“Need to” vs. “Want to”
It’s not unusual for a patient to request general anesthesia for their dental treatment. “I have to be put to sleep for my dental treatment.” The question that must be answered is “do they need to or do they want to” be put to sleep.
Have some fun with your dentist. Tell him or her that you heard that dry sockets are preventable. First, they will step back, hyperventilate a bit, question where you heard “that,” and then explain that they are not unusual after having an extraction.
They will explain that if the patient smokes, uses a straw, or drinks a carbonated beverage, then they (the patient) will cause a dry socket. Actually, 95% of the factors that cause dry sockets are at the hands of the surgeon. The patient is responsible for only about 5%.