I get what you mean about the texture—
—but in my experience, mine started breaking down much sooner, maybe after a week. I wonder if it depends on the type of stitches or just how fast you heal. Honestly, I tried not to mess with them at all. Every time my tongue found one, it just made me more aware of it and a bit anxious. For me, leaving them alone seemed to help things settle faster.The texture was so strange, almost like fishing line.
I totally get the urge to mess with them—my tongue was constantly searching for those weird threads too. Like you said,
I had dissolvable stitches that took their sweet time, but leaving them alone definitely helped. I think healing speed is all over the place. For me, ice packs and sticking to soft foods made a difference. You’re not alone in feeling weird about it—those textures are just... odd.Every time my tongue found one, it just made me more aware of it and a bit anxious.
Every time my tongue found one, it just made me more aware of it and a bit anxious.
Man, you nailed it—those dissolvable stitches are like the ultimate “don’t touch” button for your tongue. It’s like my mouth suddenly became a crime scene and my tongue was the detective poking around for clues. I can’t say I ever got used to that weird, stringy texture, but I did learn (the hard way) that messing with them only made things more annoying.
Honestly, I’m with you on the soft foods. Mashed potatoes and yogurt became my best friends for a week. I tried to be a hero and eat a sandwich once—bad call. Also, ice packs were a lifesaver, even if holding one to my jaw made me look like I lost a fight with a snowball.
Healing definitely isn’t one-size-fits-all. My stitches took almost two weeks to disappear, but leaving them alone (as much as possible) definitely sped things up. If anyone’s still dealing with that “alien in my mouth” feeling, hang in there. It gets less weird. Eventually.
Haha, the “crime scene” bit cracked me up—felt exactly the same way. I swear my tongue had a mind of its own, like it was on a mission to inspect every single stitch. I kept worrying I’d accidentally pull one out or mess up the healing. For me, applesauce and scrambled eggs were my go-tos, but honestly? Even those got old fast. I did try rinsing gently with salt water (my dentist suggested it), and that seemed to help with the weird taste and soreness. Still, I kept wondering if things were healing right since everyone’s timeline seems so different... Glad to hear it gets less weird eventually.
I swear my tongue had a mind of its own, like it was on a mission to inspect every single stitch.
That’s exactly it—my tongue was basically an unpaid intern trying to “help” but just making me anxious. I totally get the food boredom, too. I tried mashed potatoes for a while since they’re cheap and filling, but even those started tasting like wallpaper paste after a few days. Did your dentist suggest anything else besides salt water? I was told to avoid mouthwash because of the alcohol, but I’m not sure if that’s just being overly cautious... Also, how long did it take before you could eat something with actual texture again? My wallet would love to stop buying pudding.