Back tooth removed, no pain. Have bad breath after extraction. Normal?
Patient: HiHad back tooth removed yesterday.  No pain afterwards.  Have white where my tooth was, think this is the blood clot.  Area looks healthy, not red or swollen.  From previous posts I see dry socket does not appear for a couple of days.  What I am asking is straight after the extraction and still today 23 hours later I have bad breath. Is this normal? Doctor: Thanks for sharing your concern in HCM forum. The whitish  area at your extraction site could be some food lodgment or some slough, which is not uncommon 24 hours after extraction of a tooth. The dry socket is a phenomenon which is still poorly understood to prevent it. It is a highly painful condition typically appear within 2nd to 4th day after extraction. As you have no pain , so still the area could not be considered as dry socket. You can start chlorhexidine mouth wash 4 to 5 times a day for one week and refrain from smoking for 3 to 4 days if you are a smoker, as a probable prevention of dry socket.Continue medicines prescribed by your doctor, if any. Continue your brushing teeth as usual avoiding injury to extraction site. Bad breath for couple of days after extraction in not uncommon. If you do not have any other oral problem, your bad breath will disappear with proper brushing and chlorhexidine mouth wash, and do not get tensed by thinking about dry socket. Its not a very common incidence. If something like that appears, consult your dentist. Get well soon.