Play all audios:
Sir, an interesting paper published as an abstract in the _BDJ_ (204: 559)1 discusses the relationship of cigarette smoking to post-operative complications from dental extractions among
female prison inmates. The authors report that dry socket is increased following third molar extractions and surgical extractions but not specifically in smokers. I can concur with this
finding. My colleagues and I operate a dental service at Styal Women's Prison, where the majority of the women require several extractions and over 95% smoke. From 1 April 2007 – 31
March 2008 out of 481 routine extractions and minor surgical procedures (364 by the author) there were seven post-operative complications, which could be classified as alveolar osteitis.
Since the majority of women smoke post-operatively, diligently ignoring the written and verbal instructions given, we feel that this complication rate of 1.45% is lower than most published
reports. I feel that the major contributing factor to the development of dry socket is a traumatic extraction and any patient factors post-operatively have relatively little bearing on this
complication. The extractions, although grossly carious and frequently infected, are relatively 'easy'. Interestingly despite 70% of the women being infected with Hepatitis C, with
potential liver damage, no cases of post-extraction haemorrhage occurred during the year. We do, however, routinely place Alvéo-Penga2 in all sockets, as recommended by the manufacturers;
maybe this is the secret! REFERENCES * Heng C H, Badner V M et al. Relationship of cigarette smoking to post operative complications from dental extractions among female inmates. _Oral Surg_
2007; 104: 757–762 Google Scholar * Alvéo-Penga – Pierre Rolland France. Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Warrington, J. A. Speechley Authors * J. A.
Speechley View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Speechley,
J. Dry socket secrets. _Br Dent J_ 205, 168 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.703 Download citation * Published: 23 August 2008 * Issue Date: 23 August 2008 * DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.703 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not
currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative