"teeth really are unpredictable little monsters."
Haha, couldn't agree more. Mine seemed fine at first, but around day 4 I randomly swelled up again... go figure. Lived on lukewarm scrambled eggs and smoothies for almost two weeks. Salt water rinses were definitely a lifesaver though.
Ugh, this thread is stressing me out a little, haha. I'm scheduled for next week and already overthinking everything. Did your swelling just randomly show up on day 4, or was there something specific you did that triggered it? Also, how often did you do the salt water rinses each day...like after every meal, or just morning and night? Sorry for all the questions—just trying to mentally prep myself for the egg-and-smoothie life.
"Did your swelling just randomly show up on day 4, or was there something specific you did that triggered it?"
My daughter had a similar experience—her swelling peaked around day 3-4, even though we were careful. Honestly, I think it's just the body's natural healing process rather than anything specific triggering it. We stuck to salt water rinses about three times a day (morning, midday, night), and that seemed sufficient. Try not to stress too much...the smoothie phase passes quicker than you'd expect, and you'll be back to normal foods before you know it. You've got this!
Yeah, I noticed the same thing around day 4-5. I was super careful too—didn't chew anything solid, rinsed gently with salt water, and kept ice packs on rotation—but still woke up looking like a chipmunk. My dentist said swelling usually peaks around then anyway, just part of the healing process. Took about a week before I felt somewhat normal again...hang in there, it gets better pretty quickly after that.
"My dentist said swelling usually peaks around then anyway, just part of the healing process."
Yeah, that matches my experience. I remember being super cautious too—did all the salt water rinses, ice packs, and even slept upright for a few nights (not fun at all). Weirdly enough, my swelling peaked around day 3, not 4 or 5. Seems everyone's a bit different. Did anyone else notice differences in swelling or recovery time depending on how many wisdom teeth you had removed at once? Curious if fewer extractions equals faster healing...