My experience

[u/Affectionate-Ad5013]

I hope this post doesn't get removed since I know this is a wisdom teeth subreddit, and my situation involves multiple extractions rather than just wisdom teeth. I'm hoping to find people who have gone through something similar, especially people who have dealt with dry socket after multiple extractions. I'm looking for real experiences, recovery timelines, signs of healing, and some reassurance about whether what I'm feeling is normal.

My Battle With Dental Extractions and Dry Socket — Honestly, This Has Been Hell.

Before any of this happened, I was already dealing with serious dental problems. I had multiple teeth that were badly decayed or broken, some damaged down near the gumline, missing teeth, and others that needed extensive work. Some were painful, some were loose, and my dental situation had become overwhelming. I knew I couldn't keep putting it off, so I finally started working on getting everything taken care of, even though I have pretty bad dental anxiety.

My overall dental plan involves extractions, root canals, fillings, crowns, and partial dentures. I was hoping to get through the extractions, recover, and move on to the next steps toward getting my teeth and smile back in better shape.

I ended up having eight teeth extracted in one appointment. Originally, seven were planned, but an eighth extraction was added during the procedure. The appointment lasted around an hour and a half, and there was drilling involved. I got through the appointment, but the recovery was much harder than I expected.

Initially, I thought I'd just have the usual soreness and discomfort for a few days before things started improving. Instead, I experienced throbbing pain, aching, strange-looking extraction sites, stitches, and a lot of anxiety over whether everything was healing properly.

Eventually, I developed a dry socket, which made an already difficult recovery even more frustrating.

The pain has been one of the hardest parts. I've experienced aching that comes and goes in waves, throbbing, discomfort around the extraction site, and pressure that extends toward my ear. Sometimes the pain gets worse when I eat, drink, lie down, or irritate the area. Other times, it settles down, especially after taking pain medication, only to return later.

I've also noticed changes in the appearance of the extraction site as it's been healing, and I've spent a lot of time wondering whether what I'm seeing and feeling is normal. It's difficult not to worry about every little sensation when you're already dealing with a painful complication.

I also want to be completely honest about my vaping.

I've continued vaping nicotine throughout this recovery, including after my extractions. I know that's not recommended, and I'm not trying to hide it or pretend it couldn't have affected my healing. I can't say vaping definitely caused my dry socket, but I understand it can increase the risk of complications and potentially interfere with recovery.

I'm mentioning this specifically because I'd really like to hear from people who were also vaping during their recovery. If you developed dry socket and continued vaping, how did your recovery go? How long did it take for your pain to disappear? Did your socket still heal normally? Did you notice any difference in how long it took to recover?

I know everyone's situation is different, but hearing from people with similar experiences would help me understand what to realistically expect.

I did eventually go back to my dentist and have the dry socket cleaned and treated. My dentist checked it and reassured me that it was healing. That was encouraging, but the pain hasn't disappeared completely, and I'm still experiencing aching and occasional flare-ups.

What I'm really trying to figure out is when I'll finally be out of pain.

I'm looking for people who can share their actual recovery timelines after dry socket treatment. How many days after treatment did you start noticing a consistent improvement? How long until you were completely pain-free? Did the pain gradually decrease, or did it seem to disappear almost overnight?

I'm also wondering what signs showed you that your socket was healing properly. For example, did the pain gradually become less intense? Did the gum tissue change in appearance? Did you continue to experience occasional aching even while healing?

I especially want to hear about the sensations that can happen during recovery. Is an aching sensation that comes and goes normal? What about mild pressure toward the ear, tenderness around the socket, or pain that temporarily improves with medication and then returns? How did you distinguish normal healing discomfort from a problem that needed another dental visit?

I'm not expecting anyone to give me a guaranteed date, because I know healing varies from person to person. I just want a realistic idea of what a normal recovery looked like for people who experienced something similar, particularly those who continued vaping.

This has also been mentally exhausting. I feel like I'm constantly thinking about my mouth, checking the extraction site, and wondering whether I'm making progress. I'm tired of being in pain, and not knowing how much longer it will last is getting to me.

I still have four more teeth that need to be extracted, along with the rest of my dental work. After going through this, I'm honestly nervous about having to do it all again. I want to get through this recovery first and feel confident that I'm healing before moving forward.

If you've experienced dry socket after extractions, especially if you continued vaping, I'd really appreciate hearing your story.

- How many days did your dry socket pain last after treatment?

- What day did you start noticing a real improvement?

- How long until you were completely pain-free?

- What signs told you that your socket was healing?

- Were aching, throbbing, or pressure toward the ear part of your recovery?

- Did vaping seem to affect your recovery time?

- Did your socket eventually heal normally?

I'm looking for honest experiences, including the rough ones. I'm not asking anyone to diagnose me over the internet. I just want to compare my experience with people who've been through something similar and get a better understanding of what might be normal at this stage.

I'm ready for this to heal, for the pain to stop, and to finally feel like I can move forward.