After tooth extractions in Newberry, SC, you’ll heal faster and more smoothly by adhering to recognized aftercare guidelines. A tooth extraction results in an empty space, the tooth socket, in the bone previously occupied by the tooth roots. During your body’s natural healing process, a blood clot will form over an empty tooth socket. If a clot fails to form or does form but then comes loose, you will experience acute pain due to exposure of the nerves and bone. To prevent this complication, abstain from vigorous activities for a few days, avoid drinking anything from a straw, slowly rinse your mouth with warm saltwater, and keep your toothbrush away from the clot. If you begin to have dry socket symptoms, including severe pain at the extraction site that spreads to your eyes and forehead, a foul taste in your mouth or an obviously empty socket, contact our Newberry, SC office right away.