Man, I wish someone had told me about the whole bone density thing before I got my wisdom teeth yanked. I just got the classic “you’ll be fine” line too, which… yeah, not super accurate. I’m pretty sure my jaw was made of concrete or something, because I felt like I’d gone a couple rounds with a prizefighter after. The swelling was next level and it took ages for the pain to chill out.
It’s wild how much that stuff matters. My friend had hers out a month after me, and she was eating pizza like three days later. Meanwhile, I was still living on pudding and mashed potatoes, questioning all my life choices. I guess it really does come down to what’s going on under the surface, not just how the teeth look on x-rays.
I get why dentists don’t always go into the nitty gritty, but honestly, I would’ve appreciated a heads up. Like, “Hey, your jaw’s built like a tank, so expect a rougher ride.” Would’ve made me feel less like a wimp for struggling so much.
Anyway, you’re definitely not alone if you’re feeling wrecked after. It’s not just you being dramatic—sometimes it really is just tougher because of stuff you can’t see. Hang in there, it does get better, even if it takes a bit longer than the “standard” recovery. And hey, at least you’ve got an excuse to binge-watch shows and eat ice cream for a while... silver linings, right?
My kid just had her wisdom teeth out a couple weeks ago, and honestly, I wish we’d gotten more of a heads up too. The dentist said it would be “uncomfortable” for a few days, but it was way more intense than that. She has pretty dense bones (apparently that’s a thing?), and the swelling lasted nearly a week. It was hard watching her struggle with the pain and barely able to eat anything besides yogurt and soup.
I get what you mean about feeling blindsided. Step one: You try to follow all the aftercare instructions, but when things don’t go “by the book,” you start wondering if something’s wrong. Step two: You compare with other people’s stories (her best friend bounced back in like three days), and it just makes you worry more. Step three: Eventually, you realize everyone’s recovery is different, and sometimes it really does come down to stuff nobody warned you about.
You’re right, it would help if dentists explained there are so many factors—bone density, impaction, even just luck—that can make recovery harder. Doesn’t make you weak at all. Hang in there... pudding and Netflix marathons are basically doctor’s orders at this point.
Completely agree—dentists really gloss over how different recovery can be, and it’s frustrating when you’re not prepared for the worst-case scenario. I had mine out last year and the swelling was way more than “a few days.” Did you notice if your insurance covered any extra meds or ice packs? I ended up paying out of pocket for a bunch of stuff I didn’t even know I’d need. Makes me wonder why they don’t give a real checklist of what to expect, especially for people with denser bones or tricky extractions.
Makes me wonder why they don’t give a real checklist of what to expect, especially for people with denser bones or tricky extractions.
Right? I had two impacted and my jaw felt like it got hit by a truck for almost a week. My insurance barely covered the basics—definitely not the extra ice packs or the prescription mouth rinse they suggested. Did your dentist even mention dry socket risks? Mine just breezed past it. Sometimes I think they forget some of us aren’t superhuman...
Weirdly, my kid’s oral surgeon was super upfront about all the ugly details. Maybe it’s a regional thing? We got a whole stack of printouts about dry socket, nerve pain, what to avoid eating, and even a chart for tracking swelling. I remember thinking it felt like overkill... but then watching my teenager mope around with chipmunk cheeks for days, I got why they were so thorough.
That being said, I hear you on the insurance frustration. The stuff they *suggest*—special rinse, extra gauze, even some weird jaw ice-wrap—was all out of pocket for us too. It adds up fast. I ended up just making homemade ice packs and using a saltwater rinse the surgeon recommended over the phone. Worked fine, but it felt like we were left to figure it out ourselves once we left the office.
I get the sense that a lot of dentists and oral surgeons assume everyone will have a “typical” recovery, and maybe they just don’t want to freak people out with worst-case scenarios. But honestly, I’d rather be warned about the possibility of feeling like my face got run over than be surprised by it.
Funny thing though—my kid bounced back way faster than I did when I had mine out years ago. I was miserable for two weeks; he was back to normal (well, as normal as a teenager gets) in four days. Maybe age really does make a difference? Still, I wish there was more consistency with how much info you get before and after. Every office seems to do their own thing...
