Pain relief that actually works for dry socket?

Didn’t get dry socket that time, but I was paranoid for days. The worst part was trying not to talk—I lasted about two hours before I started mumbling at the TV.

That’s so real. I tried to stay quiet after my wisdom teeth came out, but it’s impossible when you live with roommates. I also did the tea bag thing and honestly, it just made my mouth feel weirdly gritty. Has anyone ever tried salt water rinses for relief? My orthodontist swears by them, but I never noticed much difference.

Salt water rinses were my go-to after extraction, but honestly, I didn’t notice a huge difference either. They did help keep things clean, which probably prevented infection, but as far as pain relief? Not so much for me. I tried the tea bag trick too and just felt like I had leaves stuck everywhere. The clove oil packs my dentist gave me actually worked better—smelled pretty strong, but numbed things up fast.