Category: Adult Dentistry, Dr. Advocate's Insight
Are you worried about the food you should eat after having dental surgery? If yes, then you are not alone. Dental procedures such as wisdom teeth removal, implant placement, and root canal treatment are standard procedures dentists perform.
Unfortunately, these procedures can cause discomfort and pain. Sticking to a soft-food diet for 1-2 weeks will decrease discomfort without sacrificing essential nutrients. This article provides 101 foods to eat after dental surgeries.
Recommended Reading: Wisdom Teeth | The Ultimate Guide
Wisdom tooth removal is a common procedure performed by oral surgeons. It is often done to treat tooth impaction, severe decay, infection, or pain. After the procedure, patients return home with post-operative instructions to take care of their mouths.
Patients who undergo dental procedures should follow specific guidelines to ensure proper healing and minimize complications. For example, patients should drink 8 oz of water 8/day (8×8) to prevent dehydration. They should avoid sucking, spitting and using a straw for 48 hours. Additionally, they should refrain from smoking and chewing tobacco.
After the procedure, you may experience swelling, oozing, and mild discomfort for a few days. Use a cold pack and anti-inflammatory OTC medications to minimize swelling.
Also, you may have difficulties opening and closing your jaw as the muscles have been stretched during the procedure. In addition, expect bleeding and oozing to occur for up to 24 hours.
Recommended Reading: Wisdom Teeth Pain: Symptoms, Relief & Home Remedies (Helpful Tips)
We recommend this cold compress is applied directly to the wisdom teeth area to prevent swelling, inflammation and pain.
Your surgeon will provide you with more detailed instructions, including changing the gauze if bleeding persists, avoiding physical activities for 3-5 days, and sticking with a soft-food diet for two weeks. Wisdom teeth extractions take two weeks to heal; however, call your doctor with any questions or concerns.
If antibiotics are prescribed and you are taking birth control pills, consider alternative birth control methods as birth control pills may be ineffective.
Patients should consume soft foods for 1-2 weeks until their gums heal completely. In addition, patients should consume specific foods to promote healing. Some examples include yogurt, milk, soft cheese, eggs, bananas and applesauce.
Check out our 7-day Dentist-Recommended Eating Plan
It is important to remember that each procedure is unique, and you should follow your doctor’s recommendations for what is acceptable to eat to prevent pain and infection. Patients who undergo surgery may need to follow a liquid diet for an extended period before progressing to solid foods.
After dental surgery, any foods listed below can be liquefied using a blender – our favorites are the Magic Bullet and the Vitamix. Patients can also use them to make delicious, healthy beverages, including juices, shakes, and smoothies containing raw vegetables packed with essential vitamins and minerals.
Foods that are spicy, hot, crunchy, crumbly or chewy can delay wound healing. In addition, alcohol may irritate the healing tooth socket and interfere with prescribed pain medication. Finally, avoid seeds as they can get lodged in the tooth socket, aggravate gum tissue, and disturb blood clot formation.
If the blood clot falls out, a dry socket will form. Day 3 and 4 are the most common days to develop a dry socket. If you want to learn more about dry sockets, check out the recommended reading below.
Recommended Reading: Impacted Wisdom Teeth: Symptoms, Causes, Removal & Recovery
Your oral surgeon will advise you to stay on a soft-food diet for 1-2 weeks. The diet allows time for your mouth, jaw muscles and gums to heal.
A change in diet after wisdom tooth extraction can prevent you from getting adequate nutrients. The amount of food intake begins with the number of servings and serving size.
Wisdom teeth removal is a standard outpatient procedure for patients between the ages of 15 and 25. Recovery after wisdom teeth removal takes 3-4 days, but symptoms can take 1-2 weeks to subside.
Your oral surgeon will provide detailed post-op instructions, including contact information. In addition, you must follow the at-home care instructions that your surgeon gives you to prevent complications and to improve healing.
Your mouth is designed for optimal healing and regeneration; however, expect the tooth socket to heal completely in 3-6 months.
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Breakfast - Protein smoothie (milk, bananas, yogurt, ice), scrambled eggs
Lunch - Mac & cheese, hummus, Jell-O
Dinner - Cooked rice, ground turkey, soft bread, avocado
Snacks - Protein shakes (Boost), watermelon,
Comments - After 24 hours, you can replace liquid-like foods with soft foods. Avoid hard, hot, spicy and crunchy foods the day after surgery. You will still have sensitivity around the extraction sites, so keep the food away from those areas.
Breakfast - Scrambled eggs, pancakes/waffles
Lunch - Lentils, cottage cheese + fruit/salsa
Dinner - Salmon, steamed veggies, soft bread
Snacks - Protein shakes (Boost), banana, Jell-O
Comments - After 48 hours, your jaw muscles should begin to loosen up, allowing you to open and close with less pain. Don't be alarmed if you still have difficulties opening your mouth wide. Continue eating soft foods, and be sure you drink enough water (8 oz x 8 times). Allow any hot foods or hot beverages to cool to room temperature.
Breakfast - Protein smoothie (milk, bananas, yogurt, ice), pancakes/waffles
Lunch - Hummus, lentils, cottage cheese + fruit/salsa
Dinner - Cooked pasta, steamed veggies, soft bread
Snacks - Protein shakes (Boost), applesauce, pudding
Comments - Continue sticking to soft foods and ensure you get the recommended servings and adequate water intake. In addition, be sure you sleep 7-8 hours each night to allow the gum tissue to heal.
Expect the gums to be fully healed after 1-2 weeks, so commit to a soft-food diet until then. After two weeks, begin to implement harder foods slowly. The healing gum tissue will still be sensitive to irritation.
Gently swish warm salt water to flush out any food debris stuck in the extraction site. In addition, lightly brush around the area to keep the area clean. However, don't overbrush as you can dislodge the blood clot, leading to a dry socket. Contact your dentist if you still have issues.
Whether one tooth is pulled or all your teeth are pulled, you may have to stick with a soft-food diet for 1-2 weeks. Be patient with the healing process and give your body plenty of time to heal. Consider these healthy and delicious foods to recover faster and return to normal sooner.