"I also found that lukewarm herbal teas helped soothe the soreness—especially chamomile or peppermint."
Chamomile tea was my best friend too, but honestly, I got a little bored after the third day. Here's what saved me: blended soups. Just toss some veggies like carrots, zucchini, and spinach into a pot, simmer until soft, blend until smooth (no rogue chunks allowed!), and let it cool down to lukewarm. It's filling, nutritious, and you feel less like you're stuck eating baby food every meal... which is a bonus when your mouth feels like it's hosting a renovation project.
Chamomile was definitely comforting at first, but yeah, after a couple days it felt like I was drinking flower water on repeat... Blended soups sound like a great idea though—I wish I'd thought of that earlier! I ended up relying heavily on smoothies. Frozen bananas, berries, and a spoonful of yogurt blended up nicely into something cool and soothing. It was gentle enough not to irritate my mouth, and the coldness actually helped numb some of the soreness temporarily.
One thing I learned the hard way: avoid anything acidic. I made the mistake of tossing in pineapple once (thinking it'd be refreshing), and let's just say it felt like I poured lemon juice on an open cut... ouch. Also, mashed potatoes became my comfort food—lukewarm, creamy, and easy to swallow without much chewing.
Honestly, the hardest part for me wasn't even the pain itself; it was the anxiety around eating. Every meal felt like navigating a minefield—I kept worrying I'd accidentally bite down wrong or irritate something healing. So having these gentle foods ready ahead of time really helped ease my nerves. It's reassuring to hear others had similar experiences and found ways to cope too. Makes me feel less alone in this whole mouth-renovation journey, haha.
Totally relate to the anxiety part—it's like you're hyper-aware of every bite. Mashed potatoes were my go-to as well, but I also found scrambled eggs surprisingly helpful. Soft, protein-rich, and easy to swallow without irritation... might be worth a try if you're getting bored of smoothies.
"Mashed potatoes were my go-to as well, but I also found scrambled eggs surprisingly helpful."
Scrambled eggs are definitely underrated for this! Had a patient once who swore by softly cooked oatmeal with a bit of honey—said it was comforting and gentle enough even after some pretty intense dental work. Personally, I remember leaning heavily on yogurt and soups when I had my wisdom teeth out. Did anyone else find temperature mattered a lot? Warm foods felt soothing, but anything too hot or cold was a no-go for me...
Temperature was definitely a big deal for me too. I remember after my root canal, I thought ice cream would be perfect—soft, easy to eat—but nope, the cold made everything worse. Ended up sticking mostly to lukewarm broth and room-temp applesauce for a few days. Weirdly enough, scrambled eggs didn't work for me either; the texture felt off somehow. Everyone's different, I guess...
