Yeah, the swelling after my surgical extraction was way more noticeable than the numbness ever was. I remember looking in the mirror and thinking I looked like a chipmunk for a couple days. Ice packs helped a bit, but honestly, the worst part was just feeling puffy and awkward. With my simple extraction, I barely had any swelling at all—just some soreness. Definitely found the surgical one tougher to bounce back from.
Honestly, I totally get what you mean about the chipmunk look after a surgical extraction. I had my wisdom teeth out last year—two were simple, two were impacted and needed the whole surgical process. The difference in recovery was night and day. The swelling from the surgical side made me want to avoid mirrors for a week, and I felt like everyone could tell something was off even if they said otherwise. Ice packs were my best friend, but there’s only so much they can do.
It’s wild how much more involved the healing feels after surgery versus a simple pull. With the regular extraction, I was back to normal food pretty quick, just had to be careful not to poke the spot with my tongue. But with the surgical one, it took way longer for the swelling to go down and I remember being so over eating mashed potatoes and yogurt by day three. The soreness kind of lingered too, especially when yawning or laughing.
One thing that helped me was keeping my head elevated when sleeping—seemed to make a difference with the swelling. And yeah, it’s awkward trying to talk or smile when your face feels like it’s twice its usual size...but it does get better faster than you’d think in the moment.
I’ve heard some people say their surgical extractions weren’t that bad, but I’m with you—the simple ones are way easier to bounce back from in my experience. It’s reassuring to know it’s not just me who found it tougher. Just gotta ride out those few days of puffiness and awkwardness; thankfully, it doesn’t last forever.
Hope you’re feeling back to normal now.
Man, the chipmunk cheeks are real. I had a surgical extraction a couple years ago and my face legit looked like I’d lost a fight with a bee. The regular one was nothing in comparison—ate pizza the next day, no joke. Surgical recovery is just a whole different beast.
I get where you’re coming from—surgical extractions are no joke. But I actually had a different experience when I got my wisdom teeth out. The “simple” one was a breeze, but the surgical side wasn’t as bad as I expected. Swelling, yeah, but nothing crazy. I wonder if it comes down to the technique or maybe even how much bone they have to remove? Or maybe it’s just luck of the draw with how your body reacts.
I’m curious—did you follow all the icing and elevation stuff? I went a bit overboard with ice packs and slept propped up, which might’ve helped. Also, I’ve heard some people swear by those cold therapy devices (like those wraparound jaw things), but I never tried one myself.
Honestly, the worst part for me was not being able to eat real food for a couple days. Pizza the next day sounds wild... my dentist would’ve had a fit if I tried that.
- Healing really does depend on a bunch of factors—surgical extractions usually mean more swelling and longer recovery, but honestly, technique and aftercare make a big difference.
- Icing and elevation help a lot. I tell people to stick with 20 min on/off for the first day or two. Sleeping propped up can keep swelling down.
- Those jaw wraps are handy, but a bag of frozen peas works just as well if you’re on a budget.
- Eating solid food too soon is risky—seen way too many dry sockets from folks jumping the gun. Stick to soft stuff for a few days, even if you feel okay.
- Sometimes it really is just luck. Some people bounce back fast, others have a rougher ride, even with similar procedures.
