Prevalence of dry socket associated with urgent dental extractions due to pain performed at an emergency service in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area during the mandatory preventive social isolation for the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of dry socket as a postoperative complication in cases where there was intense local pain in the preoperative state, during the preventive mandatory social isolation (PMSI) for the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina. Method(s): This was a descriptive study, which included 1209 walk-in patients at the emergency and orientational service at Buenos Aires University School of Dentistry during the PMSI from March 20 to June 20, 2020, with indication for dental extraction as well as intense acute pain at the surgical site. The presence of dry socket was exploratoryly associated with the variables age, sex, smoking and chronic medication use. Result(s): 1209 patients were operated, resulting in a total 1372 dental extractions. Average patient age was 41 years. The prevalence found in this study was 1.06%. Conclusion(s): The prevalence of dry socket was 1%, not being higher than other experiences where pain was not considered a condition prior to extraction.Copyright © 2023 Duke University Press. All Rights Reserved.