The mouth is wild—sometimes it looks worse before it gets better.
Totally agree with this. I remember stressing over the weird colors and swelling after my own implant, but things settled down pretty quick. The healing process is messy, but it really does bounce back fast. Hang in there, you’re not alone.
Honestly, I get why you’re worried—stitches in the mouth just feel weird and look kinda gnarly at first. Did your doc say if they’ll dissolve on their own, or do you need to go back for removal? I remember mine looked puffy and dark for a few days, then suddenly things calmed down. Are you having any pain or just noticing the swelling and colors? Sometimes a little saltwater rinse (if your dentist okayed it) helps with the gross feeling.
Yeah, I’m in the same boat—my stitches looked super swollen and kind of purple for a few days, which freaked me out. My oral surgeon said they’d dissolve, but I keep checking them just in case. It’s more the weird pressure than pain for me. Saltwater rinses help a bit, but I’m nervous about messing anything up. Glad I’m not the only one who’s anxious about this stuff.
I totally get the anxiety—mine looked puffy and a bit bruised for almost a week, and I kept thinking, “Is this normal or am I about to lose a tooth?” The dissolving stitches thing is weirdly stressful because you can’t really see them breaking down, you just have to trust the process. I’m with you on the pressure too. It’s not sharp pain, but it’s like this dull ache that makes you hyper-aware of every little movement in your mouth.
I was so worried about messing up the healing that I barely ate anything solid for days. Did your surgeon give you any tips on what to avoid? Mine said no straws and nothing crunchy, but sometimes I wonder if I’m being overly cautious. And do your stitches feel tighter at night? I swear mine always felt worse after dinner, which made me second-guess if I was doing something wrong...
I hear you on the anxiety, but honestly, I think we can get a little too cautious sometimes. My oral surgeon said soft foods are good, but he also told me not to be afraid of chewing gently on the opposite side after a few days. I was so worried about the stitches at first, but they never actually felt tighter at night for me—maybe it’s just swelling from eating or talking more in the evening? I do think it’s easy to overthink every twinge... I caught myself checking my mouth with a flashlight more than once.
