Couldn’t agree more about wanting clearer “what’s normal” info after surgery. Every time I’ve had work done—implants, gum grafts, you name it—I end up second-guessing everything for days. The dissolving stitches especially can look gnarly, and it’s wild how much uglier it gets before healing kicks in. Last round, mine started poking out and turning white at the ends, and I was convinced something had gone sideways, but my dentist said that’s just what happens as they break down.
The whole not-overloading-us theory makes sense, but honestly, I’d rather be a little overwhelmed than panicked and googling at 2am. I keep wishing they’d hand out a photo sheet of “this is fine vs. call us now.” Swelling and weird colors seem par for the course, but yeah, it’s tough to know what crosses the line into “actually bad.”
In my experience, if you don’t have crazy pain or oozing blood that won’t stop, you’re probably okay—but I still end up texting the office with photos half the time anyway. It’s just nerve-wracking when it’s your mouth (or your kid’s).
When my daughter had her first oral surgery, I thought I was prepared, but the stitches looked way worse than I expected. They turned kind of grayish and started sticking out at weird angles after a few days. Honestly, I almost called the office just because it looked so odd, but she wasn’t in pain and there was no bleeding. Still, I wish they’d give a “here’s what’s ugly but normal” handout—would save a lot of stress. The uncertainty is the worst part, especially when it’s your kid.
That “ugly but normal” handout would’ve saved me a ton of worry too. When I had my own implant surgery, the stitches honestly looked like something out of a Halloween movie after about four days. They started curling up and changing color, and I was convinced something was wrong, even though the area didn’t hurt and wasn’t swollen. I kept checking for signs of infection just in case.
I get what you mean about the stress being worse than the actual recovery sometimes. It’s so different seeing it on your kid, though—I can only imagine how much more nerve-wracking that is. Looking back, I wish someone had told me that stitches often look weird before they fall out or dissolve. The dental assistant later said as long as there’s no pain, fever, or weird smell, it’s probably just part of healing... but man, it’s hard not to worry when it looks so gnarly.
Totally get this—mine looked so ragged I was sure something had gone wrong, but the dentist said it was normal too. Did yours eventually dissolve on their own, or did you have to go back to get them removed? That part made me nervous.
Mine were supposed to dissolve but I kept checking them every day because they looked so weird. Ended up calling the office twice just to make sure nothing was wrong... They eventually dissolved after like two weeks, but honestly, it felt like forever. Did anyone else’s take longer? I was worried about accidentally pulling one out when brushing.
