Haha, frozen corn... that's a new one for me! I stuck with peas myself, mostly because that's what my dentist recommended, but honestly, anything frozen and moldable probably does the trick. I remember after my bone graft, I got super ambitious and tried using those gel ice packs at first—but they were way too stiff and awkwardly shaped. Peas were just so much easier to shape around my jawline.
Pain-wise, totally relate to your experience. I underestimated how uncomfortable it would be, especially the first three or four days. For me, nights were the worst. I'd wake up every couple hours, uncomfortable and annoyed, and have to shuffle to the freezer again. One night, half-asleep, I grabbed a bag of frozen blueberries instead of peas. Didn't realize until the next morning when I woke up with purple juice stains on my pillowcase. Not my finest moment...
Something else that helped me was staying ahead of the pain with meds. My oral surgeon stressed taking ibuprofen regularly, even if the pain wasn't too bad yet. I was skeptical at first (I'm usually the "wait and see" type), but honestly, it made a huge difference. Once I started following his advice strictly, things improved noticeably.
Also, random tip: watch out for spicy or acidic foods once you start eating again. I got overly confident around day 10 and tried some salsa—big mistake. My gums were not ready for that kind of excitement yet. Stick to bland stuff a little longer than you think you need to, trust me.
Anyway, hang in there. It really does get better pretty quickly after that first rough patch. Before you know it, you'll be back to regular food and forgetting all about your freezer veggies...
Haha, the frozen blueberries story cracked me up... reminds me of when I had mine done. I was rotating between peas and corn too, but one night reached for what I thought was peas and ended up with a bag of frozen mixed veggies instead. Woke up confused by random carrot bits poking through the bag, lol.
Totally agree on the meds thing—staying ahead really helps. I was stubborn at first too, thinking I'd tough it out until it got bad. Big mistake. Once I started taking ibuprofen regularly, things improved fast.
Also second the spicy food warning. But I'd add: watch out for crunchy stuff too. Around day 12 or so, I felt brave enough to try crackers dipped in soup (thinking they'd soften), and let's just say my gums weren't impressed...
Hang in there though, each day gets noticeably better after that initial rough patch. Before you know it, you'll be biting into pizza without even thinking about freezer veggies again.
Haha, the mixed veggies thing is too relatable. I remember after my bone graft, I was so desperate for relief that I grabbed whatever frozen stuff was closest. Ended up with a bag of frozen mango chunks pressed to my face at 3 AM—sticky condensation dripping everywhere when it thawed... not my finest moment.
You're spot on about staying ahead of the pain meds. I made the same mistake at first, thinking I'd just power through it. Big nope. Did anyone else find that alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen helped more than just sticking to one? My dentist recommended it, and honestly, it made a noticeable difference for me.
Interesting you mentioned crunchy foods around day 12—I tried toast around then thinking I'd be safe if I chewed on the opposite side. Nope again. Tiny crumbs somehow found their way over there anyway, and it felt like sandpaper against my gums for hours afterward. Soup and smoothies became my best friends after that little experiment.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet: did anyone else have trouble sleeping comfortably those first few nights? For me, lying flat seemed to make the throbbing worse, so I ended up propping myself up with pillows like some kind of dental patient throne... not exactly restful but better than nothing.
Anyway, hang in there—it really does get easier pretty quickly once you're past that initial hump. Soon enough you'll forget all about your freezer adventures and crunchy-food regrets.
"Soup and smoothies became my best friends after that little experiment."
Haha, same here. I learned pretty fast that being overly ambitious with food just wasn't worth it. The pillow throne setup is spot-on too—I think I slept sitting halfway up for at least three nights. Hang in there, you're right about it getting easier soon. Before you know it, you'll be back to eating normally without even thinking twice about crumbs or frozen mangoes...
I remember those pillow throne nights too...tried to cheat with some pasta way too early and regretted it instantly. Did anyone else find cold stuff actually made the pain worse sometimes? Smoothies were great, but ice cream was a no-go for me. Weird how everyone's different with this stuff. Anyway, hang tight—it really does get better faster than you'd think.
