How soon did you get back to your routine after a tooth pulled?

I had a molar pulled last year and was really cautious - probably too cautious, honestly. My dentist said to stick with soft foods for at least three days, but didn’t give a strict timeline for “normal” eating. I ended up waiting almost a week before I tried anything chewy. It’s confusing, because I’ve heard some people say they were back to normal in two days, while others took way longer. I wish there was more consistency in the advice...

It’s funny, I was told the same thing - soft foods for a few days - but no one gave me a clear “go ahead” for normal eating either. I ended up googling like crazy because I was worried about dry socket more than anything. Went back to regular stuff after about four days, but I chewed on the opposite side for a while. Did anyone else have trouble figuring out when it was actually safe to brush/floss near the site? That part stressed me out even more than eating.

I ended up googling like crazy because I was worried about dry socket more than anything.

I totally get the stress about brushing near the extraction. Honestly, I was more nervous about that than food too. But my dentist actually told me to *very* gently brush around it after the first 24 hours - just avoid the direct spot. I know a lot of sites say wait longer, but I felt better keeping things clean (as long as I was careful). Not sure if that’s recommended everywhere, but it worked for me.

my dentist actually told me to *very* gently brush around it after the first 24 hours - just avoid the direct spot.

That’s interesting, because mine said to hold off on brushing near the site for at least 48 hours. I was super paranoid about getting food stuck (and honestly, didn’t want to pay for a follow-up if I messed it up). I ended up using a saltwater rinse after meals since it was cheap and easy. Not sure if it helped, but my wallet survived and so did my gums.

Funny, I had a totally different experience - my dentist was all about getting back to normal brushing after just a day, but only if I was super gentle. Honestly, I was more worried about accidentally poking the site with my toothbrush than food getting stuck. Did anyone else get mixed messages from their dentist? Makes me wonder if there’s any real consensus or if it’s just personal preference...