I had all four wisdom teeth removed by a wonderful oral surgeon last wednesday (the 9th). My recovery had been WAY better than I could've ever dreamed. I will be going in for my follow up this Wednesday.
In the meanwhile from any of you experienced post-extraction people out there:
Is it normal for the gums to be achy for a while? I have days or at the very least hours of time where I have no pain or achiness whatsoever. The bottom right one hurt deeply (like a bad bruise) for a few days and then it went away, and now the left side feels the same only a little less painful. It's not a dry socket, just gum soreness/tenderness. Normal? I was wondering if it's a normal part of the healing process and one side is just a little ahead of the other?

Also, how long before I can drink a carbonated beverage or eat popcorn? I'm a popcorn JUNKIE and it's killing me, but I also don't like the thought of getting a sliver of kernal back in those holes! eek!
When will the time come when I won't have to worry what I eat/drink or stuff getting back in those holes? I feel so good, but I worry that I could still be at risk for a dry socket even now.

Thanks in advance for all your help!
I've watched this board for a solid month before getting those whizzies out and I'm glad now that it's over with. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Over-all my best dental experience to date! :bouncing:

...and aren't you glad you took care of all four of them at once and will never have to think about or do it again? A lot of aches and pains in your teeth and jaw for awhile are pretty normal. As long as you follow post-op instructions and do a follow-up visit with the surgeon to have a look a your healing, you should be fine. The better you feel the more time passes your confidence in eating your normal stuff will return.

Smart move getting them all done at the same time! :) Achiness is normal for awhile. Just keep your mouth as clean as you can, and you will be back to normal in no time. :D

Its not uncommon to have one area be more tender than the other. That area could have been more difficult of an extraction. It will be many weeks before the holes close up, but just keep them clean. You can put your mind at ease about a dry socket, you're out of the woods now. Go ahead and drink carbonated drinks. As far as popcorn, I would give it a little more time. Hope everythink went well today at your follow up visit. :)

Hey guys! Thanks for all the posts and encouragements.
Follow up with the doc went superb. (And yes I am VERY VERY happy to have gotten them all out at once)
Anyways, reg. the follow up. I got a clean bill of health. He said popcorn was ok, but to just make sure I was flushing the holes out well with water. He said everything looked great!
I'm beyond happy! I can even live with a little achiness, it's nothing the motrin won't take care of. I think so much of my happiness has to do with the great weight of worry that was lifted off me by finally going thru with it. And it was SOOOOOooooo much easier than I had anticipated! Really a wonderful experience to be honest, and how many dental visits can one say THAT about?! lol

And Oh, what a relief to be free of the worry of a dry socket!!!!

*sigh* so much to be thankful for!

If anyone has any questions regarding the whole process I'll be happy to stick around on here and help ya out. I was so mortified of the thought of going thru with it that I was plastered to this forum for a solid month. Reading everyone's experiences I could find. This was also the place I came when I would worry myself sleepless. There were a couple stories in particular that helped me feel a lot better about what I was getting ready to face. They were really positive and uplifting!!! It gave me the encouragement I needed to go thru with it.
So, I'd like the opportunity to return that.

Thanks to all of you. I don't know if most of you will ever know what a powerful positive influence you were on me, but it made all the difference in the world to me!

[QUOTE=aztecman1]
And Oh, what a relief to be free of the worry of a dry socket!!!!

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When are you "out of the woods" for a dry socket? When can you eat foods requiring chewing? When can I have a coke?