The paranoia about messing up healing is real... I kept checking the mirror for any weird changes daily.
This is way too relatable. I remember after my apico, I was convinced every little twinge meant something was wrong. Salt water was my go-to too—felt way less harsh than anything else. Honestly, that first brush after surgery felt like tiptoeing through a minefield. It does get easier, though, even if it feels like forever at first. Hang in there, you’re definitely not alone in the paranoia department.
That constant urge to check the mirror—yep, been there. I remember after my apico, I kept thinking, “Is that swelling normal? Did I brush too close?” It’s wild how hyper-aware you get. One thing I learned: gentle brushing with a super soft brush, then salt water rinse, then just… waiting. The waiting is the hardest part. But honestly, most little twinges ended up being nothing. It’s tough, but your mouth really does know how to heal itself if you give it a chance.
I can relate to that hyper-awareness you mentioned. After my apico, I was convinced every tiny ache meant something was wrong. I kept checking for swelling and even started taking photos just to compare day by day—probably overkill, but it made me feel a bit more in control.
One thing I noticed is that the area stayed tender way longer than I expected, especially when brushing. I switched to a kid’s toothbrush for a while because even the “ultra soft” adult brushes felt rough. Salt water rinses definitely helped, but I found that if I did them too often, my mouth felt kind of raw. Twice a day seemed like the sweet spot for me.
Waiting really is brutal, though. It’s so easy to second-guess every sensation, but most of those little twinges faded on their own. The best advice I got was to avoid poking at the area with my tongue (harder than it sounds). It’s wild how much patience this stuff takes...
I totally get the photo thing—I started a “gum selfie” album on my phone just to track the tiniest changes. Not sure if it helped or just made me more paranoid, honestly. Did you ever get weird tingling or like a numb patch near the stitches? I keep poking at it with my tongue without even realizing, then regret it every time. Also, how long did you stick with the kid’s toothbrush? I’m still terrified of switching back to my regular one.
That tingling and numbness around the stitches is actually pretty common, at least in my experience. I remember having a weird patch that felt kind of “asleep” for a couple weeks after my apicoectomy. It drove me nuts, especially since I couldn’t stop checking it with my tongue either... I think it’s just the nerves waking up or healing, but if it lingers or gets worse, definitely check in with your dentist.
As for the kid’s toothbrush—honestly, I stuck with the extra-soft bristles for almost a month. Switching back to my regular brush felt like using a power tool on delicate tissue, so I waited until everything looked and felt normal (and my dentist said it was okay). Even then, I went super gentle for a while. If you’re still nervous, no shame in taking it slow. The main thing is keeping things clean without irritating the area.
And yeah, tracking changes can be a double-edged sword. Sometimes it helped me feel more in control, sometimes it made me overthink every tiny bump or color change. Totally normal to feel that way.
