"Ice cream was hit or miss for me too; sometimes it soothed things, other times it just made everything ache worse (no idea why)."
Yeah, ice cream can be tricky—cold numbs things at first, but the sugar content can irritate sensitive gums. I found lukewarm oatmeal surprisingly helpful... bland, sure, but gentle enough to get me through the roughest days.
Ice cream never worked for me either—honestly, anything sugary seemed to make the soreness flare up even worse. Lukewarm oatmeal sounds okay, but personally, I swear by scrambled eggs. They're soft enough not to irritate and the protein actually helps you feel full longer. Plus, oatmeal gets old pretty fast... eggs at least give you a bit more flavor variety if you toss in some mild cheese or herbs.
"Plus, oatmeal gets old pretty fast... eggs at least give you a bit more flavor variety if you toss in some mild cheese or herbs."
Haha, totally agree about oatmeal burnout—been there, done that. Scrambled eggs are a lifesaver, especially if you jazz them up just enough to keep things interesting. Another trick I recommend to patients is mashed avocado. Sounds weird at first, but it's super gentle on sore gums and has healthy fats that help with healing. Plus, it feels like you're eating something fancy-ish instead of baby food for days on end...
Mashed avocado is a great call—I discovered that one by accident after my wisdom teeth came out. At first I thought it'd be bland, but a little salt and lime juice made it pretty tasty. Another thing that saved me was chilled smoothies. Not freezing cold (ouch!) but just cool enough to soothe the soreness. Plus, you can sneak in some protein powder or yogurt to keep yourself full longer. Beats oatmeal round 10, haha...
Mashed avocado sounds like a good tip, wish I'd thought of that earlier. My kiddo just had braces tightened and smoothies have been our go-to as well. But honestly, we're both getting bored with the usual banana-strawberry combo. Have you tried any savory smoothie recipes? Wondering if something like cucumber or spinach would taste decent without being too weird...