Many dentists advise their patients not to suck through a straw after a tooth extraction so as to prevent dislodging the blood clot. Such dislodgment could cause a painful condition known as dry socket, which occurs mostly with lower molar extractions. Now there is some evidence that sucking through a straw doesn’t affect the incidence of dry socket after oral surgery here. So if you have a tooth or teeth removed — go ahead and drink through a straw afterward. It probably doesn’t matter if you do.

To prevent a dry socket after a dental extraction, it is important to keep pressure on the extraction site (biting on gauze) to stimulate clot formation and avoid vigorous rinsing, which could dislodge the clot.