- Totally agree on the soft brush—my dentist called hard bristles “gum sandpaper,” which stuck with me.
-
Same here. Peroxide felt like my mouth was in a desert for hours.“I tried peroxide once, thinking it’d help, but it left my mouth feeling weird and dry. Never again.”
- Ice packs helped with swelling more than any rinse, honestly.
- Found that eating on the other side (even if awkward) kept things from getting irritated.
- Not sure if anyone else had this, but warm chamomile tea (not too hot) actually soothed my mouth a bit. Maybe just psychological, but hey, I’ll take it.
“Ice packs helped with swelling more than any rinse, honestly.”
Funny thing, I actually found warm salt water rinses worked better for me than ice packs. The cold just made my whole jaw ache, maybe I’m just sensitive to it? Anyone else get that weird “brain freeze” feeling from ice on your face? Also, about the chamomile tea—never tried it, but I swear by sucking on a popsicle (slowly). Might be childish, but it did the trick for me...
I totally relate to the jaw ache from ice packs. I actually tried both—ice and warm salt water rinses—and had way better luck with the rinses for comfort. The cold just made everything tense up, especially right after the anesthesia wore off. I think some people are just more sensitive to the cold.
Popsicles are a good call, though. I used sugar-free ones and they took the edge off without being as intense as a straight-up ice pack. Plus, it kept me from biting down accidentally. Never thought about chamomile tea, but I did try rinsing with diluted hydrogen peroxide once (dentist’s suggestion) and it seemed to help with healing, but I was careful not to overdo it.
Main thing for me was sticking to a routine—rinses after every meal, soft foods, and being super gentle with brushing near the area. Swelling went down pretty quick that way, and I didn’t get any weird lingering pain.
Main thing for me was sticking to a routine—rinses after every meal, soft foods, and being super gentle with brushing near the area.
That routine is honestly what saved me too. Warm salt water rinses were my go-to, especially in the first couple days. I tried the ice thing, but it just made my jaw stiff and achey, so I totally get what you mean about being sensitive to cold. Popsicles were a win, but only for a few minutes at a time. I actually found that drinking room-temp water was less shocking than anything cold.
I never did the hydrogen peroxide rinse, but my dentist mentioned it as an option. I was a little paranoid about overdoing it and messing up the healing, so I stuck with salt water. For food, mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs basically became my entire diet for a week.
The biggest thing for me was not rushing back to normal brushing. I learned the hard way that being “gentle” really means barely touching the area for a while. One slip and it felt like I’d zapped my whole jaw. Swelling went down fast once I chilled out and stopped poking at it so much.
Salt water rinses are honestly underrated—most folks do just fine with those and don’t really need to get fancy. Peroxide can sometimes be too harsh, especially right after a root canal, so I think you made the right call sticking with salt water. I’ve seen people rush back to regular brushing and end up with more pain or swelling, so being cautious is key. Soft foods for a week sounds about right... I remember living on yogurt and oatmeal myself. It’s always surprising how much that tiny area can throw off your whole mouth if you’re not careful.