Reading your avocado suggestion made me smile—I wish I'd thought of that earlier. I've been sticking mostly to soups and smoothies, and honestly, it's getting old fast. Sweet potatoes with cinnamon sound like a great idea too; I'll definitely give that a try.
I'm still in the early stages after my extraction and implant procedure, so hearing about your experience with recovery sneaking up on you is reassuring. Right now, I'm hyper-aware of every little sensation and constantly worried about doing something wrong (like accidentally biting down too hard or brushing too close to the area). It's comforting to know that eventually things just...go back to normal without even realizing it.
Did you find yourself gradually easing back into regular foods, or was there a specific moment when you felt confident enough to eat normally again? I'm trying to gauge what to expect, but I suppose everyone's timeline is different. Either way, your post gives me hope that I'll get there eventually. Thanks for sharing your experience—it really helps ease some of my anxiety.
"Did you find yourself gradually easing back into regular foods, or was there a specific moment when you felt confident enough to eat normally again?"
For me, it was definitely gradual—one day I just realized I wasn't cutting my sandwich into tiny, cautious bites anymore, lol. I remember being paranoid about popcorn kernels for MONTHS though... kept imagining one sneaking into the implant site and causing chaos. But honestly, you'll probably surprise yourself by how quickly you move past the anxiety and back into normal eating habits. Hang in there, you've got this.
Interesting you mention popcorn kernels—I worried about those too, but honestly, my kid jumped back into crunchy snacks way quicker than I expected. Maybe kids just bounce back faster? I did keep an eye out for anything super hard or sticky at first, but after a couple weeks, it felt like we were pretty much back to normal meals. Did your dentist specifically warn you about popcorn, or was that just your own anxiety kicking in? Ours didn't mention it at all, which surprised me since you'd think they'd warn about something so small and sneaky getting stuck. Anyway, everyone's recovery seems a bit different—maybe it's partly psychological too?
My dentist didn't mention popcorn either, but I asked specifically about crunchy stuff and he said it's mostly fine after the first week or two. Still makes me nervous tho...did anyone else's dentist give clear guidance on seeds or nuts?
My dentist was pretty relaxed about crunchy stuff too, but he did specifically warn me about tiny seeds like sesame or chia getting stuck in the extraction site. Nuts weren't really mentioned, though I avoided almonds for a while just because they're so hard. Did anyone else find certain foods unexpectedly tricky to eat during recovery? I remember being surprised how uncomfortable rice was at first...
