Salt water rinses were my budget-friendly MVP, but sleep was still a struggle... pillows everywhere, like I was building a fort.
That pillow fort visual is spot on—been there too. It’s wild how something as simple as sleep gets complicated after dental stuff. I totally agree on salt water rinses; they’re underrated for how soothing they are. For me, propping myself up with a travel pillow helped a bit with the weird pressure. All the little hacks add up, even if it still feels like survival mode for a few days.
Travel pillow is a good call—I tried that, but somehow my neck always felt weird in the morning. I ended up just stacking regular pillows and kind of half-sitting up, which wasn’t super comfy but did help with swelling. Anyone else notice the salt water rinse stings at first? I kept wondering if I was mixing it too strong... but it worked. Those first nights are rough, no matter what tricks you try.
Stacking pillows was my go-to too—never could get comfy with those travel pillows, they always felt awkward. Salt water rinse definitely stung for me, especially the first couple times. I just kept the mix pretty mild after that... helped a bit. Those first nights really are the worst.
Stacking pillows was a lifesaver for me too, but I swear I’d wake up and half of them had escaped to the floor. Salt water rinse—ugh, I kept making it too salty at first and it felt like gargling ocean water after a surfing wipeout. Did you ever try ice packs for the swelling? I found wrapping one in a sock and just kind of balancing it on my cheek helped a bit, even if I looked ridiculous. Curious if anyone’s tried any numbing gels or sprays for those first nights...
I’ve wondered about those numbing gels too—never tried them myself, just stuck with the ice packs and Tylenol. Did anyone have issues with gels making the inside of your mouth feel weird or tingly for hours? Always worried it might mess with healing.
