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Post-extraction Blood Clot

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goodbye18

Junior member
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
2
After months and months of trying to save my back molar, including two root canal attempts, I had it extracted today. I had an extraction once before with my wisdom teeth and I got dry socket about a week after the extraction even though I was very, very careful. I do want to say to anyone that might read this seeking info on dry socket, my dry socket was really not as painful as everything led me to believe it would be. It was a kind of radiating pain, but not nearly as harsh or distracting as the soreness of the dental work. Also, it was immediately calmed by the dressing the dentist put on. I had to wait a night overnight before I could go to the dentist and I slept fine...it was very bearable.

Anyways, my current issue is...I think I may have dislodged the blood clot. My extraction appointment was almost 5 hours long because I was also having a crown seated and a temp seated. Lots of that time was sitting, but the extraction was the last thing so I had plenty of time to get really nervous. Anyways, I didn't take the gauze out for an hour and kept pressure on it as instructed. I also remembered not to spit or anything, but I let some blood and stuff drool out of my mouth. Then comes the stupid part...I grabbed my water glass and let water dribble over the extraction site. I didn't swish or anything, just let it fall into my cheek and then fall in to the sink, but it wasn't until after I did it that I realized this was probably not a good idea and I think that some of the blood that came out was thick enough to be "the clot."

Is this likely what happened? If the clot is gone, is there any chance the clot could re-form? I immediately put the gauze back in and held it firmly for twenty minutes and the bleeding seems to have stopped/slowed to hardly anything.

I am trying to remind myself that dry socket is not the end of the world, but I can't get over how stupid I feel. Yes, the dentist was careful to go over the instructions, but after five hours at the dentist, my brain was a mush of fear and sadness. I think a lot of my dental anxiety actually comes from post-appointment anxiety when I no longer have the dentist in ear shot and I don't know what to do. I have vivid memories of being numb after a procedure and my parents making fun of me for being upset that I couldn't eat after the procedure....but I didn't know that was what being numb was like and I hadn't eaten enough that day. And beyond that I have now had major complications after every dental surgery I've had. Now I feel like they must have been my fault if I can be this careless.

I guess this is part journal, part asking for help. I'd really appreciate any replies.
 
It's OK, you're unlikely to have disturbed enough of the clot to make any real difference. Dry socket is very rare, so since you've already had one, you've probably used up your share of bad luck for a while :)
 
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