I was told to avoid the area for a couple days too, but honestly, I just couldn’t stand the idea of not cleaning near it at all. I used a soft brush and just sort of hovered around the stitches—no pressure. Skipped toothpaste right there, same as you. Saltwater rinses helped, but I kept forgetting after meals and then feeling guilty... It’s tricky finding that balance between being careful and keeping things clean.
It’s tricky finding that balance between being careful and keeping things clean.
Totally get this. I remember after my gum graft, I was so paranoid about messing up the stitches, but also grossed out by the thought of food hanging out in there. I ended up using those little soft interdentals—felt like sneaking around a crime scene, honestly. Didn’t help my saltwater rinse routine either... half the time I’d remember right as I was falling asleep.
I’m right there with you on the paranoia—after my root tip surgery, I was convinced every tiny movement would ruin the stitches. Even chewing felt like a high-stakes operation. I tried using those soft picks too, but honestly, I was so scared I’d poke something I wasn’t supposed to, I gave up after a couple days. Ended up sticking to just gentle rinsing (when I remembered, which… wasn’t always).
The saltwater rinse thing is the worst to keep up with. I’d remember it at the weirdest times, like when I was already in bed, and then I’d stress about whether missing a rinse would mean infection. The anxiety was real. But I guess being a little over-cautious helped me, because I didn’t get any complications. Still, sometimes I wonder if I was too careful and made the healing take longer? Hard to know what’s “just right” with this stuff.
That’s exactly how I felt when my kid had her root tip surgery last year. I was constantly hovering, worried she’d do something “wrong” and mess up the stitches. Did you ever feel like the instructions from the dentist were just… vague? I kept second-guessing if she was allowed to eat certain foods or if a tiny cough would make things worse.
We tried the saltwater rinses too, but honestly, getting a 9-year-old to swish and spit several times a day is basically impossible. I’d stress every night about whether missing one would cause an infection or slow down healing. Is it really that big a deal if you miss a rinse here and there? Sometimes I think being anxious made me way more strict than necessary, but then again, she healed fine—maybe even faster than expected.
Did anyone else get conflicting advice about soft foods vs. regular foods? I swear, every nurse said something different. It’s hard not to feel like you’re either being too careful or not careful enough...
Is it really that big a deal if you miss a rinse here and there? Sometimes I think being anxious made me way more strict than necessary, but then again, she healed fine—maybe even faster than expected.
Honestly, I think we all get a bit too worked up about following every instruction to the letter. When I had my own root tip surgery, I was convinced missing a single saltwater rinse would spell disaster. Turns out, I missed a couple here and there—life happens—and everything healed up just fine. The anxiety probably did more harm than any skipped rinse.
About the food advice, I actually went back to eating normal stuff pretty quick (just chewed on the other side). One nurse said stick to pudding and yogurt, another told me as long as it’s not crunchy or sharp, I was good. I get why they’re cautious, but honestly, being too restrictive just made me cranky. Didn’t seem to make much difference in the end.
I guess what I’m saying is—sometimes our bodies are tougher than we give them credit for. Being careful is good, but stressing over every little thing? Probably not worth it.
