I ended up with a dry socket after my lower molar came out and honestly, that pain was next-level. The dentist gave me those medicated gauze packs (clove oil maybe?) and said to rinse gently with salt water. I stuck to it, but man, it felt like overkill sometimes. Did those medicated dressings actually help anyone else, or did you find something different that worked better?
That pain is something else, right? Dry socket had me questioning every life choice for a few days. The medicated dressings the dentist gave me (mine smelled like a spice rack too—definitely clove oil) did seem to dull the pain, but I remember thinking the same thing: is all this trouble actually doing much? I kept wondering if I could just use regular gauze and save a trip, but honestly, the medicated ones seemed to take the edge off way faster than anything I tried at home.
I did stick with the salt water rinses, though, mostly because they're cheap and easy. The only thing that helped a bit besides the dentist’s stuff was making sure I didn’t skip meals, even if it was just soup or yogurt—being hungry made everything hurt more for some reason. But yeah, it felt like a lot of fuss at the time. Still, looking back, I’d probably do it again if it meant getting through the worst of that pain a little quicker. Hang in there, it does get better!
Totally get what you mean about the medicated dressings—mine smelled like Christmas, but they worked way better than plain gauze. I’ve wondered too if all that back-and-forth to the dentist was necessary, but honestly, the pain relief was worth it for me. Did your dentist mention how long you should keep up with the salt water rinses? I kept doing them for a couple weeks just to be safe. Skipping meals definitely made things worse for me too... weird how hunger can make pain feel sharper.
Funny you mention the salt water rinses—I always tell people to keep at it for at least a week, but honestly, two weeks isn’t overkill if it helps you feel better. Hunger making pain worse is so real. I’ve seen folks skip meals thinking it’ll help healing, but it just backfires most of the time. Medicated dressings are a game changer, though... even if they do smell a bit weird.
Funny you mention the salt water rinses—I always tell people to keep at it for at least a week, but honestly, two weeks isn’t overkill if it helps you feel better.
My kid had his wisdom teeth out last summer and I was honestly surprised by how intense the pain got after a couple days. We did the salt water thing too, and he hated it, but skipping it made things worse. The dentist packed his socket with that clove-smelling stuff—he said it tasted gross but it really did seem to take the edge off. I think keeping up with eating (even just soft stuff) helped him more than he expected, even if it was just mashed potatoes or yogurt. Pain meds only did so much, but the combo of everything made it bearable.
