I was worried about accidentally pulling one out when brushing.
Same here, I swear I was brushing like I was handling a Fabergé egg or something. My stitches took about three weeks to finally disappear, and I was convinced they were never going to go. I even tried to avoid eating anything that required actual chewing, which made me realize how many of my favorite cheap snacks are off-limits post-surgery. Did anyone else get freaked out by the color changing as they dissolved? I kept thinking they were moldy or something...
Did anyone else get freaked out by the color changing as they dissolved? I kept thinking they were moldy or something...
Honestly, I was more fascinated than freaked out by the whole dissolving stitches thing. Maybe I’m just weird, but watching them slowly change color felt like a science experiment in my mouth. I do get what you mean about being super gentle, though—I was brushing so carefully that I probably missed half my teeth for a week. But I gotta say, I didn’t avoid chewy foods as much as I probably should have. Ended up eating soft tacos on day four (don’t recommend), and nothing disastrous happened... just some regret and a lot of extra rinsing.
About the stitches, mine turned this weird grayish-blue before finally vanishing. It was definitely odd, but I figured as long as nothing smelled funky or hurt, it was probably fine. Maybe I’m just too laid back about these things, but I never really worried about pulling one out. They seemed tougher than they looked—like dental floss’s stubborn cousin.
That color-changing thing seriously threw me off the first time I had dissolving stitches. I remember checking in the mirror every day, convinced something had gone wrong because they started out clear-ish, then got this weird brown tint, and eventually almost black. I actually called my dentist in a panic—she just laughed and said it was normal. Felt a bit silly after that.
I totally relate to the brushing paranoia too. I was so worried about accidentally yanking one out that I basically just dabbed at my teeth for a week. Couldn’t bring myself to eat anything but mashed potatoes and yogurt for days. But honestly, they’re tougher than you’d think. One of mine hung on for nearly two weeks and only disappeared after I ate a piece of bread (not even crunchy bread, just regular sandwich bread).
If it helps, my dentist told me as long as there’s no swelling, pain, or gross smell, the stitches are just doing their thing—even if they look a little sketchy. It’s weirdly fascinating once you get past the initial “is this normal?” panic.
That color change really freaked me out too—my kid had dissolving stitches after a baby tooth extraction, and I was convinced something was wrong when they turned brownish. Did you notice any weird taste when they started to break down? My daughter kept complaining about a “gross string” flavor for a few days. I was also super careful with brushing, but the dentist said it’s actually fine as long as you’re gentle. How long did yours take to fully dissolve? Ours were still hanging around at the two-week checkup, which surprised me.
That brownish color threw me off too—thought something was wrong at first. My son definitely complained about a weird taste, kind of plasticky or bitter, when his stitches were dissolving. I was surprised how long they stuck around; his lasted close to three weeks before finally disappearing. The dentist reassured us that as long as there’s no swelling or pain, it’s usually fine. Honestly, being gentle with brushing made all the difference for us.