I’m honestly relieved to hear I’m not the only one obsessing over the socket. I keep worrying I’ll mess something up with the syringe, even though my dentist said it’s fine as long as I don’t jab it in. Did anyone notice if starting the rinses too soon made things worse? I waited three days just because I was paranoid, but now I’m second guessing if that was smart. Also, does anyone else get freaked out by every tiny twinge, or is that just me?
I totally get the paranoia about the syringe—I was convinced I’d somehow poke a hole in the wrong spot or dislodge the clot. Honestly, I waited about two and a half days before starting rinses, just because I was scared of messing things up. My oral surgeon told me to wait 24 hours, but I chickened out and gave it extra time. Didn’t seem to make things worse for me, if anything it helped my nerves settle a bit.
As for the twinges, you’re definitely not alone. Every weird sensation made me think something was going wrong. Sometimes it was just a piece of food stuck or my jaw being sore from not eating on that side. The best trick for me was distracting myself—Netflix marathons, podcasts, whatever kept my mind off the socket.
If it helps, I stuck to saltwater rinses and didn’t use the syringe super aggressively. Just gentle pressure and letting gravity do its thing. It’s hard not to overthink every step, but you’re doing fine. The anxiety is honestly worse than most of the healing process.
If it helps, I stuck to saltwater rinses and didn’t use the syringe super aggressively. Just gentle pressure and letting gravity do its thing.
Saltwater rinses were my go-to too, mainly because they're cheap and you can make them at home. Did anyone else wonder if using tap water was okay, or should we have splurged on bottled? I just boiled mine to be safe—maybe overkill, but hey, less anxiety. Also, I totally relate to the Netflix distraction method... somehow binging comedies made my jaw hurt less.
Did anyone else wonder if using tap water was okay, or should we have splurged on bottled? I just boiled mine to be safe—maybe overkill, but hey, less anxiety.
I totally did the same thing—boiled tap water like I was prepping for some science experiment. My mom said I was being dramatic, but honestly, it helped me sleep better. And yeah, comedy marathons were my painkiller... the laughing made my stitches twinge, but worth it.
boiled tap water like I was prepping for some science experiment
That’s basically how I felt too. I even used a separate cup just for rinsing, which my family teased me about. But honestly, after having a minor infection once (probably from not being careful enough), I’d rather be “dramatic” than risk it again. Did anyone else get super paranoid about changing their toothbrush after surgery? I swapped mine out right away, but I’m not sure if that’s standard or just my anxiety talking...
