That’s interesting, because I was super nervous about messing anything up after my extraction. I pretty much stuck to one side and lived on yogurt and mashed potatoes for a week. Looking back, maybe I was being a bit too careful? The idea of gentle chewing makes sense though—my dentist said something similar about blood flow and not babying it forever. It’s just hard to trust that when you’re scared of dry socket, ya know?
I definitely overthought every bite at first. Even soft bread felt like a risk. But after a few days, I got braver and tried scrambled eggs and rice, just making sure nothing got stuck. Still, the thought of popcorn or chips freaked me out—no way I was going there.
Guess it really is about finding that balance between being careful and not stressing yourself out more. The anxiety is real, but I think listening to your body helps. If it hurts, back off... if not, maybe it’s okay to ease back into normal food.
I totally get the paranoia about dry socket. I was the same—super cautious, but then wondered if I was just making things harder for myself. Did you have any issues with stuff getting stuck in the socket? That was my biggest fear, especially with rice. I found rinsing gently with salt water helped, but sometimes I worried I was rinsing too much and messing up healing. Ever feel like you just can’t win either way?
We actually took a different approach with my kid—our dentist said not to rinse at all for the first 24 hours, and then only really gently after meals. I was nervous about stuff getting stuck too, but honestly, nothing ever did. Maybe being a little less aggressive with rinsing made a difference? I sometimes wonder if all that extra rinsing just stirs things up more than it helps.
