Alveolar Osteitis: A Review of Current Concepts

Area of Science:

• Oral surgery
• Dental pathology

Background:

• Alveolar osteitis (AO), commonly known as dry socket, is a frequent post-operative complication.
• Effective clinical management requires a thorough understanding of its pathogenesis and etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the pathogenesis and etiology of alveolar osteitis (AO).
• To enhance clinical understanding of AO prevention and management strategies.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search of Ovid Medline, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register.
• Utilized MeSH term "dry socket" to identify relevant studies.

Main Results:

• Included 8 studies on AO prevention and 66 studies for overall data review.
• Summarized evidence on AO incidence, etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, and management.

Conclusions:

• Recent advances in understanding AO pathogenesis and etiology support evidence-based prevention and treatment.
• Clinicians must recognize the multifactorial nature of AO and current management concepts.