Questions for you all...

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I had my surgery last week (5/26). Here are questions that I have

about what I am going through right now:

(1) Is there any way to get the swelling to go down on your tastebuds?

(2) When should I stop spitting up clots, etc.?

(3) How do I keep my mouth clean(er)? I brush as best I can, and I

also use the peroxide mix, but it is nasty in there.

Any help would be appreciated!

[Guest guest]

I had surgery on 5/19.

To answer your questions:

1. Time - you can get the swelling down on the outside by using ice

and heat (check with your surgeon before using heat). I was using

both at about day 8 and I do not have much swelling left. As for

your tastebuds, I am not sure. Mine were not too bad. But, the

inside of my mouth is still a little swollen. It is getting better

each passing day.

2. I never personally spit up clots. But, I think as time goes on,

that should get better.

3. I used (and still use) 'Crest Pro-Health Rinse' It is alcohol free

and makes your mouth feel pretty clean. One thing that I did notice

with it is that after using it, I would have blue stringy spin in my

braces. So, just brush those out or try to spit them out. I also

used a baby tooth brush, much softer and smaller than an adult tooth

brush. Another thing I did was put mouth wash and water in a 'zip and

squeeze' bag and use that to rinse where my sutures are.

Everything seems bad now but it will get better. I got unwired on

Wednesday and I can finally eat, brush, and waterpic! Hang in there!

> Hi all,

>

> I had my surgery last week (5/26). Here are questions that I have

> about what I am going through right now:

>

> (1) Is there any way to get the swelling to go down on your

tastebuds?

> (2) When should I stop spitting up clots, etc.?

> (3) How do I keep my mouth clean(er)? I brush as best I can, and

I

> also use the peroxide mix, but it is nasty in there.

>

> Any help would be appreciated!

[Guest guest]

Jayarinca:

I am three months post-op and each of us is different. But, here's

my two cents:

The first week or two is the worst on all your counts. My taste

buds did not go particularly numb but my lower lip and chin did --

big time. I found that stimmulation seemed to help. Hot and cold

sensations seemed to come back first so, maybe a little idce on your

tongue would give you some indication about your taste buds.

I didn't really spit up blood clots but had some bloody nose action

for a week. The sutures inside my mouth started giving up bits and

pieces a week or two post-op. This lasted for a month before I woke

up one morning and found them gone (dissolved)

No real advice on the hygiene. I got a baby tooth brush kit from the

drug store which included some very gentle toothpaste. This made

brushing a bit easier. Otherwise, the mouth wash worked well. When

I was a month or so post op and could open my mouth more than a half

inch, I used my water pik on a low setting with some mouthwash in

the water to really get the gunk moving. Might want to check with

your Dr. on this last one.

In general, your mouth and body have been through a major procedure

and it takes time for stuff to sort itself out. I found that the

little victories, whether finally getting the baby spoon of mashed

potatoes down, coming up with some killer new blenderized

concoctions, or getting some feeling back in areas of my chin to be

the things I hung on to. This sense of progress made the rest or

the discomforts a lot less preoccupying.

Queelace

> Hi all,

>

> I had my surgery last week (5/26). Here are questions that I have

> about what I am going through right now:

>

> (1) Is there any way to get the swelling to go down on your

tastebuds?

> (2) When should I stop spitting up clots, etc.?

> (3) How do I keep my mouth clean(er)? I brush as best I can, and

I

> also use the peroxide mix, but it is nasty in there.

>

> Any help would be appreciated!