Maybe overthinking isn’t always a bad thing?
I totally relate. I was hyper-aware after my extraction—like, checking the site every hour and googling “signs of dry socket” way too much. Honestly, that anxiety made me super vigilant and I think it paid off. Sometimes being a little paranoid is just being prepared, right?
I get what you mean—after my wisdom tooth came out, I was glued to the mirror and obsessed with every little twinge. It felt a bit much, but honestly, being attentive helped me spot a tiny bit of swelling early and get it checked before it got worse. There’s a fine line between paranoia and just being cautious, but in this case, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Sometimes our instincts are there for a reason, even if they make us feel a little neurotic...
Interesting take—I'm actually kind of the opposite when it comes to this stuff. After my molar extraction, I tried to distract myself and not check too much, mostly because I tend to spiral into worst-case scenarios if I keep poking around. I get that being attentive helped you catch swelling early, but sometimes I wonder if the constant monitoring just makes us hyper-aware of normal healing pain or minor swelling that doesn't really need urgent attention.
For example, after my extraction, my dentist told me not to stress about every ache as long as there wasn’t major bleeding or fever. I tried to follow that advice (not always successfully—I did freak out once when I saw a tiny bit of white tissue). But in hindsight, most of what I noticed was just standard healing. Maybe it’s about finding that balance between listening to your body and not letting anxiety run the show?
I’m curious—did your dentist actually say to check for specific signs every day, or was that more your own instinct? My instructions were pretty basic: saltwater rinses, soft food, avoid straws, and don’t smoke. No mention of daily inspections. Sometimes I wonder if the extra vigilance is helpful or if it ends up making recovery feel longer and more stressful.
Also, did you find that being so focused on your mouth made it harder to get back to your normal routine? For me, the less attention I paid, the sooner I felt “normal” again—even if there was still some soreness. Maybe it depends on personality? Or maybe some people really do have complications that need catching early. Just thinking out loud here...
I’m with you on the anxiety thing—if I focused too much on every twinge, I’d probably convince myself something was wrong. After my extraction, I was given pretty standard instructions too: rinse, soft food, chill out for a couple days. No daily checklists or anything. I did peek in the mirror a few times (can’t help it), but after a while, I realized most of what I noticed was just normal healing.
I actually got back into my usual routine pretty quickly, partly because distracting myself with work and hobbies (tech projects, mostly) helped me not overthink it. The more I obsessed, the more every little ache seemed like a big deal. Once I stopped checking so much, it honestly felt like the recovery sped up—or at least my brain stopped fixating on it.
I guess some people really do need to be more careful if they’re prone to complications, but for most of us, not sweating the small stuff seems to work fine. Maybe it’s just a personality thing, like you said.
I totally relate to the urge to check in the mirror every hour—those first couple days, I was convinced every weird color or tingle meant a trip back to the dentist. For me, saving money was a big motivator to just stick to the basics: saltwater rinse, soft foods (hello, mashed potatoes), and not overcomplicating things. I did take it easy for 2-3 days but got back to work pretty fast since missing extra days wasn’t really in my budget. Honestly, once I stopped obsessing, things felt way less dramatic. Unless you’ve got a history of dry socket or something wild, keeping it simple usually works out fine.
