Numbing gels really do get a lot of hype, but I see way more people saying they don’t help much after surgery. Did you notice if the swelling went down faster with the saltwater rinses? That’s one thing I always recommend, but I’m curious how much it actually helped you. Some folks swear by alternating ice and heat after 48 hours—ever try that, or did you stick to just cold packs?
Did you notice if the swelling went down faster with the saltwater rinses? That’s one thing I always recommend, but I’m curious how much it actually helped you.
I’m a big fan of saltwater rinses—honestly, they’re the only thing that made my mouth feel remotely clean after my root tip surgery. But as far as swelling goes, I don’t know if it was the rinse or just time doing its thing. I did them religiously (like, every few hours), and I still had chipmunk cheeks for a solid three days. Maybe the saltwater helps more with infection risk than visible swelling? That’s just my take.
About the ice and heat thing, I’ve tried both. The first 48 hours were all about ice packs for me—couldn’t really imagine putting heat on a swollen face at first. But once the worst was over, switching to a warm compress seemed to help loosen up that stiff feeling in my jaw. It wasn’t some miracle fix, but it did make eating a little less miserable.
Numbing gels are such a letdown after surgery. Beforehand, sure—they’re helpful for canker sores or whatever. But post-op? Didn’t do much for me except maybe distract from the pain for five minutes. Makes me wonder if most of us are just desperate for anything that feels like “doing something” during recovery.
Has anyone else noticed whether their dentist or oral surgeon gave different aftercare instructions? Mine was super strict about no straws and gentle brushing, but didn’t mention alternating heat and cold at all. Curious if that’s just my doc or if there’s not really a consensus out there...
That’s been my experience too. I swear by saltwater for keeping things clean, but the swelling just had to run its course for me. My oral surgeon was also really strict about no straws and soft foods, but never mentioned heat either... funny how that varies. And yeah, numbing gel post-op felt pointless—like, five minutes of relief tops.Maybe the saltwater helps more with infection risk than visible swelling?
“I swear by saltwater for keeping things clean, but the swelling just had to run its course for me.”
That matches what my oral surgeon said, too—saltwater for infection, but not much for swelling. I kept hoping it’d help with the puffy chipmunk look, but nope… still had to wait it out. I tried ice packs the first day, then switched to warm compresses after a couple days like I’d read online, but honestly didn’t notice a huge difference either way. Maybe it helps some people, but for me, patience was the main thing.
About the numbing gel—can’t believe how useless that felt. I was so desperate right after surgery that I kept reapplying it, even though it wore off before I could even get comfortable. Ibuprofen and Tylenol (rotating them) actually did more for me than any of those topical gels.
Funny how surgeons have different rules. Mine was super strict about no straws and nothing too hot or spicy, but never mentioned heat packs at all. Guess it depends on who you get.
I was honestly way more anxious about infection than pain after reading horror stories online. Saltwater rinses were the only part that made me feel like I was actually doing something proactive. Still, I worried every time I felt a new twinge or saw even a little blood in the sink. Not sure if that’s normal, but it definitely kept me on edge the first week.
If you’re waiting for swelling to go down, hang in there. It’s slow and annoying but it does improve (even if you feel like a hamster for a while). For pain, alternating meds and just resting as much as possible seemed to be the best combo for me—not very high-tech, but practical.
Saltwater rinses really are a lifesaver for peace of mind, even if they don’t do much for swelling. I totally get the anxiety—every weird feeling made me think something was wrong. I tried the numbing gel too and honestly, it was pretty underwhelming. Rotating Tylenol and ibuprofen worked way better for me as well. The swelling just has its own timeline... patience is rough but it does get better eventually.
