I was paranoid about brushing near the stitches too but ended up using a super soft toothbrush and just took it slow.
That’s totally relatable—I remember standing in front of the bathroom mirror just staring at my toothbrush, like, “Is this thing suddenly a weapon?” I swear, it felt like I was defusing a bomb every time I went near those stitches. But yeah, going with the softest brush I could find and brushing at turtle speed definitely made things less stressful.
One thing that also helped me was icing my cheek for the first day or two. It looked a bit ridiculous, but holding a bag of frozen peas to my face between Netflix episodes actually kept the swelling down. Not sure if it was the peas or just luck, but I’ll take it.
As for saltwater rinses—couldn’t agree more about them being cheap and effective. I tried one of those fancy blue mouthwashes once and it stung so bad I never went back. Saltwater just felt gentle, and my oral surgeon said it helps keep things clean without messing up healing.
Eating was another adventure. For anyone else reading this and worried about chewing: smoothies and mashed potatoes were my best friends for almost a week. Anything crunchy or spicy was a hard no (learned that one the hard way...ouch).
Honestly, the weirdest part for me was how long the dissolvable stitches took to go away. They hung around for what felt like forever, but eventually they disappeared on their own.
Anyway, glad to hear you didn’t run into infection issues either. The anxiety around oral surgery is real, but with some patience and gentle care, it really does get better after those first couple days.
Couldn’t agree more about the anxiety—those first couple days after oral surgery are just a weird mix of relief and constant second-guessing every move. The toothbrush thing is so real. I remember holding mine like it was some kind of surgical tool, trying to avoid even grazing the stitches. It’s amazing how something you do every day suddenly feels risky.
Icing definitely helped me too, but I always felt awkward walking around with a bag of frozen corn pressed to my face. Still, anything to keep that swelling down... Saltwater rinses were a lifesaver for me as well. I tried using one of those alcohol-based mouthwashes once and instantly regretted it—felt like pouring hot sauce on an open wound.
Totally get what you mean about the dissolvable stitches sticking around forever. I kept poking at them with my tongue, convinced they’d never go away, but they finally did (much later than I expected). Glad you didn’t have any infection issues either. It’s honestly wild how much patience this stuff takes, but yeah, things really do get better after that initial rough patch.
That anxiety around the toothbrush is so real—I watched my kid like a hawk those first few days, just trying to make sure she didn’t accidentally jab the stitches. It’s wild how something as basic as brushing teeth suddenly feels nerve-wracking. I was constantly second-guessing if we were being gentle enough or rinsing too much.
Icing was a game-changer for us too, though I had to bribe her to keep the ice pack on for more than five minutes at a time. Honestly, I felt a little silly with all the precautions, but I’d rather be overly careful than risk an infection. The saltwater rinses definitely seemed to help, but I never even considered mouthwash after reading the warnings—your “hot sauce” description is exactly what I was worried about.
Those dissolvable stitches drove her nuts. She kept asking when they’d disappear, and I kept telling her “any day now,” even though it took way longer than I expected. It’s a relief to hear others went through the same thing. The patience part is tough, but you’re right, things really do get better once you’re past that first week or so.
Those dissolvable stitches drove her nuts. She kept asking when they’d disappear, and I kept telling her “any day now,” even though it took way longer than I expected.
Ugh, the waiting game with those stitches is the worst. Did anyone else have that weird urge to poke at them with your tongue? I swear mine felt like they were never going away. How long did it take for you all?
Mine took about two weeks before they really started dissolving, but honestly, it felt like forever. I kept running my tongue over them just to check if they were still there... probably not the best idea. The texture was so strange, almost like fishing line.
