Mashed potatoes were good for a bit, but man, I got sick of them quick. Oatmeal was decent too, though for some reason I found the texture a little off-putting after surgery—maybe it was just me being picky, haha. Weirdly enough, scrambled eggs ended up being my go-to. Soft enough to manage without much chewing, and I could switch up seasonings to avoid boredom.
Funny story: around day four or five, I felt brave enough to try pasta (overcooked it to mush on purpose). Thought I'd nailed it until a tiny piece got stuck right in the extraction area... panic mode activated. Took forever with warm salt water rinses to get that sucker out. Definitely learned my lesson about rushing back into solid-ish foods.
You're spot-on about recovery speeding up after those initial rough days. Once you're past that hump, things really do start improving pretty quickly. Hope your healing continues smoothly!
Your pasta story reminds me exactly of when I tried rice pudding after my extraction. Thought it'd be safe since it's soft, right? Nope...spent half an hour rinsing and stressing over a stubborn grain lodged in there. After that, smoothies became my best friend—easy, filling, and you can switch up flavors endlessly. You're definitely right though; once you're past that initial recovery phase, things pick up surprisingly quick. Hang in there, it'll be behind you before you know it.
Totally relate to the smoothie thing—those were a lifesaver for me too. I remember thinking scrambled eggs would be safe, but even tiny bits can get stuck in those extraction sites. Learned that lesson pretty quick. One thing that helped me was gently rinsing with warm salt water after meals; it seemed to speed up healing and kept things clean without irritating the area.
You're spot on about recovery picking up after the initial phase. For me, the first 3-4 days were the toughest, then suddenly things improved noticeably each day. By week two, I was eating soft pasta and mashed potatoes comfortably again. Just gotta be patient and gentle with yourself—your mouth heals faster than you'd think, but it's definitely a process. Hang in there, you're doing great.
Yeah, smoothies were my go-to as well—so easy and zero stress on those sore spots. I actually found scrambled eggs okay after the first week if I chewed super carefully, but maybe I was just lucky. The saltwater rinses were a game changer though, totally agree there. It's weird how healing seems slow at first, then suddenly you're making big leaps forward. Sounds like you're already past the hardest part, so that's awesome. Just keep taking it easy and you'll be back to normal soon enough...
Smoothies were definitely helpful for me too, but honestly, I got tired of them pretty quick. After my extraction and implant surgery, I remember being so desperate for something savory that I actually blended up chicken noodle soup—sounds gross, I know, but it was surprisingly comforting. Scrambled eggs worked okay for me after about a week and a half, though I was still chewing like a nervous rabbit. I had a friend who swore by mashed potatoes, but for some reason they irritated my gums more than anything else.
Saltwater rinses were a lifesaver, totally agree there. My dentist suggested adding a tiny bit of baking soda to the rinse, and that seemed to speed things up a bit. I was skeptical at first, but it really did feel soothing. Recovery felt weirdly uneven for me too—some days I'd wake up feeling great, thinking I was finally over the hump, then the next day I'd be sore again and frustrated. But around the three-week mark, things suddenly improved dramatically. It was like overnight my mouth decided it was done messing around and wanted to heal properly.
One thing I'd caution against is jumping back into crunchy or chewy foods too soon. I made that mistake with some chips because I was feeling cocky after a good day, and boy did I regret it later that night. Took another couple days to get back on track. So even if you're feeling good, take it slow. Patience pays off big time with dental work.
Overall though, sounds like you're already doing pretty well. Just hang in there—soon enough you'll barely even remember what it felt like to be stuck sipping smoothies and rinsing saltwater every few hours...
