Table 3.

Detailed characteristics of included studies considering prevalence of dry socket.

Study	Prevalence of Dry Socket in All Patients [%]	Prevalence of Dry Socket in Smokers [%]	Tooth Extracted	Extraction Technique	Symptoms Recognised as the Onset of Dry Socket	Provided Prophylaxis or Treatment
Al-Belasy, 2004 [21]	11.5	16.0	100% impacted mandibular third molars	100% atraumatic extractions	constant radiating pain not relieved by the analgesic, accompanied by a denuded socket or necrotic clot and a fetid smell	postoperative medications given orally for analgesia were naproxen or diflunisal at a dose of 500 mg twice daily; if dry socket was diagnosed, sockets were irrigated with saline and packed with a eugenol-iodoform dressing
Alsaleh et al., 2018 [22]	7.0	9.4	all teeth except retained third molars	single tooth extractions	severe pain at the extraction site within 3 days, no blood clot at the extraction site, visible bone at the extraction site, bad breath, bad taste in mouth	patients were given post-extraction instructions verbally after the extraction
Bortoluzzi et al., 2012 [23]	1.3	2.7	all kinds of fully erupted teeth	12% traumatic extractions, 88% simple extractions	NR	NR
Eshghpour & Nejat, 2013 [24]	25.9	35.1	100% impacted mandibular third molars	100% traumatic extractions	1 to 3 days after extraction with severe pain, halitosis, foul taste, and regional lymphadenitis; no blood clot in the socket and the bone is exposed	flap sutured using 3-0 silk suture; regimen of amoxicillin (500 mg) and Gelofen (400 mg cap, TID, for maximum 3 days) was prescribed
Halabí et al., 2012 [25]	6.1	57.9	93.6% maxillary, 6.4% mandibular	4.9% traumatic extractions, 95.1% simple extractions	increasing postoperative pain intensity for 4 days within and around the socket and/or total or partial breakdown of the blood clot in the socket with or without bone exposure	reported measures for alleviating alveolar osteitis in high-risk patients include local treatment with tetracycline or preoperative and 7-day postoperative rinsing with 0.12% chlorhexidine
Heng et al., 2007 [26]	5.0	6.7	83.1% maxillary, 16.9% mandibular	27.9% traumatic extractions, 72.1% simple extractions	alveolar osteitis, pain, swelling, bleeding	patients received a verbal and written postoperative recommendation, usually ibuprofen as an analgesic; for postoperative complaints, patients had open access to the clinic
López-Carriches et al., 2006 [27]	3.1	6.5	100% lower third molar	NR	wound appearance and condition were assessed in terms of colour, marginal swelling, ulceration, the presence of plaque	no antibiotic treatment was prescribed postoperatively, and the patients received only metamizole as analgesic treatment, diclofenac was also prescribed as antiinflammatory treatment
Momeni et al., 2011 [28]	0.6	0.6	36.3% maxillary, 63.7% mandibular	NR	throbbing pain, oral malodour, and unpleasant taste; onset of symptoms 42–72 h after tooth extraction and there is no redness or purulent discharge at the affected sites	palliative intervention with prescribing anti-inflammatory drugs
Parthasarathi et al., 2011 [29]	4.2	4.6	38.8% maxillary, 61.2% mandibular	17% traumatic extractions, 83% simple extractions	the patient’s history of pain and the presence of exposed bone, intraorally	NR
Schwartz-Arad et al., 2018 [30]	11.7	33.3	100% third molar extraction	NR	NR	all patients were prescribed oral antibiotics (amoxicillin 1.5 g for 5 days) or clindamycin (1.2 mg for 4 days), and dexamethasone (4 mg for 2 days); rinsing with 0.25% chlorohexidine continued twice a day for 10 days after extraction; naproxen was provided as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug twice a day
Vettori et al., 2019 [31]	3.2	5.5	51% maxillary, 49% mandibular	15.7% traumatic extractions, 84.3% simple extractions	NR	almost all surgical sites had been sutured, in 10.47% of cases the patient had started an antibiotic therapy before the intervention; after the intervention, the surgeon prescribed antibiotic therapy to 9.23% of patients, steroids to 0.24% of patients, NSAIDs to 3% of patients

Legend: NR, not reported; TID, three times a day; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.