Lower molars are the worst for that, right? I had root tip surgery on one a couple years back, and the numbness lingered for almost two weeks. Honestly, I was more paranoid about biting my cheek than anything else. Did you find it hard to keep the area clean? I remember using a baby toothbrush and still feeling like I was missing spots. Soft foods were a lifesaver, but I got so tired of mashed potatoes...
Lower molars are definitely a pain for all this stuff. I totally get what you mean about being paranoid about biting your cheek—mine was so swollen after my surgery, I felt like I had a golf ball in there. Did you ever wake up in the morning and realize you'd chewed on your cheek in your sleep? That happened to me once and it freaked me out.
Keeping things clean was probably the hardest part for me, honestly. I tried those tiny dental brushes, but it always felt like I was either poking the sore spot or missing it entirely. The baby toothbrush trick is smart—I wish I’d thought of that. I ended up using a saltwater rinse a couple times a day, which helped with the gross feeling, but I still worried about food getting stuck. Did you use any special mouthwash or just stick with water?
About the food... yeah, mashed potatoes get old fast. I lived on yogurt and scrambled eggs for way too long. At some point, I just started blending up soups and pretending it was fancy. Did you ever try those protein shakes or meal replacement drinks? I got desperate and tried a chocolate one—regretted it immediately, it tasted like chalk.
It took me about three weeks before things felt mostly normal again. The numbness faded slowly, but the weirdest part was how my bite felt off for a while. Did that happen to you? Like, my teeth didn’t quite fit together right at first. It eventually sorted itself out, but it made me super self-conscious.
Hang in there—it does get better, even if it feels like forever when you're in the middle of it. And honestly, once you can eat real food again, it's the best feeling.
The numbness faded slowly, but the weirdest part was how my bite felt off for a while.
Oh man, I remember that exact feeling. My bite felt like it belonged to someone else for at least a couple weeks, and I kept worrying it was permanent. I stuck with saltwater rinses too, but I actually tried one of those “gentle” mouthwashes and it just stung like crazy—never again. Did you have any issues with sensitivity to hot or cold after things started healing? That tripped me up for months, especially with ice cream.
That’s interesting—my bite was off for a while too, but I chalked it up to swelling. The sensitivity thing hit me hard, especially with cold stuff. Warm drinks were fine, but ice water? Forget it. Did your dentist say how long that should last? Mine kept saying “give it time,” which wasn’t super helpful.
Mine kept saying “give it time,” which wasn’t super helpful.
I totally get that frustration. My dentist said the same thing, but after a couple weeks, I started wondering if something was off. For me, the cold sensitivity didn’t fade until almost two months later, and honestly, I kept worrying it was permanent. I actually went back in for a follow-up because I was convinced it shouldn’t last that long. Turns out, sometimes the nerves just take their sweet time settling down. Maybe I’m just overly cautious, but I’d rather double-check than sit around hoping it’ll magically improve.