Definitely second the aloe vera juice suggestion—it's soothing and gentle. Another thing that helped me was rinsing with lukewarm saltwater a few times a day. It sounds basic, but it really reduced swelling and discomfort. Also, avoid crunchy snacks like chips or crackers for a bit... learned that one the hard way myself. Hope your recovery goes smoothly!
"Another thing that helped me was rinsing with lukewarm saltwater a few times a day."
Definitely agree with the saltwater rinse—it's simple but effective. When I had my biopsy done last year, I underestimated how sensitive my mouth would be afterward. One thing that really helped me was sticking to soft, cool foods like yogurt, smoothies, and applesauce for the first few days. Warm soups were okay too, but nothing too hot or spicy (trust me on this one... learned it the hard way!). Also, I found that sleeping with my head slightly elevated reduced swelling overnight. Just an extra pillow or two made a noticeable difference.
One more tip: try not to poke around the biopsy site with your tongue or fingers. I know it's tempting because it feels weird, but leaving it alone really speeds up healing. Hope you're feeling better soon—hang in there, it'll get easier each day.
"Also, I found that sleeping with my head slightly elevated reduced swelling overnight."
Yeah, that's a solid tip. Wish I'd known about that when I had mine done—I woke up looking like a chipmunk for a couple days, lol. Saltwater rinses definitely helped me too, but honestly I couldn't handle lukewarm water at first...had to start off pretty cool and gradually warm it up as the days went by.
Did anyone else find ice packs helpful? I wrapped one in a towel and held it against my cheek on and off the first day or two. It really seemed to cut down on swelling and discomfort. Also, distractions were key for me—binged a whole season of a show just to keep my mind off poking around in there. It's funny how your tongue suddenly becomes obsessed with any tiny change in your mouth...
Also, distractions were key for me—binged a whole season of a show just to keep my mind off poking around in there.
Ice packs were a lifesaver for me too. I remember wrapping frozen peas in a dish towel because they molded perfectly to my cheek—way better than those stiff gel packs. And yeah, distractions are key. I got weirdly obsessed with crossword puzzles during recovery, probably just to stop my tongue from constantly poking at the biopsy site. Funny how your brain fixates on stuff like that...
Frozen peas are definitely underrated—cheap, reusable, and they mold perfectly. Did you find the peas thawed too quickly though? I ended up rotating two bags so one was always frozen solid. Also, did anyone else find warm saltwater rinses helpful? My dentist recommended them, and at first I thought it sounded painful, but it actually soothed the area and seemed to speed up healing. As for distractions, I totally relate to the crossword puzzle obsession. For me, it was sudoku puzzles—never cared much about them before, but suddenly they were the only thing that kept my mind off the biopsy site. Weird how recovery turns us into puzzle nerds...
