I've read through all of this with interest - my bottom right molar was extracted last Monday and I developed dry socket really quickly and went back to have it packed on the Wednesday. (The dentist didn't advise me not to use a drinking straw after extraction, so I did. Duh). I've had a completely different experience, lots of pain and discomfort, but he just sent me away and told me the packing would eventually come out and only to go back if it came out really quickly. The site looks whitish now with some brown residue that I suspect is what's left of the packing. I've been really miserable as the pain has come and gone and I've been treating it with toothache kit. But the hole does look slightly smaller as if it's healing over. I am so glad I didn't have to go back to the dentist as I found the whole thing very unpleasant and think I'd need sedation of some kind! My main problem has been pain and discomfort, there is no swelling or any other symptom and now I've got some referred pain across my other teeth. I'm on day six nearly day 7 of dry socket so hoping it will all settle down very soon.