Any surgical procedure in your mouth entails temporary diet changes. When you have your wisdom teeth removed it is no different. The post-surgery holes serve as receptacles for many foods to become trapped in. To ensure proper healing as well as to prevent infection, your incision and extraction sites need to be kept clean at all times. There will be many foods you cannot have at first, but certain foods help with healing and are easy on the eating and digestive process.
What to Eat After Wisdom Teeth Removal
It’s fairly simple to find easy to eat food, but you want to be sure to stock up on a variety of things. Try to pick foods that fall into all food group categories as well as vary in taste and texture. The first day or two will be roughest so get foods that do not require any chewing. From there you will be able to move on to soft foods. Here are some suggestions to get after surgery.
Notes on Foods to Avoid
- Try to avoid foods that have seeds or them or bits of harder foods like granola.
- Steer clear of crunchy food like chips, cookies, nuts and candy.
- Chewy foods like whole fruits and vegetables or meats are tough and will become stuck in the open sockets even after they have begun to heal.
- While peanut butter is a soft food it can be sticky and hard to get down. It also gets caught in your gums and can find its way into the open holes.
- Rice is a lot stickier than pasta and is the perfect size to get caught in your surgery holes. Rice also requires quite a bit more chewing than pasta does.
- Foods like oatmeal or grits have “bits” in them that can get stuck in the holes and they are a little too gritty to handle before healing is complete.
- Acidic foods can cause some pain and stinging in your gums while they heal.
- Soft foods may tend to get lodged in your gums. Do not try to pick it out with your finger or a toothpick. Remember your gums will be swollen and healing flesh can look like caught food. While you’re healing you may have the feeling of something stuck in your gums even when it is not.
Finally, be cautious with hot and cold foods as the temperatures can cause discomfort. Always stay hydrated, to help flush bacteria out of your system. And, always follow the doctor’s instructions!
More tips for recovering after wisdom teeth removal:
Clarisse shares her experience and provides simple and easy tips for a 7-day recovery post wisdom teeth surgery. She provides information on all natural remedies to avoid swelling, infection and dry sockets.
How to care for a tooth after extraction:
Michelle, a professional dental assistant, gives information about how to care for your mouth after a wisdom tooth has been extracted. You can learn about things like rinsing with warm salt water and how to chew away from your surgery site