Keeping those stitches clean after a tooth pull - what worked for me

Oh man, I totally relate. I was so freaked out about food getting stuck in the stitches that I basically lived on mashed potatoes and yogurt for a week. Soup seemed like a safe bet, but I swear even the tiniest noodle felt like it was plotting against me. I rinsed with salt water after every snack - super cheap and my dentist said it was fine. Not sure if it helped with the taste, but at least it made me less paranoid about leftovers hiding back there.

Honestly, I think salt water rinses are underrated. Super cheap, easy, and my oral surgeon actually said it was better than those pricey mouthwashes they try to sell you. I did the same - rinsed after every single thing I ate, even if it was just pudding. I was paranoid about stuff getting stuck too, but I’m not convinced you need to go all liquid for a week. I managed soft scrambled eggs and even some overcooked pasta (cut tiny) without issues... just took it slow and made sure to rinse right after. Wouldn’t trust crunchy stuff though, that’s just asking for trouble.

Gotta say, I tried the “just rinse with salt water and eat soft foods” method after my wisdom teeth came out, but my mouth was not having it. Maybe I’m just a wimp, but even overcooked pasta felt like chewing rocks for the first couple of days. Ended up sticking to smoothies and yogurt because anything else made my stitches ache like crazy. I do agree on the salt water - cheap and surprisingly effective (plus, no neon blue mouth for hours after).

One thing I did differently: I used a little syringe to gently squirt water around the stitches after meals. My dentist gave me one and it was a life saver for getting those random food bits out without poking at the wound. The only downside? For some reason, every time I used it, I’d end up dribbling water down my chin like a toddler learning to drink... but hey, better than dry socket.

Crunchy stuff is definitely off-limits though. Tortilla chips are the enemy.

That little syringe is a game changer, right? I used it after my extractions too, and yeah… water everywhere, but it worked way better than just swishing. I tried mashed potatoes once and regretted it - bits stuck everywhere. Salt water rinse was my go-to for sure.

I get why the syringe feels like a must, but have you ever tried just letting gravity do its thing instead of flushing? Sometimes too much force can actually mess with the stitches or healing tissue. Curious if anyone’s dentist recommended holding off on the syringe for a bit?