Yeah, warm compresses are legit, but honestly, I'm too cheap even for the rice bags—I just microwaved a damp towel. Worked like a charm and saved me a few bucks... Bodies really are weird though, trial and error's the name of the game.
I've tried the damp towel trick too, but I always get paranoid it's too hot or something... Did you notice if the pain got worse at night? Mine seems manageable during the day, but at bedtime it ramps up and makes sleeping tough. Wondering if that's normal or just me being unlucky.
"Did you notice if the pain got worse at night? Mine seems manageable during the day, but at bedtime it ramps up and makes sleeping tough."
Yeah, nighttime pain was definitely a thing for me too. I remember lying awake at 2am, convinced something was seriously wrong because it felt way worse than during the day. My dentist explained that lying down increases blood flow to your head and jaw, which can ramp up swelling and discomfort. Propping my head up with an extra pillow actually helped a lot—might be worth a shot if you haven't tried it yet.
Nighttime pain was honestly the worst part for me too. I remember thinking I was doing pretty okay during the day, but as soon as I laid down, it felt like someone flipped a switch. My dentist mentioned something similar—basically, when you're lying flat, blood flow increases to your head and jaw area, making swelling and throbbing worse.
One thing that helped me was icing my jaw about 20 minutes before bed. I'd wrap an ice pack in a towel and just chill on the couch watching TV for a bit. It seemed to calm things down enough to fall asleep easier. Also, I took my pain meds about half an hour before bedtime instead of waiting until it got really bad—that way they kicked in right when I needed them most.
Another trick I stumbled onto was sleeping slightly elevated. I stacked two pillows so my head wasn't completely flat, and it made a noticeable difference. It felt weird at first, but after a night or two, it became pretty comfortable.
Honestly though, the first few nights after my bone graft were rough no matter what I did. It does get better pretty quickly though—by the end of the first week, nighttime pain was way more manageable for me. Hang in there...it'll ease up soon enough.
I definitely agree that nighttime pain is tough, but honestly, icing before bed didn't really help my son much. We tried it a few times, and he said it actually made him feel more uncomfortable—maybe because the cold sensation was too intense right before sleeping? Instead, we found that using a warm compress earlier in the evening relaxed his jaw muscles enough to ease the pain a bit. Every case seems a little different, I suppose...but thankfully, it does get better pretty quickly.
