The Dry Socket –sounds pretty bad

After we were shut down for about six weeks in Israel I was able to go to my dentist at Maccabi who was finally able to open up. I had taken Xrays in March as my hygienist was concerned about my gums. The Xrays were waiting, just for the dentist. With the grace of G-d, I had no pain during the lockdown but as soon as the Dr looked at the Xrays, he wasn’t concerned about my gums, my bottom left molar (second from the end) had to go.

Usually, Dentists are very concerned about keeping your teeth, but he had no doubts. “The tooth is rotten, even if the root is good”. The advantage of using Maccabi for your dental care is that you know they aren’t trying to sell you something, they don’t have the profit motive which is unfortunately true for some Dentists.

So I scheduled an extraction for Lag Bomer and it went pretty smoothly for two days with no pain. And then the pain started. I waited four days on ibuprofen for the pain and saw the dentist twice yesterday for two hours each (four hours total). The visit took 5 minutes, the wait was four hours when you go in for emergency with no appointment.

It turns out that I have something called:

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is a painful dental condition that sometimes happens after you have a permanent adult tooth extracted. Dry socket is when the blood clot at the site of the tooth extraction fails to develop, or it dislodges or dissolves before the wound has healed

Only a very small percentage — about 2% to 5% of people — develop dry socket after tooth extraction. In those who have it, though, dry socket can be uncomfortable. However, on a bottom molar like mine (because of gravity–the food and water get under the gum) the cases are 30% so it could happen to you easily.

What happens if a dry socket is left untreated?

If the blood clot doesn’t form properly or becomes dislodged from your gums, it can create a dry socket. A dry socket can leave the nerves and bones in your gums exposed, so it’s important to seek dental care. If left untreated, this can lead to infection and other complications.

In most cases, dry socket will heal on its own, but as the site heals patients will likely continue to experience discomfort. … However, the dentist will provide a dressing that contains soothing ointments that will relieve pain and promote faster healing

How Long After Tooth Extraction Can You Get Dry Socket?

Dry socket is the most common complication following a tooth extraction. Tooth extraction involves removing your tooth from its socket in your jawbone. After a tooth extraction, you’re at risk of developing dry socket. This risk is present until you’re fully healed, which may take 7 to 10 days in many cases.

Dry socket occurs when the blood clot that should have formed in the socket after your extraction is either accidentally removed or never formed in the first place.

Dry socket is no longer a risk once the site is healed. Ask your dentist when they expect you to be fully healed. Based on your health history and how your surgery went, they can give you the best timeframe for reference.

These tips may improve your recovery and reduce your risk of dry socket:

Follow your body’s signs and doctor’s orders on recovery. You may need to wait until you’re fully recovered before resuming normal activities.

Plan to take the whole day off from work or school following your extraction.

As your pain decreases, try slowly getting back into your routine. Stop any activity if you suddenly have more pain.

Pain, swelling, and bleeding should all decrease steadily in the first week. Read on to learn more about dry socket signs, prevention, and treatment.

Normally, a blood clot forms over your empty socket. This clot protects the wound while it heals and promotes new tissue growth.

Without a blood clot over your socket, raw tissue, nerve endings, and bone are exposed. This can be painful and over-the-counter pain relievers are sometimes not enough to help.

Symptoms of dry socket include:

severe pain that can’t be controlled by over-the-counter medications pain extending across the side of your face from where your tooth was pulled lack of blood clot over your socket visible bone in your socket bad taste, smell, or the presence of pus in your mouth, which may be possible signs of infection

It’s normal for you to feel sore and swollen the first day after surgery. You may also see small amounts of blood on your gauze dressing. If your pain increases, doesn’t improve, or you notice any of the symptoms noted above, see your dentist right away.

So anyway, I am a survivor. But I am going to Mount Hermon for two days, so lets see how I am when I come back.

A Million Dollars

A man walked to the top of a hill to talk to God.
The man asked, “God, what’s a million years to you?”
And God said “A minute.”
Then the man asked:
“Well, what’s a million dollars to you?”
and God said: “A penny”
Then the man asked:
“God…..can I have a penny?”
And God said:
“Sure…..In a minute.”