Had an apicoectomy done two days ago on one of my upper front teeth, and man, this soreness is no joke. I've been taking ibuprofen regularly, but it only seems to dull things slightly. Eating anything remotely solid is a bit of a nightmare right now. The dentist said discomfort for a few days was normal, but I wasn't expecting it to be this persistent, you know? Wondering if anyone else had similar experiences—like how long did the worst part last? Did ice packs or certain meds help better for you? I'm supposed to go back to work tomorrow, but talking all day doesn't sound super appealing at the moment lol. Just kinda wanna know what I'm in for or if there's something else I should try.
Had mine done last year, and yeah, the soreness was pretty stubborn for about 4-5 days. Ice packs helped a bit, but honestly, soft foods and Netflix were my best friends. Did your dentist mention anything stronger than ibuprofen?
"Did your dentist mention anything stronger than ibuprofen?"
Mine actually prescribed something stronger—think it was Tylenol with codeine—but honestly, I didn't end up needing it. Ibuprofen every few hours and rotating ice packs did the trick for me. The soreness peaked around day 3 or 4, then gradually eased off. Did your dentist give you any antibiotic rinse or anything? Mine had me use a prescription mouthwash to help healing, and I swear that made a noticeable difference. Also, weirdly enough, sleeping propped up on an extra pillow helped reduce swelling overnight...might be worth trying if you're still uncomfortable.
Mine didn't give me anything stronger either, just ibuprofen and the usual "ice it and you'll be fine" spiel. Honestly, I was skeptical at first—like, seriously doc?—but turns out he was right. The worst of it eased up after about four days. Totally agree on the extra pillow trick, btw...felt weirdly bougie sleeping propped up like royalty, but hey, whatever works, right? Hang in there, it'll get better soon.
Honestly, I was skeptical at first—like, seriously doc?—but turns out he was right.
Had mine done last year and yeah, the soreness was pretty rough for about 3-5 days. Ibuprofen helped me a bit, but honestly, alternating ice packs with warm compresses seemed to make the biggest difference. The warmth helped relax things after icing, kinda weird but it worked for me.
Agree with others about sleeping elevated too—thought it sounded silly at first, but it really did cut down on swelling overnight. Eating was tricky for about a week, stuck mostly to soups, scrambled eggs, and smoothies. Didn't even wanna think about biting into anything crunchy or chewy lol.
By day 4 or 5, things started easing noticeably, and by the end of the week, I barely noticed it anymore. Talking at work was awkward the first couple days back, but sipping water throughout the day helped keep things comfy.
Hang in there, you're probably past the worst of it now.
