Yeah, the swelling thing threw me off too. I was expecting to bounce back in a couple days, but it took closer to two weeks for my face to look normal again. I remember being super paranoid about the stitches—I’d check them in the mirror after every meal. I did have some weird tingling on one side, kind of like when your foot falls asleep. It faded after a while, but it made me second-guess every bite. I guess as long as it’s not getting worse, it’s probably just part of the process.
That tingling is familiar—I had it too, kind of like pins and needles that wouldn’t quit. Took me about three weeks before my jaw felt “mine” again. I obsessed over those stitches, worried I’d pop one just by yawning. It’s wild how slow the face is to bounce back, but once the swelling went down, things improved fast. If the tingling fades, you’re probably healing up just fine.
I obsessed over those stitches, worried I’d pop one just by yawning.
Ha, same here—yawning turned into a high-stakes sport for me. Did you ever get weird numb patches that stuck around longer than the tingling? Mine felt like a fuzzy sock on my chin for ages.
Mine felt like a fuzzy sock on my chin for ages.
Funny, I actually didn’t get much numbness after mine—just that pins-and-needles thing for a few days. Maybe it depends on which tooth or how deep they had to go? I was more paranoid about the stitches catching on food than the numb patches, honestly.
Maybe it depends on which tooth or how deep they had to go?
That’s a good point. When I had mine done on a lower molar, the oral surgeon mentioned that nerves in that area can cause lingering numbness. I also worried more about food getting stuck than the numb feeling—soft foods helped a lot.
