If checking in the mirror helps you feel more in control, I say go for it... within reason. It’s your mouth—you know it best.
Totally get this. I was the same after my braces came off and I had minor gum surgery—constantly analyzing every little change. Did you find any specific signs that actually meant trouble? I always wonder if I’m overreacting to normal healing vs. something real. I kept a little log of swelling and pain levels, just to track if it was getting worse or not. Maybe a bit much, but it helped me catch a small infection early before it got out of hand.
I totally relate to the log thing—I did something similar after my wisdom teeth came out. For me, the hardest part was figuring out what was just normal weirdness and what was actually a problem. There was this one spot that looked a little redder than the rest, and I kept second-guessing if it was just healing or something more. The log helped me see that the swelling was going down overall, even if some days felt worse.
Honestly, I think being a bit “extra” about tracking is better than ignoring stuff. My dentist actually said it was helpful that I could tell her exactly when the pain started to change. I’d say if you notice pus, really bad smell, or pain that suddenly ramps up, that’s when I’d get worried. But otherwise, yeah, our mouths heal in all sorts of weird ways.
You’re not overreacting—mouth stuff is stressful and it’s your body, after all.
Honestly, I think being a bit “extra” about tracking is better than ignoring stuff.
I totally get this. I kept a whole note on my phone after my extraction, and honestly, it was mostly just me panicking over every tiny twinge or color change. One night I convinced myself the clot was gone because things looked “off” in the bathroom mirror (turns out, just weird lighting). The log helped me realize that nothing was actually getting worse. Still, I sometimes wonder if I was *too* obsessive, but hearing your dentist appreciated it makes me feel better about being a little over the top. Mouth pain just feels so... urgent?
I totally relate to that urge to monitor every little thing after dental surgery. I remember after my first wisdom tooth removal, I basically turned into a detective—checking the extraction site with my phone flashlight, trying to compare it to Google images (which, honestly, is a terrible rabbit hole). I kept thinking, “Is that normal? Wait, was that spot there yesterday?” I even made a voice memo at one point just describing the color and size of the clot. Looking back, it was kind of ridiculous, but at the time it felt necessary.
It’s wild how any kind of mouth pain just seems more intense than pain elsewhere. Maybe it’s because you can’t just ignore your mouth, especially when eating or talking hurts. And yeah, I worried I was being dramatic or annoying by calling my dentist about every little thing. But when she told me it was actually helpful and that she'd rather have patients over-report than under-report… I felt a lot better about being “extra.” It’s not like you get bonus points for toughing it out if something actually goes wrong.
If anything, keeping notes or logs helps me notice when things are getting better—even if slowly—which is reassuring. There were days I convinced myself something was off, but then reading back through my notes, I realized most things were improving, just not as fast as I wanted. Sometimes anxiety makes you hyper-aware of stuff that’s totally normal healing.
I don’t think there’s such a thing as being too cautious with this stuff, honestly. It’s your body and your peace of mind. Plus, if your dentist appreciates it, that’s all the validation you really need. Better to be a little obsessive than regret missing something important.
I swear, after my last dental surgery, I could’ve been cast in CSI: Oral Edition. My poor phone camera was full of blurry gum close-ups and I’m pretty sure my partner thought I’d lost it when he caught me sniffing my breath to check for “infection smells.” The Google image search spiral is a real thing—I convinced myself I had every rare complication under the sun. Spoiler: I did not.
You nailed it about mouth pain being somehow… louder? Like, you stub your toe, you curse and move on. But if your mouth hurts, suddenly every bite of toast feels like a personal attack. I remember being so hyper-aware of any twinge or weird taste that I started rating my pain on a scale of “mild annoyance” to “call the dentist at 2am.” My dentist’s receptionist probably still recognizes my voice.
One thing that helped me (besides over-documenting every detail) was using a little hand mirror instead of my phone. Less awkward angles, and honestly, less temptation to compare myself to medical horror stories online. Also, saltwater rinses became my little ritual—felt like I was doing something proactive even if it was just swishing around like a goldfish.
I do wonder if anyone else has gotten weirdly attached to their post-surgery routines? Like, I found myself missing the saltwater rinse once everything healed up. Maybe it’s just me and my love for quirky habits... Or maybe we all get a bit superstitious about what kept us from getting an infection.
Ever have a moment where you thought you’d totally messed something up—like accidentally sipping through a straw or sneezing too hard—and then spent hours waiting for disaster? Would love to know if that’s just part of the healing paranoia package or if some folks are actually able to chill out about it.
