The food thing drove me nuts too. I was basically living off of applesauce and scrambled eggs for a week because I got so anxious about crumbs sneaking into the sockets. Even soup felt risky—like, what if a tiny veggie chunk found its way in? I totally relate to the salt water rinse paranoia. I’d stand there, swishing like I was handling a priceless artifact, convinced I’d mess it up somehow. Looking back, I probably went overboard, but hey, better safe than sorry, right?
I get so nervous about food, too—how are you supposed to chew anything without worrying? I remember staring at a bowl of mashed potatoes, wondering if even that was too risky. Did you ever feel like the salt water rinse was just sloshing stuff around instead of actually cleaning? I kept second-guessing if I should do it longer or if I’d somehow make things worse. Maybe I was just being too careful, but I’d rather be anxious than end up with dry socket again… that was the worst.
I totally relate to the mashed potatoes paranoia—my first week after surgery, I basically lived on yogurt and even that felt like a gamble. The salt water rinse thing? Yeah, I always wondered if I was just making a weird soup in my mouth or actually helping. Dry socket is my arch-nemesis, so I get being extra careful. I ended up timing my rinses with a song just to distract myself.
The salt water rinse thing? Yeah, I always wondered if I was just making a weird soup in my mouth or actually helping.
That made me laugh, because I had the same thought after my extraction last year. There’s something about swishing that lukewarm salty water that just feels odd—like you’re following an old family remedy, not actual medical advice. But I do think it helped, at least in my case. I was so nervous about dry socket that I probably overdid the rinsing. I’d set a timer and then get distracted halfway through, so a song would’ve been a smarter move.
I remember being terrified to eat anything solid. Yogurt was my go-to too, but eventually I started mashing up bananas and even those felt risky. Funny how something as simple as eating becomes an ordeal after dental work.
One thing I found helpful was propping myself up with extra pillows at night. Less swelling in the morning, or at least it felt that way. Not sure if there’s science behind it, but it made me feel like I was doing something productive.
You nailed it about the salt water rinse feeling like some weird ritual. But it actually does help—there’s decent science behind it (promotes healing, keeps bacteria in check), even if it feels a bit old-school. I definitely relate to that “am I just making soup?” moment though. And yeah, dry socket paranoia is real. I was so nervous after my wisdom teeth came out that I probably rinsed more than my dentist intended… but better safe than sorry, right?
The food thing gets me every time too. For days, I’d eye anything crunchy like it was a trap. Yogurt and mashed potatoes were basically my entire diet for a week. Even then, I felt like I was testing fate with every bite.
Propping up with pillows—totally did that too. I don’t know if it’s placebo or what, but my face seemed less puffy when I woke up. Sometimes just having a routine makes you feel more in control when everything else is kind of gross and sore.
Glad to hear you got through it without issues. It’s funny what little tricks end up mattering most.
