A dry socket, which is also called alveolar osteitis, may occur after you have tooth extraction. The dry socket occurs when the blood clot which protects the bone and nerves below becomes dislodged or dissolve a few days after the extraction.
What are the symptoms of dry socket?
At the site that the tooth was pulled, there will be whitish bone instead of a dark blood clot. It will make you feel painful about 2 days after the tooth was pulled and the pain can become even more serious over time.
Dry socket can cause some other unpleasant symptoms, such as throbbing pain or foul smell from tooth extraction site.
What are the causes of dry socket?
There are some reasons that can easily lead to dry socket like:
- Smoking
- Poor oral hygiene
- Using oral contraceptives
- Having history of a dry socket after the tooth was pulled
- Corticosteroids usage
How to treat the dry socket naturally?
Dry socket is a great concern of everyone. However, it can still be solved by these simple and natural treatments:
1. Clove oil
One of the best treatments for dry socket is clove oil. It contains anesthetic elements, which can reduce your pain.
How to use:
- Soak a cotton ball in clove oil
- Put the cotton ball in your socket for about 1 minute
- Take out the cotton ball and rinse off with warm water
- Keep doing this several times a day
2. Saline Water Rinse
Use warm salt water to rinse off about 24 hours after the tooth removal is really beneficial for eliminating pains caused by dry socket. It can also help you avoid any other infections.
Saline mouth rinse is great for protect your teeth after the tooth extractions. You should use it about 2 times a day.
How to use:
- Add a half spoon of salt to a cup of warm water
- Stir this mixture carefully in order to make the salt dissolves completely.
- Rinse this mixture off carefully about twice or 3 times daily
3. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil can cure the dry socket effectively because it is an antiseptic. In addition, it can protect you from suffering infection of the tooth and gums when impurities are clogged.
How to use:
- Soak a cotton ball in water to make it moistened
- Add 1 or 2 tea tree oil to the cotton ball
- Press the cotton call lightly to the affected area
- Leave it there for about 5 minutes, then rinse your mouth with warm water
- Keep doing this twice or 3 times per day
4. Black Tea Bag
Black tea bag is a really convenient and amazing tip. It has tannic acid, which can be used as an antibiotic and can ease your pain.
How to use:
- Soak the tea bag in a glass of hot water
- Wait for about 5 minutes. Get rid of the excess water
- Keep that tea bag in a refrigerator for about 15 minutes
- Put the cold tea bag on your dry socket
- Keep the tea bag between your teeth tightly for about 10 minutes
- Use the tea to rinse off
- Keep doing this regularly
5. Turmeric
Turmeric is great for you to use to heal the pain from a dry socket because it is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory herb. Turmeric can not only ease the pain but also make the recovery process become faster.
How to use:
- Mix a half teaspoon of turmeric powder with a little water or milk. Apply this mixture to the area that the dry socket has developed with a cotton swab. Wait for about 20 minutes and rinse your mouth with warm water after that. Keep doing this 2 to 3 times daily
- Another way is to add one teaspoon of turmeric powder to a cup of warm water. Rinse your mouth with this mixture a few times a day until your pain disappears.
6. Garlic
Garlic is a natural antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. It reduces your pain from dry socket in the gums and teeth. Garlic can also protect you from the infection.
- Put a fresh garlic clove into your mouth and crush it with your teeth. The garlic juice that is spread inside your mouth will make your pain decrease gradually. Remove the clove after about 5 minutes and rinse your mouth with warm water. Keep doing this 2 or 3 times daily
- Another option is to use a mortar and pestle to make a paste of 2 garlic cloves and a little salt. Apply this paste to your extraction site and leave it there for at least 30 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water afterwards. Keep doing this regularly until your pain is gone.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar
As Apple cider vinegar contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory elements, it can prevent the infection after you suffer from tooth extraction.
How to use:
- Mix raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and water with an equal ratio. Rinse your mouth with this mixture 2 or 3 times daily
- Alternatively, soak a cotton ball in the mixture above and apply it to the area that the dry socket has formed. Leave it there for about 10 minutes. Keep doing this twice a day.