Your avocado-chocolate smoothie actually sounds pretty good... weird combo, but I can see how it'd work. I stuck mostly to soups and mashed potatoes at first, but after a week or so I got creative—scrambled eggs with melted cheese were a lifesaver. Soft enough to eat comfortably, but still felt like real food, you know?
Recovery-wise, I think your timeline sounds about right. The first week felt like forever for me too, especially since I was paranoid about messing up the implant site. But after about two weeks, things noticeably improved. By the third week, I was cautiously eating pasta and even soft sandwiches without much trouble. Everyone heals differently though, so it's good to listen to your body and not rush things.
Also, totally relate to the pillow fort struggles. I tried propping myself up with extra blankets and pillows, but always woke up flat anyway. Eventually just gave up and slept normally—didn't seem to make much difference in swelling or discomfort after the first few days.
"scrambled eggs with melted cheese were a lifesaver. Soft enough to eat comfortably, but still felt like real food, you know?"
Totally agree on the scrambled eggs—honestly, they became my go-to comfort meal during recovery. I even got brave and added some avocado slices after a week or so (no chocolate though, haha). And yeah, pillow forts never worked for me either... I'd wake up tangled and confused every morning. Eventually just went back to my usual sleeping position and it didn't seem to slow down healing at all.
Scrambled eggs were definitely my comfort food too—I remember being really cautious at first, sticking strictly to soups and smoothies, but after about day four I just couldn't handle another bowl of broth. Eggs were a lifesaver because they felt like actual food, not just something you'd sip through a straw. Melted cheese was a nice touch for flavor, but I found that adding a bit of sautéed spinach (softened thoroughly, of course) helped break the monotony and gave me some much-needed nutrients.
"Eventually just went back to my usual sleeping position and it didn't seem to slow down healing at all."
Yeah, I had the same experience with sleep positions. I tried the whole "propped up on pillows" thing for the first few nights because I'd read somewhere it helps reduce swelling—but honestly, I just ended up tossing them aside halfway through the night anyway. Didn't notice any difference in swelling or healing speed once I went back to sleeping normally. I think as long as you're careful not to put direct pressure on your jaw or extraction site, you should be fine.
Recovery times can vary quite a bit though, depending on the complexity of your procedure and how well your body heals. For me, after a straightforward extraction and implant placement, the initial soreness and swelling eased significantly within about a week. By two weeks, I was eating fairly normally again (though still cautious with crunchy stuff). But I've heard others say it took them longer—especially if bone grafting was involved or multiple implants placed at once.
If you're feeling unsure about your progress or something seems off, it's never a bad idea to get a second opinion or just check in with your dentist. Better safe than sorry, right? In the meantime, keep enjoying those scrambled eggs—they really are underrated recovery food.
Scrambled eggs were definitely my go-to as well, but honestly, mashed potatoes deserve a shout-out here. I remember thinking I'd be fine with smoothies and soups too, but after a couple days, I was craving something with substance. Mashed potatoes felt like a gourmet meal after days of sipping broth through a straw. I even got creative and mixed in some garlic powder and sour cream—felt like Thanksgiving dinner compared to the liquid diet!
About the sleeping thing, I totally relate. I tried the pillow mountain method for exactly one night before giving up. Woke up at 3 AM with pillows everywhere except under my head... not exactly helpful. After that, I just slept normally (carefully avoiding pressure on the extraction side) and didn't notice any setbacks either.
Recovery really is all over the place though. My extraction was pretty straightforward, but the implant procedure was a bit more involved because of some bone grafting. Swelling was noticeable for about a week, and I had mild soreness for maybe two weeks total. Eating normally took longer than I'd hoped—probably closer to three weeks before I felt confident enough to tackle anything remotely crunchy or chewy.
One thing I'd add is that staying hydrated made a huge difference for me. Sounds obvious, but it's easy to overlook when you're busy worrying about what you can or can't eat. Drinking plenty of water seemed to help keep swelling down and made me feel less sluggish overall.
But yeah, scrambled eggs are definitely underrated recovery food—especially with cheese and spinach thrown in. Might have to try that combo even without dental surgery as an excuse...
Totally agree about mashed potatoes—lifesaver for sure. I was super anxious about dry socket, so I stuck to soft foods way longer than necessary. Honestly, I probably could've moved on sooner, but better safe than sorry, right? Also, ice packs were my best friend. I rotated them religiously the first few days, and it really helped keep swelling manageable. Sleeping was rough though...I kept waking up paranoid I'd rolled onto the wrong side. Glad that's behind me now.
