PREVENTION OF DRY SOCKETS

¹ Department of Surgery, George Washington University Medical School, Washington, D. C.

The experience gained in removing 773 lower molars and premolars during 1944 has been compared to that of removing 2,126 morphologically similar teeth over a period of six years, reported in 1937. The only difference in technique, except the change in procaine hydrochloride used, is that sulfonamide tablets were placed in the sockets of extracted lower molars and premolars in the 1944 series. The results are highly favorable to the employment of sulfonamides in such procedures.

No typical dry socket developed in sixty-six sockets of unerupted teeth, as compared to sixty-two (27.6 per cent) in 225 unerupted teeth in the control series. The chances of such a difference occurring as a result of a random selection is about 1 in 5 million.

No dry sockets developed in 707 sockets of erupted teeth, as compared to 68 (3.1 per cent) in 1901 erupted teeth in the control series. The chances of such a difference occurring as a result of random selection is about 1 in 100 million.