Curious if anyone else had that weird “cold air shock” whenever you accidentally sucked in air over the tooth? Mine felt like it had its own weather system for a solid week.
That “weather system” description made me laugh—totally get it. I had the same thing, like my tooth was auditioning to be a wind tunnel. And yeah, saltwater rinses… I managed a few days before I just couldn’t stomach it anymore. It’s comforting to know I’m not the only one who bailed on that. Chewing on one side definitely wore out my jaw, too. Sometimes it felt like my teeth were plotting against me. Hang in there—it does get better, even if it feels endless at first.
Can’t lie, I was the total opposite on the saltwater rinses—maybe I’m a weirdo but I actually found them kinda soothing? Guess it was the only thing that made my mouth feel “clean” when everything else tasted off. Chewing on one side did mess with my jaw though, for real. Had to keep reminding myself not to chomp down on the wrong side… muscle memory is wild.
My kiddo actually hated the saltwater rinses—said it made everything taste like the ocean, which I guess isn’t everyone’s idea of “clean.” But I totally get what you mean about muscle memory. I was always reminding him not to chew on the wrong side... it’s like your jaw just forgets!
Funny you mention the saltwater rinse—my dentist swore by it, but I couldn’t stand the taste either. I tried using warm water and just a pinch of salt, but it still felt like I’d licked a beach rock. As for chewing, it took me a good couple weeks to stop automatically using the sore side. I actually caught myself mid-bite more than once... muscle memory is no joke. What worked for me was putting a sticky note on the fridge reminding myself to chew carefully—sounds silly, but it helped.
That sticky note trick is actually pretty clever—never thought of that. Did you ever try using a flavored salt, like those pink Himalayan ones? I read somewhere it’s less harsh, but I’m not sure if it actually helps or just smells better.
