Hi,

I have recently been diagnosed with dry socket and have the socket treat twice with alvogyl and the brown substance. I have been told it looks ok now and i might not have to return, still some slight discomfort but have been given the curvey pointed syringe to irrigate socket with. Is is ok to use Corsodyl in this and will there be any danger of the socket healing with the alvogyl dressing in it?

Thanks

I would only do what the dentist says ...

Yeah they told me to irrigate the socket with the syringe. I read conflicting things online saying this can make things worse.

Hi Serg,

How many days has it been since it was treated the last time?

If it has been more than 2 days and the socket feels okay, you can use the syringe VERY GENTLY to irrigate the socket. It is best to just use salt water in the syringe as this does the best job of keeping the area clean without irritation.

Corsodyl is Chlorexidine which can be very irritating to the surgical site and oral tissue. You do not need to use this.

A therapeutic salt water mix would be:

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a bathroom size cup (3 oz).
Mix with warm water, stir well.
Put the plunger completely into the syringe.
Place the curved tip of the syringe into the cup of salted water and draw up on the plunger to fill the syringe. You do not need to fill the syringe all the way.

Irrigating the socket is only helpful if you do it gently. Otherwise if you use too much force you could disrupt the blood clot and end up with another dry socket.

If you are hesitant to use the syringe, that's okay ... then make sure you rinse well 3-4 times a day with warm salt water. When you eat avoid that area of your mouth.

Hope this information is helpful to you.

Thanks for your reply!

Yeah it was done on Friday dinner time and I started irrigating on Sunday afternoon. There was some plaque looking substance came out at first. Can't do it at work today so I'll have to just rinse with water. Hope I haven't disturbed the clot but the medicated substance hasn't came out either.

Serg,

The initial blood clot is red. After a few days the clot turns a white color... can resemble plaque. So make sure to irrigate gently. If you are careful with your eating all you really need to do is rinse with the salt water. As the days go on, you can get more aggressive with your rinsing.

The dry socket medication will break down over time. Do not be concerned about removing that. If you develop a bad medicinal taste or abnormally foul mouth odor, something other than what you have experienced so far, then have the surgeon evaluate the socket.

Bryanna

It was really small so I don't think it was a clot. Is there any foods I should stick to or avoid?

Thanks for all your help!

Serg,

The clot eventually breaks down in to small pieces before it dissolves completely. Don't be concerned about losing a small piece. Just be careful not to irrigate aggressively.

You should eat a nutritious whole foods diet like plenty of vegetables, fruit, and lean meat protein. Limit or avoid refined food (pre packaged, frozen, canned) sugar or sugar substitutes. This type of diet supports health and is ideal for healing. For a few weeks try to avoid seeds as they can get lodged in the socket, chewy foods as it requires too much use of your jaw during the healing, and hot/spicy foods as they can irritate the wound.

Hope this information is helpful to you.