I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might drool everywhere without noticing.
That’s the worst part! My daughter kept checking her chin for drool too. Our dentist mentioned a cold compress and distraction (like a favorite movie) more than anything else. The gel just made her grumpy and confused. Ice and Tylenol seem to do the trick for us, honestly.
I get what you’re saying about Tylenol and ice, but honestly, Tylenol barely touched the pain for me. I ended up using ibuprofen (with my dentist’s okay) and it worked way better. The gel made my mouth feel weird too... just kinda numb and slimy. Distraction definitely helped, though—Netflix was my best friend for a couple days.
The gel made my mouth feel weird too... just kinda numb and slimy.
I totally get that—my dentist gave me this numbing gel and I honestly couldn’t stand the texture. It felt like my whole mouth was coated in something off. I was super anxious about the pain, so I tried Tylenol first, but it barely did anything. Ibuprofen worked better for me too, but I had to double-check with my dentist since I’m always nervous about meds. Ice packs helped a bit, but honestly, keeping my mind busy with YouTube videos was the biggest relief. The first couple days were rough, but it got easier step by step.
keeping my mind busy with YouTube videos was the biggest relief
Distraction really does wonders, doesn’t it? I remember after my last root tip surgery, I couldn’t stand the taste or texture of that gel either—almost made me gag. I relied on ibuprofen as well, but only after my dentist confirmed it wouldn’t interfere with my other meds. Ice helped, but honestly, just resting and watching old movies made those first days bearable. It’s funny how much the little comforts matter when you’re dealing with mouth pain.
Interesting point about distraction, but I’ve always wondered if relying too much on movies or YouTube actually makes the discomfort feel longer in the end. For me, getting outside for short walks (once the swelling went down) seemed to break up the monotony and helped my mood more than just zoning out indoors. Anyone else feel like movement speeds recovery, or is that just me?
