Keeping my mouth clean after apicoectomy is driving me nuts

The soft-food diet is rough though. I tried eating scrambled eggs until I couldn’t stand the sight of them.

I hit that same wall with mashed potatoes - thought I could live on those, but even with different toppings, after day three it was just... no. Did you try any budget-friendly soft foods? Yogurt and pudding get expensive pretty fast, at least where I am. I ended up making my own applesauce just to save a few bucks.

About the foam swabs: are those really meant to replace brushing entirely for a while? My dentist said “gentle cleaning only,” but didn’t mention these specifically. I found a pack online, but they’re not cheap. Did your insurance cover any of this stuff? I keep wondering if there’s a cheaper alternative, or if rinsing with salt water is enough for a few days.

Salt water rinses are annoying, yeah, but I noticed less swelling when I stuck with it. No idea if that’s coincidence or not. Did you see a difference?

I totally get what you mean about the cost of all those soft foods - pudding and Greek yogurt are like little luxury items where I live. I started making my own oatmeal (soaked overnight for extra softness), and it was a lifesaver on my wallet and my sanity.

About those foam swabs, I was told they’re more of a supplement than a full-on replacement for brushing, but every dentist seems to have their own take. My insurance didn’t cover them, so I just stuck with gentle rinsing and a super soft brush after a couple days. Salt water definitely helped keep the swelling down for me, too - felt like it sped up healing, though who knows if that’s just wishful thinking.

Hang in there - it gets better, even if it feels endless right now.

- Totally with you on the price of soft foods. I ended up living on mashed bananas and instant mashed potatoes for a week - cheapest options I could find.
- Tried those foam swabs once... didn’t really feel like they did much, honestly. Super soft brush was way better for me, just had to go slow.
- Salt water rinse was my go-to too. Not sure if it actually sped things up, but it felt cleaner.
- The whole thing is such a pain, but yeah, it does get easier. The first few days were the worst for me.

I hear you on those foam swabs - not worth the hassle for me either. I always felt like a gentle brush (kids’ toothbrushes are my secret weapon) did a better job, even if it took forever. Salt water made things sting sometimes, but I stuck with it just for that fresh feeling. First couple days were rough, but honestly, once I found a routine, it got manageable. Funny how quickly you adapt when you have to.

Salt water made things sting sometimes, but I stuck with it just for that fresh feeling.

Yeah, my kid had the same complaint about salt water after his oral surgery - he hated it at first, said it burned. We tried diluting it a little more than what the dentist suggested and that seemed to help, but honestly, he still grumbled every time. The gentle brush trick is a lifesaver though. We used one of those tiny travel toothbrushes for a while because the regular kids’ ones were still too big for the swollen spots.

Funny you mention adapting. Kids bounce back fast, but getting them into a routine is another story. Once we found a rhythm (brushing after every meal, quick rinse before bed), it got easier for both of us. Still, I worried about missing spots or causing bleeding if we brushed too close to the stitches. Did you ever have issues with bleeding when you switched from swabs to the brush? Or did your mouth just kind of toughen up after a few days?

I also found popsicles helped distract from the soreness and kept him hydrated - maybe not the most dentist-approved snack, but desperate times... Curious if you found any foods or drinks that made things worse or better? We had to avoid anything crunchy for ages, which was a pain since that’s all he wanted.