Interesting, I actually found the soft-food phase pretty manageable. My main issue was more about managing pain effectively—I underestimated how much discomfort I'd have even after the swelling subsided. Maybe it's different for everyone? Glad you're feeling better though.
"I underestimated how much discomfort I'd have even after the swelling subsided."
Yeah, that's pretty common actually. I remember thinking once the swelling went down, I'd be good to go—but nope, still had that dull ache lingering for a while. What helped me most was staying ahead of the pain with regular ibuprofen doses (as recommended by my dentist) rather than waiting until it got bad. Everyone heals differently though, so hang in there... it'll gradually get better day by day.
Yeah, the lingering ache caught me off guard too. I figured once the swelling was gone, I'd bounce right back, but it took me a solid two weeks before I felt somewhat normal again. Honestly, the worst part for me wasn't even the pain—it was the weird sensation of food getting stuck in those empty sockets. Drove me nuts for days. Did anyone else have trouble eating normally even after the pain eased up? I remember sticking to smoothies and mashed potatoes way longer than I expected because chewing just felt... off.
"Honestly, the worst part for me wasn't even the pain—it was the weird sensation of food getting stuck in those empty sockets."
Yeah, I totally get that weird feeling you're describing, but honestly, for me the pain was way worse. Maybe I'm just a wimp, haha. Did you try rinsing gently with salt water after meals? It helped me a ton with that annoying stuck-food sensation. Still, chewing felt super awkward for almost three weeks... kept thinking I'd bite down wrong and mess something up. Glad that's over now.
Ugh, that food-stuck-in-the-socket feeling is the absolute worst. I swear, I spent half my recovery convinced I'd have rice permanently embedded in my gums... gross, I know. Salt water rinses were my lifeline too, but honestly, time was the real MVP. Took me around a month before I stopped obsessively checking those holes after every meal. Hang in there, it'll feel normal again soon enough.
