Home Remedies For Dry Sockets, Best 7 Remedies For Dry Sockets

Home Remedies For Dry Sockets

Dry socket, also known as alveolar osteitis, is a painful dental problem. It can develop 4 to 5 days after a tooth is pulled and is especially common after having a wisdom tooth extracted.

After a tooth extraction, a blood clot forms at the site to protect the bone and nerve endings. Dry socket occurs when this blood clot gets dislodged or dissolves before the wound has healed.

1.Ice Packs For Dry Sockets

Placing ice packs on the skin (on the face) above the dry socket can reduce the pain and infection caused by it. Use ice packs (ice cubes stored in bags) or cold towels (dipped in cold water) for this.Placing the ice pack or cold towel on the face for about 15 minutes 3 times every day can provide relief from the symptoms of a dry socket.

2.Clove Oil

Clove oil has proven to be an effective treatment for dry socket. Its anesthetic and analgesic properties help reduce the throbbing pain that makes it difficult to even move your head.

Clove oil works by acting as a physical barrier between the exposed bone along with exposed nerve endings and the oral environment. It helps relieve pain as well as decrease the number of visits to the emergency room.

Dip a small cotton swab in clove oil.

Place the swab in the socket for 1 minute.

Remove the swab and rinse your mouth with warm water.

Do this a few times throughout the day.

3.Saline Water Rinse

Gently rinsing your mouth with warm salt water 24 hours after a tooth extraction is highly effective at preventing dry socket. The warmth of the solution will help reduce pain and swelling, while the salt will help prevent any infection.

A 2014 study published in the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery found that saline mouth rinses are beneficial in the prevention of alveolar osteitis after dental extractions. This study suggests using a saline mouth rinse 2 times daily. 

Mix ½ teaspoon of table salt in a glass of warm water.

Stir it well, so that the salt fully dissolves in the water.

Use this solution to rinse your mouth gently, 2 or 3 times a day.

4.Black Tea Bags

You can even use black tea bags to reduce the pain caused by a dry socket. The tannic acid present in the tea bag works like a natural antibiotic and helps reduce pain and swelling.

Immerse a tea bag in a cup of hot water.

After 5 minutes, remove and squeeze out the excess water.

Put the tea bag in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and set the tea aside to cool down.

Next, place the cold tea bag on the dry socket.

Bite down on the tea bag with your teeth to keep it in place for at least 5 to 10 minutes.

Then, use the tea to rinse your mouth.

Repeat as needed.

5.Avoid Using Tobacco

Be it smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco products, both may increase your risk of dry socket. The harmful chemicals and toxins in cigarettes and other forms of tobacco prevent healing. They may even contaminate the affected site and slow down the healing process.

Furthermore, the act of smoking or chewing tobacco may physically dislodge the blood clot.

A 2011 study published in the Open Dentistry Journal notes that smoking along with surgical trauma and single extractions are predisposing factors in the occurrence of dry socket.

Hence, it is recommended to stop smoking completely before and after your extraction. If needed, seek help from experts to quit permanently.

6.Turmeric

Turmeric is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory herb that can help deal with the pain of a dry socket. In addition to reducing pain, turmeric will speed up the healing process.

Mix ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and a little water or milk to form a paste. Use a cotton swab to apply it on the area where the dry socket has formed. Wait 20 minutes, then rinse your mouth with lukewarm water. Do this 2 to 3 times a day, as needed.

Another option is to mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder in a glass of lukewarm water. Use this solution to rinse your mouth a few times daily until the pain is gone.

7. Garlic

As garlic is anti-inflammatory and a natural antibiotic, it is also effective at reducing pain in the gums and teeth due to dry socket. It can even reduce the risk of an infection.

Place a fresh garlic clove in your mouth and crush it with your teeth. As the juice of the garlic will spread inside your mouth, the pain will gradually subside. Spit out the clove after 5 minutes and rinse your mouth with warm water. Do this 2 or 3 times a day or as needed.

Alternatively, make a paste of 2 fresh garlic cloves and a little salt using a mortar and pestle. Apply this paste to the extraction site for at least 30 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water. Repeat as needed to relieve pain.