Citrus totally worked for me too—lemon water was my go-to when everything tasted off. I get what you mean about the timeline being all over the place; some days I’d feel nearly normal, then all of a sudden, the metallic taste or weird aches would come back and mess with my meals. Cold stuff was rough on my wallet because I kept buying ice packs, thinking it’d help...but nope, just more tooth pain. Hang in there—it really does even out, just takes longer than anyone warns you.
Hang in there—it really does even out, just takes longer than anyone warns you.
That metallic taste you mentioned is so common—I've heard folks describe it as “chewing on a penny.” Funny thing, I’ve seen patients swear by lemon water, but for some, the acid actually made their gums sting a bit more. It’s wild how unpredictable the recovery can be. I always wonder if it’s nerves waking up or just the body’s way of healing at its own pace. Ice packs are such a double-edged sword... great for swelling, but yeah, too much cold and suddenly you’re dealing with zinging tooth pain. It’s rarely a straight line back to normal, and honestly, I wish more people were warned about that.
It’s rarely a straight line back to normal, and honestly, I wish more people were warned about that.
Totally relate to this. My recovery after root tip surgery was all over the place—one day I’d think, “Hey, it’s finally getting better,” and then out of nowhere I’d get that weird metallic taste or a random ache. For me, the first week was the toughest. Swelling and that tingling feeling whenever I tried to eat anything remotely warm or cold. Ice packs helped at first, but if I left them on too long, my teeth would actually start throbbing.
I also tried lemon water because someone suggested it might help with the taste, but it just made my gums burn. Ended up sticking with plain water and softer foods for a while. The unpredictability really threw me off—I kept expecting things to improve in a neat timeline, but it was more like two steps forward, one step back.
Honestly, I didn’t feel “normal” until about four weeks out. Even then, there were occasional zings if I chewed on that side. It’s frustrating but seems pretty common from what I’ve read here.
That metallic taste is so familiar—mine lingered for ages, and I kept second-guessing whether it was normal. For me, it was about five weeks before I trusted that things were really settling down. I also tried to tough out firmer foods too soon and paid for it with extra soreness. The unpredictability made me a lot more cautious than I expected... I wish someone had told me recovery is rarely linear.
That metallic taste really does linger, doesn’t it? I remember thinking I’d never get rid of it—almost like chewing on a penny for weeks. For me, the recovery felt like two steps forward, one step back. Some days I’d wake up and think, “Okay, this is finally over,” only to get hit with random throbbing or that weird taste after lunch. I was told by my dentist that some sensitivity and odd flavors were normal, but honestly, nothing quite prepares you for how unpredictable it all is.
I also pushed myself too quickly with food. Tried to eat a sandwich about a week in (bad idea), and paid for it with jaw soreness that set me back a few days. There’s definitely something to be said for working your way up from soups and smoothies—lesson learned the hard way. I think the biggest surprise was how much my energy dipped during recovery. Maybe it was the stress or just my body working overtime to heal, but I needed way more rest than expected.
Curious if anyone else noticed changes in their sense of taste or even smell? Mine felt off for a while—not just metallic, but almost dulled overall. It eventually faded, but not as quickly as I hoped. Makes me wonder if that’s common or if I just got unlucky with nerve irritation. Did anyone here experience anything similar? Or maybe you had other weird aftereffects that lingered longer than the pain itself?
