Couldn’t agree more about the unpredictability. I had my wisdom teeth out after years of braces, and honestly, that recovery was way rougher than any other dental thing I’ve dealt with. The swelling, the weird jaw pain, and just trying to eat anything without feeling like I was risking disaster...it’s next level. Regular extractions are a walk in the park by comparison, at least for me. And yeah, even when you do everything “right,” dry socket just seems to happen to some people. I wish they’d figure out why already—it feels like pure bad luck sometimes.
Totally get where you’re coming from—I’m actually scheduled for my first wisdom tooth removal soon and reading these stories is making me nervous. I had a regular extraction last year and bounced back in a couple days, but the idea of swelling and not being able to chew is stressing me out. I keep hearing about dry socket too...does rinsing with salt water actually help, or is it just luck?
I keep hearing about dry socket too...does rinsing with salt water actually help, or is it just luck?
I’ve wondered the same thing. Some people swear by salt water, but I’m not convinced it’s the only factor. Has anyone actually tracked what they did post-surgery and whether it made a difference? I’m curious if tech like those smart water flossers could help, or if that’s just overkill.
I’ve wondered the same thing. Some people swear by salt water, but I’m not convinced it’s the only factor.
Yeah, I totally get this. I was told to rinse with salt water after my extraction, but honestly, I was paranoid about dry socket no matter what I did. I followed all the instructions, but I still felt anxious every time I swallowed or moved my jaw. I’ve seen people mention water flossers, but I’d be nervous using one so soon—feels like it could mess things up? I think it’s partly luck, partly being careful, but I wish there was a surefire way to avoid complications.
Totally hear you on the anxiety—dry socket is one of those things everyone dreads, even when you’re careful. I wouldn’t touch a water flosser that soon either, honestly. Salt water helps, but yeah, sometimes you can do everything right and still get unlucky. Hang in there; most people heal up just fine, even if it feels nerve-wracking at first.
