New Paradigm in Explaining Dry Socket: Case Studies
Wael Khalil *
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Lebanese University, Lebanon.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Dry socket is considered as the most common complication following tooth extraction. It is mainly manifested by severe irradiating pain that starts 2 to 4 days after dental extraction with a denuded socket. Although many risk factors are associated with it, no clear and direct cause has been described to explain its etiopathogenesis. Here, we suggest a new pathogenesis and a new management of dry Socket based on new microbiological findings from 3 clinical cases.
We present a series of 3 Dry Socket cases from which alveolar swabs have been taken for microbial exploration. Materials from the 3 cases were subjected to bacterial culture and susceptibility testing.
Microbiological results showed the presence of Pseudomonas aeroginosa in all samples. Furthermore, the antibiogram showed sensitivity to Ciprofloxacin. These results suggest a new approach in preventing and treating Dry Socket based on an infectious process.
Keywords: Dry socket, localized alveolitis, alveolar osteitis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacterial biofilm