What are alveolar osteitis?

Alveolar Osteitis

Alveolar osteitis or, colloquially, a dry socket, is a complication of wound healing following extraction of a tooth. The term alveolar refers to the alveolus, which is the part of the jawbone that surrounds the teeth; osteitis means simply "bone inflammation". It is known as "dry socket" as after the clot is lost, the socket has dry appearance because of exposed bone. The blood clot helps in stopping the bleeding and lays framework for new tissues to develop there but in case of dry socket, the clot is dislodged and the bone is exposed. This bare bone is exposed to bacteria in the saliva and the food which the patient consumes and the bone becomes infected and painful.

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Some articles on alveolar osteitis:

Alveolar Osteitis - Treatment
... The pain from alveolar osteitis usually lasts for 24–72 hours ... There is no real treatment for alveolar osteitis it is a self-limiting condition that will improve and disappear with time, but certain interventions can significantly decrease pain ... Because true alveolar osteitis pain is so intense, additional analgesics are sometimes prescribed ...
Dental Extraction - Complications
... the inferior alveolar nerve, which enters the mandible at the mandibular foramen and exits the mandible at the sides of the chin from the mental foramen ... Such injuries can occur while lifting teeth (typically the inferior alveolar), but are most commonly caused by inadvertent damage with a surgical drill ... Dry socket (Alveolar osteitis) is a painful phenomenon that most commonly occurs a few days following the removal of mandibular (lower) wisdom teeth ...