I get the frustration about the cost versus comfort—sometimes you just have to make do with what’s affordable and hope for the best.
Story of my life right there. I remember staring at the list of “recommended” products from my oral surgeon and just laughing. Prescription rinse? Nah, I’ll take my $1 box of salt, thanks. Honestly, salt water did the trick for me too, even if it made me feel like a pirate rinsing after a rough day at sea.
That jaw clicking thing freaked me out way more than I expected. I kept thinking I’d dislocated something or was about to start talking like a robot. It did go away eventually, but wow… nobody warns you about that stuff. And yeah, two weeks of feeling like a zombie on a ramen noodle budget isn’t what they put in the pamphlet.
Ibuprofen and ice packs were my survival kit too. If there’s a secret hack for making recovery less miserable (and less expensive), I definitely missed it. At least we survived—battle scars and all.
Prescription rinse? Nah, I’ll take my $1 box of salt, thanks. Honestly, salt water did the trick for me too, even if it made me feel like a pirate rinsing after a rough day at sea.
I get the appeal of skipping the pricey stuff, but I actually had a different experience with the prescription rinse. I tried to tough it out with just salt water at first—honestly, it felt like I was gargling ocean water and not much else. Ended up with some gnarly swelling and my dentist said there was a mild infection starting. Once I caved and used the prescribed rinse, things calmed down way faster than before.
I do think there's a bit of overkill in those “recommended” lists sometimes (like the $20 ice pack when you could just use frozen peas), but for me that mouthwash was worth it. Maybe it depends on how your body reacts or if you’re prone to infections? Either way, I’d say don’t write off every suggestion as upselling—sometimes one or two are legit game changers.
And yeah, that jaw clicking is wild... For a few days I was convinced I'd messed up something permanent.
Funny, I had almost the opposite happen—I actually ditched the prescription rinse after a couple days because it made my mouth feel weirdly dry and tingly. Switched to salt water and, honestly, things healed up fine for me. Maybe I just got lucky with no infection? I totally get why some folks need the stronger stuff, though. Bodies are weird. And yeah, those “must-have” recovery products… half of them seem like overkill, but I guess everyone’s got their own magic combo.
Switched to salt water and, honestly, things healed up fine for me. Maybe I just got lucky with no infection?
I hear you on the salt water thing—it’s like the old-school trick that somehow still works. I remember after my extraction, I was religious about the prescription rinse because I was convinced skipping it would guarantee dry socket or something dramatic. But honestly, it made my tongue feel like sandpaper. I toughed it out, but part of me wonders if I could’ve just done what you did and saved myself the weird aftertaste.
And yeah, those “must-have” recovery kits... mine came with this little syringe thing for flushing out the holes. I never figured out if I was using it right or just making a mess. Sometimes I think half the stress is just not knowing what’s actually necessary and what’s just “for peace of mind.” Bodies are definitely weird—my friend had no swelling at all, while I looked like a chipmunk for a week. Guess there’s no one-size-fits-all here.
That syringe thing totally threw me off too—I kept worrying I’d either not clean enough or accidentally blast a clot loose. It’s wild how some people breeze through recovery and others get all the swelling and weird side effects. I definitely felt like nobody warned me about the jaw stiffness or how gross everything would taste for days. Salt water seemed old-fashioned, but it honestly worked better than the fancy rinse for me. Bodies just react so differently... makes you second-guess every “must-do” tip they give you.
