Dry sockets seem to be talked about a lot for how infrequently they occur. When you consider tooth extractions as a whole, only about 2% of patients develop dry socket after an extraction. The occurrence increases to about 20%, however, when wisdom teeth are involved.
After a tooth is extracted and healing starts, a blood clot will form to protect the jawbone. A dry socket happens if the blood clot does not form or gets removed, exposing the jawbone. Sometimes the blood clot may not form or may break down due to preexisting bacteria in the mouth. Other factors like smoking, using straws, spitting, hormones, and blood supply can hinder the formation of the blood clot. Dry socket can prolong healing and create infections if they go untreated but they are generally easy to catch.