What is dry socket?

What is dry socket?

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) can happen after tooth extraction. When your dentist or oral surgeon removes a tooth, a blood clot forms in the socket (a hole in the bone where your tooth was). Dry socket happens when that blood clot dislodges (moves) or doesn’t form at all. Without the clot, your bone and nerves are exposed to the oral environment. Dry socket can be painful and delays the healing of the surgical site.