Swelling and bruising definitely freaked me out after my implant, especially since I was trying to avoid another trip to the dentist (and the bill that comes with it). I do think heat helped more than ice after the first couple days, but I was super paranoid about the stitches looking weird. Mine started fraying and honestly looked like fuzzy dental floss for a bit. No infection though, so I just kept an eye on it. As long as there’s no zombie-level redness or mystery ooze, I’d say it’s probably just part of the process... even if it looks a little gnarly.
As long as there’s no zombie-level redness or mystery ooze, I’d say it’s probably just part of the process... even if it looks a little gnarly.
I get wanting to avoid another bill, but honestly, if the stitches look “fuzzy” or start fraying a lot, I’d probably check in with your dentist just in case. Even without obvious infection signs, sometimes minor issues can sneak up. Heat vs. ice is interesting—my oral surgeon insisted on sticking with ice for swelling the first 48 hours. Maybe everyone’s body reacts differently, though.
if the stitches look “fuzzy” or start fraying a lot, I’d probably check in with your dentist just in case. Even without obvious infection signs, sometimes minor issues can sneak up.
This is exactly what’s got me so nervous. I’m a week out from my implant and the stitches look... not great? They’re not red or oozing, but there’s this weird fuzzy bit on one end and I can’t tell if it’s just dissolving or coming apart. Is that normal? I keep second-guessing whether it’s healing or if something’s wrong.
I really don’t want to go back in unless I have to (the bill last time was no joke), but at the same time, I keep thinking about all those horror stories you hear about infections sneaking up. My jaw isn’t super swollen, but it does feel kind of tight still. No fever though. Did anyone else have stitches that looked like they were falling apart before they dissolved?
About the ice vs. heat thing—I got told the same as you, only ice for the first couple days, then nothing after that. But my friend said her doc recommended switching to warm compresses after 48 hours. Maybe it depends on the person? I’m always worried I’ll do the wrong thing and mess up healing somehow.
Is it normal for things to look worse before they get better? I keep checking mine every few hours (probably making myself more anxious). How long did yours take before it stopped looking gross? And did anyone else feel kind of paranoid about every little change? This is my first time with stitches in my mouth and honestly, I’m not loving it.
Would love to hear if anyone else had weird-looking stitches that turned out fine. Or if you ended up going back in, was it worth it for peace of mind?
Totally get the paranoia—mouth stitches freaked me out too. Mine got all fuzzy and ragged after about a week, and I was convinced something was wrong, but my dentist said it was just the dissolvable ones breaking down. As long as you’re not seeing pus or getting a fever, it’s probably just ugly healing. The tight jaw thing happened to me too and faded after another week or so. I checked mine way too much, which honestly just made me more anxious. If it starts hurting more or you notice a bad smell, maybe call, but otherwise, sounds pretty normal from what I went through.
As long as you’re not seeing pus or getting a fever, it’s probably just ugly healing.
Did your stitches actually fall out on their own, or did you end up with little stringy bits for a while? Mine started to unravel and I kept poking at them with my tongue (probably not the best idea). I get the paranoia—every weird taste or twinge had me Googling “implant infection” at 2am. Did you have any swelling that came back after the first week, or was it just the jaw tightness? The whole “fuzzy and ragged” look is so gross, but I guess that’s normal?