Totally get what you're saying about stress being sneaky. After my graft, I was convinced my pain was just random bad luck—like my mouth had a mind of its own. But then I noticed it always seemed worse after a rough day at work or when I was running late and stressing about traffic. Took me embarrassingly long to connect those dots, haha. It's weird how our bodies react to stuff we don't even realize we're feeling.
Anyway, glad you figured out your trigger. And to the OP, hang in there—bone graft recovery is no joke, but it does get easier. Sometimes it's just trial and error figuring out what's setting things off. You got this.
Same here, stress totally messed with my recovery too. I kept blaming my cheap mattress for the random jaw aches, even considered splurging on a fancy pillow...turns out it was just my boss driving me nuts at work, lol. Once I chilled out a bit, things improved noticeably. Hang tight OP, you'll get there eventually.
"turns out it was just my boss driving me nuts at work, lol."
Haha, totally relatable! Stress is such an underrated factor in recovery, especially with dental procedures like bone grafts. I've seen patients who follow every instruction perfectly but still struggle with lingering discomfort because they're dealing with a ton of stress or anxiety. It really can make your body tense up and slow down healing without you even realizing it.
One thing that sometimes helps is gentle jaw stretches or relaxation techniques—nothing too intense, just enough to ease tension. Also, being mindful of clenching or grinding habits during stressful periods can make a big difference. It's amazing how much our mental state influences physical healing... Glad things improved once you chilled out a bit! Hang in there, OP; recovery can be bumpy, but you'll get through it.
Totally agree, stress can really mess with healing. Do you notice yourself clenching more when you're stressed? I've had patients who didn't even realize they were grinding until we talked about it... jaw tension sneaks up on you. Glad you're feeling better now though.
That's a really good point about jaw tension sneaking up on you. My daughter went through something similar after her bone graft surgery. She was having a tough recovery, and we couldn't figure out why the pain seemed worse some days. Turns out, she was clenching her jaw in her sleep without even realizing it—probably because of stress and discomfort. Once we figured that out, we tried some relaxation techniques before bed, like gentle stretching and deep breathing exercises, and it honestly made a noticeable difference. I think stress management is way more important in healing than most people realize. Glad you're starting to feel better—hang in there, it does get easier.
