How to prevent and treat dry sockets after tooth extraction in kids?
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It’s vital to take proper care after tooth extraction of your kids to avoid painful complications such as a dry socket. Your dentist also tells you about it while explaining wisdom tooth extraction aftercare. This article provides all the required information, including how to prevent dry sockets in kids. Keep reading!
What is a dry socket?
A blood clot develops in the empty socket after tooth extraction. This clot is critical for preventing underlying bones and nerves. It also aids the growth of new tissue. A dry socket is a condition when this clot fails to form or dislodge before the healing.
It delays the tooth extraction recovery for 7-10 days. Moreover, it causes irritation and inflammation in the extraction site.
How to know if your child has a dry socket?
Your child may be developing a dry socket after surgical extraction if you notice any of these dry socket symptoms in them.
- Foul smell from your child’s mouth despite following oral hygiene routine
- Gums appear swollen and tender to touch
- Intense pain which doesn’t subsides even after 3 days of getting a tooth pulled
- An unexplained bad taste in the child’s mouth
What factors increase the chances of dry sockets after tooth extraction?
It is recommended to put some extra focus on tooth extraction aftercare of your child if he/she has any of the following risk factors.
- Critical case of tooth removal
- Poor oral hygiene
- Surgical extraction of a wisdom tooth or any other back tooth
How to prevent dry sockets after tooth extraction?
These aftercare tips for wisdom tooth extraction ensure that your child maintains a regular socket after tooth extraction of every type.
- Get the oral mouthwash with chlorhexidine and make your child rinse with it before and after the tooth extraction.
- Apply ice wrapped in a cloth or an icepack on your child’s jaw regularly. This is one of the most popular tooth extraction care your doctor will probably suggest.
- Talk to your adolescent if he or she has started smoking. It is possible through outside influence. Gain their confidence so that they confess it to you. Then, educate them on how nicotine in cigarettes, cigars, and E-cigarettes can harm their recovery.
- Ensure your child eats soft and nutritious foods such as eggs, sweet potatoes, smoothies, low-fat sugar, etc. Also, encourage them to drink plenty of water.
- Avoid the sippers and straws as the suction can dislodge the blood clot.
- Don’t give them any sharp or hard foods such as chips, crackers, nuts, etc.
- Don’t let your kids suck their lips, cheeks, or fingers.
- Make sure that your kids get sufficient rest on the day of surgery. Ask them to refrain from sports and activities for at least a few days after wisdom tooth extraction.
- Encourage your child to chew on the opposite side from their surgical site for at least 24 hours.
What are the treatment options available for dry sockets?
If your child still gets dry sockets despite all the precautions and aftercare done right, your dentist will suggest you any of the following treatment options to minimize its pain and damage:-
- The doctor may use packing to cover your child’s exposed bones to limit the damage and prevent the food from entering the dry socket.
- Your doctor can irrigate the dry socket through a syringe and eliminate accumulated dead tissue and food.
- Antibiotics can be taken in case of infection due to dry sockets.
- Your kids can take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen to reduce the pain and swelling. But don’t give any medication to children without consulting their doctor.
What to do when you spot that your child has developed a dry socket?
Once you notice a dry socket during the tooth extraction healing of your child, you must immediately contact their dentist. They will do whatever is required, like prescribe an NSAID to relieve the pain and inflammation. They may also do cleaning and dressing of the area and prescribe antibiotics if they spot any infection.
When to seek immediate care?
Treat it as an emergency after a tooth extraction if you spot your child’s mouth swelled so bad that it can’t be opened or closed. Difficulty in breathing is also your cue to rush your child to the nearest dental clinic.
These are the general facts and information. Visit your dentist for consultation regarding tooth extraction surgery of your child; care to be taken after wisdom tooth removal, and dry socket.
Author BIO
Dr. Anu Isaac, DMD, runs a successful dental practice in Salem, MA. Dr. Isaac strives for quality on a daily basis and this commitment to quality is reflected in her constant pursuit of advanced training. Her firm belief that even experts need to stay updated about what’s new in the dental field, enables her to provide every patient with optimal oral care. As the founder of Coral Dental Care, she is dedicated to creating healthy, beautiful smiles for her patients and educating dental and non-dental communities with her engaging articles on all things related to oral health, recent dental innovations, and the latest treatment modalities.