How to Prevent Dry Sockets After Tooth Extraction

Learning that your child needs a tooth extracted is never welcome news. It doesn’t need to be a cause for concern, though. Dental advancements have reached the point where extraction is now a painless procedure. Better yet, if your child struggles with anxiety about the procedure, our team can provide sedation to make it a comfortable experience for them. 

In other words, you don’t need to be worried about the tooth extraction. However, there is one area where Irene Zaki, DDS, recommends applying extra care and attention. While the extraction itself won’t be uncomfortable, the situation gets painful if your child develops a dry socket afterward. 

Here at Happy Teeth Children’s Dentistry in Riverside, California, Dr. Zaki can work with you to develop a dry socket prevention plan personalized to your child. For now, though, let’s outline some best practices to avoid this painful complication.  

When kids get dry sockets

After the tooth extraction, your child’s body naturally develops a blood clot. That clot helps to protect the socket, preventing exposure of the bone and nerves underneath. 

When the clot doesn’t form or falls out, your child gets diagnosed with a dry socket. If your child has pain around the socket or in their face, they might have exposed bone in the socket. Complaining of a bad taste in their mouth is also a telltale sign. 

You can check your child’s mouth for a dry socket yourself. If the area looks red or brown (like a scab), that’s a good sign. If you can see a whitish area at the bottom of the socket, it’s most likely exposed bone, meaning they have a dry socket. 

If you suspect your child has developed this complication, see Dr. Zaki. With options like irrigation for the dry socket, pain-relieving medication, and treatment for the socket itself, she can help to alleviate your child’s discomfort and support the socket’s healing. 

Tips for preventing dry sockets

The good news? Some of the biggest risk factors for dry sockets are off the table for pediatric patients. Smoking and drinking alcohol, for example, make you more likely to develop this condition.

That doesn’t mean kids never get dry sockets, though. The first step to preventing them is fairly simple: follow Dr. Zaki’s post-extraction directions. We might give you instructions on how to keep a dressing on the socket, for example. That helps to keep the blood clot in place. 

Additionally, to protect that vital clot in your child’s socket, encourage them to:

• Avoid straws and fizzy, warm, or hot drinks
• Skip that area when brushing their teeth
• Choose soft foods
• Chew on the other side of their mouth
• Be very gentle when rinsing their mouth, and avoid mouthwash with alcohol in it
• Not spit

Doing all of this for a couple of days after their tooth extraction gives the body the chance to heal the socket. 

We’re here to help your family as your child recovers from their tooth extraction. For personalized guidance, call Happy Teeth Children's Dentistry or book your visit online today.