1-3 I can't help you with.

But 4 sounds good.

Water Pic!

That's what they used to tell me when I had mine out. Eat soup! But stuff still gets in The Big Canyon! Squirt it out with a Water Pic!

It worked good.

OTOH, I had 'em out when I was 10 and 11, 2 at a time.

And that was quite some time back. So it may not be the Current Thinking.

Oh! Forgot some.

#1 - Take the given gauze pad and cut it down to size. If you're worried it's not sterile any more, dunk it in alcohol and let it dry out. Or, nuke it. Microwaves are totally underrated as quickie sterilizers.

#2 - Depends on the person. It is, however, perfectly ordinary animal protein.

#4 - Since my own health problems bore me to death, I can really relate to this one. Unfortunately, sometimes all you can do is sit it out. TV, reading, whatever, but your ability to absorb and use that stuff is limited because you're Not Well.

Whereupon, making time pass by sleeping through it is good, too.

As long as you don't have sleep disorders holding you back.

Sheesh!

Gets complicated, don't it though?

Actually, it's coming along fine. Though I do imagine if I'd had a general I could have had a nice nap this afternoon.

I've started cutting the gauze squares in half, which seems to work perfectly.

I don't have a water pik, but I seem to remember when I had some weird complication after oral surgery in my 20s that there was a little cheapie device they gave me for irrigating the hold. Maybe I'll ask when I go to the drugstore tomorrow. It might be my imagination, but I think some of the little Split Pea Pea Coats are floating around back there. (Unless it's that weird little flap of skin.)

I'm actually feeling good enough to go to writer's group tonight. Not that I want to; I'd rather stay home and feel sorry for myself. Oh, well ;)

No water pick!!! Dry socket, remember? Gentle rinsing with salt water. Just let the water sit there and roll over the socket.

I apologize for obsessing about your hole! Really!

Darrell, you'll need to watch that--you're getting close to a line, there, and if you fall off the edge of the earth there will be monsters waiting for you. Like my husband.

I'm permitted to rinse my mouth as of 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning--no brushing or rinsing for the first 24 hours, although they didn't say I couldn't drink water, and I do admit to letting it swish over Attila Canyon, due to my pathological fear of food particles lurking there.

It sounds like the dry socket problem could be related to overuse of the gauze--especially since I tend to chomp down on the dressing when it's there. Fortunately, the bleeding has subsided enough that I probably won't need any more gauze after tonight. So with a little luck there won't be dry socket this time around.

I am told... It really was a genuine attempt to get your mind off your surgery. Unfortunatey, eight-grade humor is all I have in my arsenal. It's amazing how little a person can learn in the 37 years since.

Just try not to disturb what forms in that socket for a couple of weeks and you will do fine.