A Drug-Free Oral Hydrogel Wound Dressing for Pain Management in Immediate Denture Patients

Thomas J. Kennedy, DDS  ·  John E. Hall, DDS

ABSTRACT

This article evaluated a drug-free oral hydrogel wound dressing composed entirely of natural food ingredients for its ability to relieve pain in immediate denture patients. Evaluation occurred at a 24-hour postoperative appointment. For this crossover study, 44 patients who were taking oral narcotics evaluated their discomfort (using a scale of 0–10) at 1, 3, 5, and 10 minutes after denture insertion with no topical treatment and again after SockIt! Oral Pain Gel was applied to the dentures. The gel provided statistically significant pain relief at all time points beyond that provided by oral narcotic alone (p < 0.0001).

The adverse effects of drugs used in dentistry underscore the need for safe and effective topical preparations capable of managing pain after tooth extraction and/or immediate denture delivery.

— John Hall, DDS

A person examining medical images of a skull, including 3D reconstruction scans and MRI slices, pinned on a backlit display board.

Control vs. SockIt! Mean Pain Scores Over Time

Differences in mean scores after application of SockIt! to dentures were statistically significant at each point (p < 0.0001). The control group received oral narcotic alone; the SockIt! group received the same narcotic plus SockIt! gel applied to the denture.

Bar graph comparing control group and SockIt! Gel + Narcotic group on Likert pain scale at 1, 3, 5, and 10 minutes after denture reseating, with control consistently higher scores indicating more pain.

  • I use SockIt! on all extractions, immediate dentures, perio surgeries, and bone augmentation cases. My patients love the way it reduces pain. I have not seen a case of post-op complications when patients use the product at home. It makes my life easier, and I have seen an increase in patient referrals. I recommend it.

    —Schubert Sapian, DDS, TX

  • The healing benefits of a biocompatible hydrogel wound dressing are tremendous. Its ability to control infection in endodontics and surgery is truly a blessing. I continue to expand the use of SockIt! in my practice.

    —James Jesse, DDS, CA

  • "I found I needed no pain medication. The gel combated discomfort with surprising effect for up to 6 hours."

    —45-yr-old female · 25 teeth extracted, immediate denture

  • "I used SockIt! every 2 hours before pain returned for the first few days. I didn't need any prescription or OTC medication at all."

    —28-yr-old RN · bony impacted 3rd molars extracted

Time-Kill Results Against 11 Bacterial Species and C. albicans

"No growth" indicates a complete kill. All species showed no growth by one hour; most within 30 seconds.

Chart showing various microorganisms with their growth status at different time points ranging from 30 seconds to 24 hours, including CFU counts for some, like Actinomyces viscous, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and others.

OraSoothe SockIt Gel

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OraSoothe Hygiene Rinse

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OraSoothe Pro Rinse

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OraSoothe SockIt Gel 〰️ OraSoothe Hygiene Rinse 〰️ OraSoothe Pro Rinse 〰️