison.
It took the dentist 1.5 hours to remove the tooth which kept breaking and the jaw bone didn’t want to release it…talk about trauma! Right now I’m like all of you above wondering what to do next.
A question – would the dentist need to inject an anesthetic again to pack the tooth? I ask as I have a large swelling around the area which cannot be touched with the pain and I’d rather ride out this pain rather than have him inject it.
Zia | Sep 4, 2009 | Reply
This sucks!! I had my two botton wisdom teeth removed on Wednesday, August 26. It is now Friday, September 4 and I am still in crazy pain because of dry sockets.
I am no longer taking pain medication because I want to know how it’s healing but how long will this take? I am tired of this.
jessica | Sep 18, 2009 | Reply
how long did dry socket last for all of you? I am on day 9 and still in horrible pain….being 5months pregnant as well has kept me from taking any pain meds. help!!!!
DB | Sep 23, 2009 | Reply
I dont see any mention of insane headaches which i have been experiencing cannot concentate at all, had all the other symptoms but now two weeks later im still getting serious headaches any one else have this
cagemaster | Sep 24, 2009 | Reply
I did have wicked headaches too, and just touching top to bottom teeth caused shooting pains…. sorry, but other than the remedies here there’s not much i think you can do!
Kevin | Oct 11, 2009 | Reply
raquel
What your dentist wanted to do would have helped you considerably. He is not a Butcher. I\’m a dental Tech and by scraping around the bone would have made it bleed and a new blood clot would have formed and this would have stopped all your pain.
Haden | Oct 11, 2009 | Reply
I’m currently going through the terrible pain of not only one dry socket, but two. I have found a miracle product. It’s called Red Cross Toothache Kit. This is a life-saver, and I can guarantee that it will immediately reduce your pain to nothing in a matter of minutes. It runs between 6 and 7 bucks. Walgreens is where I bought mine, but they do sell them at CVS and Rite-Aid. The package includes a bottle of eugenol oil, which is the scientific name for clove oil, tweezers, and cotton pellets. You dip the cotton pellets into the oil, and place it in the tooth cavity. It really is an amazing product. If you need relief try this, please. I couldn’t get to the dentist before they closed and my dentist told me to buy this until Monday.
Sandy | Oct 14, 2009 | Reply
Hey folks, I can certainly feel all of your stories of pain, as I have now just experienced my 2nd dry socket. My first was a good 5 or more years ago, & was way back where they extracted my bottom wisdom teeth, back then, they gave me percocet here in Canada, which I believe is Vidodens equivalent in the states, & that helped with pain relief. My 2nd dry socket, which I just recently experienced, came when they extracted one of my front teeth, & the extraction happened on a Wednesday, & by the weekend, I was in killer pain because of the dry socket, & of course the dentist is not open on weekends, so what was I to do. I read on another site, that Super Strength Motrin helps, which comes in the 400mg over the counter form. I tried to go by what the label recommended without much relief, & after a few trials runs of taking as directed, I threw the as directed BS out the window, & took what I needed for pain relief. For me, it wasn’t until I down a good 5 of them 400mg Motrin, is when I started to actually subside the pain long enough to sleep, and actually enjoy my sleep without having my face feel like it was ready to explode, god, so yeh, Motrin is a life saver in this situation. But if you can, try ask the pharmacy for the generic equivalent, because it will definitely save yourself a few bucks in the end, which is always nice these days. Hope this helps anyone out there who has had the unfortunate luck of having to deal with a dry socket on a weekend of holiday, take care…