Just had my followup wisdom tooth appt. and totally forgot to ask

[OaklandAsGirl]

Hey all! It's been just over two weeks since my wisdom teeth extraction, so I just had my followup appointment. The oral surgeon said my bottom left second molar isn't loose, it just feels that way, and he used his little pokey device (I believe that's the scientific term) to see if he could find any cavities in that tooth since it had been pushed up against the wisdom tooth for so long. He said he couldn't find any! Good news all around.

Anyway, though, I forgot to ask him something. I could only use the prescription mouthwash they gave me for ten days, so I haven't been able to use any mouthwash since Friday. I hate not using it! My mouth feels icky. How long do you think it will be til it's okay to use Listerine? And if I have to wait awhile, do you know of any regular mouthwashes that may not be harsh at all on my mouth? I haven't really tried anything other than the prescription one, so it may be fine now. I just want to be sure. I haven't had a dental cleaning since high school (I know, terrible person! I'm planning on doing that sometime this summer now that I have dental insurance.), but I'm crazy about my brushing and rinsing. If my mouth doesn't feel pristine, it annoys the poo out of me.

Thanks in advance!

 

[letsconnect]

A lot of dentists wouldn't recommend listerine, it's quite harsh on the soft tissues.

You could try a chlorine dioxide mouthwash. In the UK, the most common brand is Retardex. I'm not sure what the current brands in the US are but you could ask at a pharmacy/drug store.

Chlorine dioxide should fit your bill perfectly as one of its uses is for fresh breath .

 

[OaklandAsGirl]

Thanks for the reply! I had heard Listerine could be kind of harsh; maybe it is time to find another rinse. Do you know if now should be an okay time to use a chlorine dioxide rinse, what with my gums still not being quite back to normal? Is it mild enough to not irritate them? And I'll go ask a pharmacy to see what we have in the US, if no one here knows.