Cause
Multiple types of alveolar osteitis can result from disturbances in the healing process. The type that is commonly referred to as "dry socket" is one in which the disturbance is from the time a blood clot forms immediately after tooth extraction to the initiation of healing in the 4–5 day period after extraction occurs. The healing tissue that is supposed to replace the blood clot, known as granulation tissue, may fail to grow or be disrupted after beginning to grow, leading to the well known symptoms of alveolar osteitis.
Wound healing is a complex process and can be positively and negatively affected by many factors. Alveolar osteitis is the most common healing disturbance of extraction sockets.
Suppurative osteitis results when the disturbance of extraction socket wound healing occurs later, during the third stage of healing from day 14 to 16 after extraction, and is a manifestation of the disruption of connective tissue development. This form usually results from an infection and exhibits a purulent discharge (pus) from the extraction socket.
Disruption of the extraction socket during an even later stage of healing might result in necrotizing osteitis in which encapsulated shards of bone (bony sequestrae) will be noted alongside inflammatory cells.
Read more about this topic: Alveolar Osteitis